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The First National Bank Of Vinita to Open Branch in Kahoots Country Store
IBT helps bank meet Cleora customers halfway

ATLANTA, June 25, 2003
The First National Bank (FNB) of Vinita, Oklahoma’s oldest bank, will soon be in “Kahoots” with its customers in Cleora. The bank is slated to open its newest branch inside Kahoots Country Store next month. The new location will save Cleora residents a 15-mile drive to the main branch.

“Placing a branch inside Kahoots Country Store was a natural fit for us,” said Tim Williams, CEO of First National Bank of Vinita. “The owners of the store are our bank customers. When I found out they were expanding the store, I discussed with them the possibility of including a bank branch in the expansion. We wanted to have a branch in an area that was convenient for our customers, and Kahoots Country Store is highly trafficked by Cleora residents so it proved to be a perfect fit.”

Williams turned to IBT, the nation’s largest specialty retail branch design and performance consulting company, to design the branch inside Kahoots Country Store. IBT’s turnkey design/build and consulting program eliminated the need for Williams to have to coordinate between architects and builders and from having to hire a consultant to show them how to operate an in-store branch.

“It’s not a traditional means of banking, it’s totally different for us,” Williams said. “To deliver the message and our products to the customer takes special training. IBT presented in-aisle training to the branch manager and sales associates to teach them how to talk to customers about our bank’s services in the aisles of the store. IBT will also be there to answer our questions and give us tips on how to best deliver our message to the customers.”The 450 square-foot Kahoots Country Store branch will be staffed with a branch manager, and three full-time sales associates. The facility will feature two new accounts/customer service desks and two teller stations.

“One of the main reasons we chose to partner with IBT was that IBT has an overall positive attitude about building a better branch. Because there is so much that goes into it, [designing, building and operating] an in-store branch can be overwhelming,” said Becky Fields, manager of the Kahoots Country Store branch. “They were so good about developing a framework and a time frame for us to follow. Instead of just building a branch, they are helping us build a team environment as well.” The Kahoots Country Store branch of FNB Vinita will open on July 1. Customers will be able to conduct any checking or savings transactions, and they can also apply for loans at the branch.

About First National Bank of Vinita
First National Bank of Vinita is Oklahoma’s oldest bank. It was founded in 1892 when Oklahoma was still known as Indian Territory, and has $150MM in assets. It is a full service bank, which offers loan, checking and savings accounts, Internet banking and Xpress banking. First National Bank of Vinita has three branch locations throughout Vinita and Grove and seven ATM locations. For more information, please visit its Web site at www.fnbvinita.com.