The Henry County Bank is an independent, locally owned financial institution located throughout Henry County. The bank has six branches serving the communities of Napoleon, Malinta, Liberty Center and Holgate. The home office and two branches are located in Napoleon.

1936
The Henry County Bank was originally incorporated as the Holgate State Bank in the spring of 1936. It received a charter to transact business as an independent, locally owned community bank in Holgate. The first president and C.E.O. was Mr. Lester E. Fruth.

1954 - 1981
In 1954, the bank expanded and opened an office in nearby Malinta. In 1969, Mr. Fruth had the vision to move the main office of the bank to Napoleon, the Henry County seat. The name of the bank was changed from the Holgate State Bank to The Henry County Bank during this transition. In 1972-1973, a new branch opened on North Scott Street in Napoleon. In 1981, Mr. William L. Wendt became the President / C.E.O. and continues to serve in that capacity.

The 1980's saw the development of a long range plan to modernize facilities, expand offices, open new branches, and enhance all areas of customer service in order to ensure the continuing increase in shareholder value.

1986
In 1986, a new branch was opened in Liberty Center, in northern Henry County.

1990
In 1990, The Henry County Bank expanded to open its third Automatic Teller Machine (ATM). This ATM was the first one not located on bank property and was located at the Brothers' Market on East Maumee Avenue to serve southside customers.

1991
Throughout the 1990's, The Henry County Bank added many services and processes to increase their customer service. In 1991, the bank implemented the Unisys series personal computer workstation teller units at all the facilities. This new system helped to expedite and process multiple customer transactions. In July of 1991, a new ATM opened at Arvay's Super Center in the Oakwood Shopping Plaza in Napoleon. In December 1991, another ATM opened at the North Scott Street branch. This drive-up ATM also debuted the Green Machine Network System, which included the Money Station and Cirrus networks. This allows customers, as well as non-customers, convenient nationwide banking opportunities.

1995 - 1998
In June of 1995, the newest branch of The Henry County Bank opened at South Perry Street, offering "full service banking" to customers on the southside of the Maumee River.

The Henry County Bank is one of just a handful of banks that began providing Check Imaging to its customers in 1995. Check Imaging provides checking account customers with images of their cancelled checks, deposit slips, and other items scanned by the computer and laser-printed onto monthly checking account reports.

Also implemented in 1995 was the Magic Writer system, which provides small and large employers benefits related to payroll direct deposit and automatic bill-paying programs. The year 1997 saw the implementation of the Y2K compliance project which was completed successfully, positioning the bank for growth and improved services in this new millennium.

The Board of Directors provide guidance and support to the management team of the bank. This Board is comprised of individuals with diverse backgrounds that represent communities and customers from throughout the county. The bank takes a strong look at family issues and sponsors events and organizations that support individuals and families for the betterment of the community. The list of projects that they have been involved in is long.

In its quest for enhanced customer service, the bank has implemented many special community programs, including:

• The Student Saver program which encourages students in the Napoleon, Liberty Center, Malinta, and Holgate public and parochial schools to save.
• The Calf Pool program which provides loans to 4-H youth to purchase calves for Henry County Fair projects. The loan is paid back with the proceeds from the sale of the animal at the completion of the fair.
• The Senior Club checking account with special benefits.

The Henry County Bank has received many industry honors. In 1995, the bank received the "Five Star" rating from Bauer Financial Reports, Inc., a nationally known bank rating company for the banking industry. This honor is only accorded to the top fifteen percent of all banks in the United States. In 1998, Bauer Financial Services again awarded the bank the "Five Star" rating. In addition, Veribanc, Inc. awarded The Henry County Bank the blue ribbon distinction. These are very significant honors for the bank.

In February of 1997, a special shareholders meeting was held to approve the formation of a holding company called Comunibanc Corp. The bank is currently a subsidiary of the holding company. The bank's core business is lending and they will remain a locally owned, independent community bank, with a record of safety, financial soundness and profitability.

The bank is regulated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Superintendent of Banks of the State of Ohio (Division of Banks). As such, it is subject to periodic examinations by the FDIC and the Division of Banks and is required to comply with various regulatory matters.

2000
As a community bank, The Henry County Bank has a big advantage over its competitors through customer contact and relationships built over time. The majority of The Henry County Bank employees are long term employees. There is a feeling of family which is a result of the low employee turnover rate. There is a good cross-generational communication between employees and customers, with diverse age groups and backgrounds.

The Henry County Bank often can resolve a situation in one day that may take a large bank three weeks to deal with. If a customer has a problem, Bill Wendt, the president of the bank is at the main office in Napoleon, or he can be reached at any time. Banking locally does have many advantages.

The Henry County Bank is a very strong, well-managed financial institution, with close knit ties to the community. The bank is very well positioned for a strong future continuing endeavors of prudent expansion.

Excerpted and rewritten from The Henry County Bank history provided by Jennifer L. Bahler.