On Thursday, the Buckhannon-Upshur Chamber of Commerce announced their annual awards during a virtual celebration and elimination raffle. Buckhannon Mayor Robbie Skinner announced the 2022 Business of the Year winner as Citizens Bank of West Virginia:
“Our business of the year is celebrating its 98th year in operation and 8th year of having a brick and mortar presence on Main Street in Buckhannon. Since joining our community in 2014, and particularly this past year, they have left a significant footprint in our community through a spirit of progress, contributions, community service and superior financial services.
“After acquiring two new branches in 2021, one being Buckhannon’s Community Bank, located at the corner of Main and Locust Streets, in December, the bank moved their operations to better accommodate for future growth in Upshur County. They are currently working on plans for a major renovation of the property that will begin very soon.
“In 2021, West Virginia Living Magazine featured our business of the year in a Financial First Responder article highlighting how they helped a local business in Buckhannon survive the COVID-19 pandemic with a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan. In fact, when the pandemic hit this business immediately jumped into action and made nearly $19 million in PPP loans to small businesses to help keep their doors open– many right here in Upshur County.
“This business is not just a bank. They invest time, resources, talent, and significant financial support to the communities they serve. They are an annual supporter of the WV Strawberry Festival, Festival Fridays, Blast from the Past Car Show, St. Joseph’s Annual Charity Golf Tournament, the Upshur County 4-H/FFA Livestock Sale, and the Buckhannon-Upshur Chamber of Commerce. In 2021, the bank’s staff volunteered at the Vaccination Clinic providing lunch for the clinic volunteers; they performed several Random Acts of Kindness throughout the community and their staff’s Friday Casual for a Cause has helped several local organizations.
“In very recent years, the bank has made significant investments in local schools including new gym wall mats, and donated $100,000 to the Stockert Youth & Community Center for expansion of a new multi-purpose building, plus numerous other corporate donations to local nonprofits and organizations.
“Within the banking world, the bank was recently ranked #10 in the United States and #1 in West Virginia in their peer group as one of the top performing banks in the country. For the second straight year, they were named to American Banker magazine’s Top 200 Publicly Traded Community Banks and Thrifts in the nation – ranking 64th on its prestigious list. They are the highest ranked in West Virginia and the only bank headquartered in our region to make the list. They have also received a five-star rating for financial strength and security in all of 2021 from Bauer Financial, Inc., the nation’s leading independent bank rating and research firm. This rating indicates that the bank excels in areas of capital adequacy, profitability, asset quality, and much more.
“Headquartered in Elkins with six area locations, they are very much woven into the Buckhannon-Upshur business and local community, and living out their mission to be a good corporate citizen.
“Please join me as we congratulate our 2021 Buckhannon-Upshur Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year: Citizens Bank of West Virginia.”
