Sheboygan-based Community Bank & Trust plans to open a 6,500-square-foot branch in a 57,000-square-foot building soon to be developed in the Franklin Business Park at 4202 Oakwood Park Court. The Franklin branch will be Community Bank & Trust’s third in metropolitan Milwaukee. It currently has banks in Glendale and Greenfield.
The bank’s Greenfield location is inside a medical office owned and developed by Lakeshore Medical Clinic, and the new Franklin branch also is being developed by the medical group, said Paul Farrelly, president and chief operating officer of the bank.
The residential and commercial growth that Franklin has seen in recent years makes it highly attractive to Community Bank & Trust, Farrelly said. "It’s a great location," he said. "There are great rooftop counts. Our customer base is expanding in metro Milwaukee and includes companies in the Franklin (business) park. We try to grow organically along with our customers."
Construction on the new building is expected to start next week, and the branch should be open by December, Farrelly said. The new bank will be led by an office president/commercial lender and will have a staff of eight to 10. Additional staff will be on hand as needed, Farrelly said. "One of the reasons we like the location is that we can share resources with the Greenfield office," he said.
Community Bank & Trust will open more Milwaukee area locations in the future, Farrelly said, but it will be careful about site selection. "What we’re not going to do is go into a community because there’s 10 other banks there," he said. "Our philosophy is more customer-focused. I see more opportunities in metro Milwaukee. Our future growth is based on our customers’ needs, so it depends on our customer base."
