Building Permits
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Banks earn high ratings
Two Emporia-area banks — ESB Financial of Emporia and Farmers & Drovers Bank of Council Grove — rank at the top of their field, according to two bank-rating companies.
ESB Financial has earned a 5-Star Superior rating for financial strength and stability from BauerFinancial of Coral Gables, Fla., “the nation’s bank rating firm.”
In a news release BauerFinancial said that the rating marks the 67th consecutive quarter that ESB Financial has earned its highest honor. Only 8 percent of banks in the United States reach that standard.
ESB Financial, established in 1901, operates in Emporia and Manhattan; its Web site is www.esbtrust.com.
Farmers & Drovers Bank has earned IDC Financial Publishing’s highest rating for the third quarter of 2008.
A news release from IDC Financial said Farmers & Drovers is as one of its institutions that have scored the 200 (superior) rating or better in each of the past 40 quarters.
IDC Financial, based in Hartland, Wis., rates institutions that issue brokered certificates of deposit; seek deposits from state financial governments; maintain escrow accounts from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or Ginnie Mae; or utilize a variety of insurance products.
Banker retires
Ann E. McNeese retired Friday from Lyon County State Bank after 28 years in banking. McNeese started her banking career in Topeka in the consumer loan department of Southwest State Bank. She moved to Emporia in 1982 where she worked with the loan department at Columbia Savings and, later, Admire Bank. In 2001, LCSB bought Admire Bank and McNeese continued to work in the loan department. She has two children, Lori Mercer and Doug Nyman.
Postal retirement
Sylvia Miller, rural mail carrier for Olpe, is retiring from the U.S. Postal Service. She will be the guest of honor at a retirement reception from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Olpe United Methodist Church Hall in Olpe
‘A great place to work’
For the 10th year, the Edward Jones financial-services firm, which has an office in Emporia, has been spotlighted on Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.”
Edward Jones placed No. 1 on the list for large-size companies, No. 2 on the overall list.
John Geitz, John Newland and Greg Seibel, Jones associates in Emporia, noted in a news release that the complete listing is in Fortune’s Feb. 2 issue, available on newsstands this week and online at www.fortune.com.
The rating is made on reports from employees.
In early December, Edward Jones was ranked first, for the 16th consecutive year, on Registered Rep. magazine’s annual brokerage report card. The firm also ranked No. 4 among the “50 Best Employers in Canada, a listing prepared by the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business Magazine.