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Like any entrepreneurial-minded individual, Jim Wyss wanted to share in the equity of an industry that had captivated his career for almost 30 years. If you do good work, you want ownership in that work, he said. The blood and sweat poured into a life-long career in banking paid off when Wyss and his partner and brother-in-law, Randy Rush, opened Integrity Bank & Trust in Monument in January. Rush, too, is a 30-year veteran of the financial industry, having worked at a large savings and loan.
Wyss is the chief executive officer and president of Integrity, and handles the retail and commercial side of the business. Rush is president of trust services and the executive vice-president of the bank. He assists customers with managing and growing their personal wealth.
Wyss and Rush admit it was a gutsy move to open a new bank just east of Interstate 25 in Monument, especially considering the influx of Monument-based banks during the last few years. First National Bank (a Las Animas- based bank) opened a branch in March 2002. Colorado National Bank has been doing business in the Monument market since March 2003, and Pandre Nichols, vice-president of marketing, said the bank's newly constructed physical branch is scheduled to open in June. We didn't know there would be this many banks coming to the area, Wyss, a 25-year resident of the Tri-Lakes area, said. But competition is good, and we have a healthy respect for it.
Wyss and Rush believe small banks are easier on individuals and the small-business owner. It's...