Sturdy and Strong: Sturdy Savings Bank has a wealth advisory business that would make most rivals envious. And it has a rapidly expanding AUM to prove it.

Sturdy Savings Bank has elevated its commitment to its wealth advisory business to a level that would make most rivals envious: It has made the investment services program part of the bank's philosophy.

The philosophy, embodied in an acronym the bank president coined "CLARI," includes the investment program as part of the bank's "five-star focus." The other letters stand for community, lending, account acquisition and retention.

"We're not just another department or division. We're well integrated into the culture here," says David Repici, the manager of the wealth advisory program and the business development officer of the Cape May, N.J.-based community bank.

The program, which launched in January 2007, had $90.4 million in assets under management at the end of last year. And it generated $598,000 in revenue for the year, up 23% from 2011.

The numbers may seem like small potatoes to big banks, but when compared with programs at banks its size, they're nothing to scoff at. Of the 306 banks with assets between $500 million and $1 billion that report income from investment programs, Sturdy ranks 83 in income generated, according to statistics from research firm Michael White Associates.

Its profitability is even more impressive. Sturdy's program contributed 16.5% to the bank's non-interest income in the first three quarters of 2012, nearly three times the average of 5.9% for banks its size. "That's strong for a little bank," says Michael White, president of the eponymous firm.

But the most impressive thing about Sturdy's program so far is its growth rate. For...