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www.negociosnow.com Diciembre 2013 7 NegociosNow NegociosNow www.negociosnow.com Diciembre 2013 7 NegociosNow NegociosNow www.negociosnow.com Abril 2018 7 NegociosNow NegociosNow NegociosNow NegociosNow Pilsen, negocios y desafios In a time when larger banks have taken over the banking landscape, Wintrust Bank – Pilsen, part of the Wintrust Community Bank family, is proving that there's still a new space for an old idea: the traditional com- munity bank. The bank is committed to the unique neighborhood it serves; its bankers are from area and are active in the community; and its customers have come to rely on the bank's services and tools. Wintrust Bank – Pilsen is showing the neighborhood that ban- king is about more than checking and savings accounts. It's about for- ming relationships with bankers who get to know you, a bank that is an asset to the area it serves, and an institution that gives back and gets involved with the community it's part of. True community banking is alive and well at Wintrust Bank – Pilsen. Since 2000, there's been a good deal of uncertainty in the banking industry. The smaller banks that were once pretty common, have gotten harder and harder to find. A shaky economy, heightened com- petition and tighter regulations in recent years have made it hard for a community bank to survive. The Wintrust model has ensured that a true community bank can find its place. Founded in 1991, Wintrust was created with the idea that there was still a need and desire for a true community banking experience. The company started with one store- front location in a northern Chicago suburb. More than 25 years later, its more than 150 community bank locations are proving that initial theory right and providing commu- nity banking services to the unique communities each serves across the Chicagoland area, southern Wiscon- sin and northwest Indiana. Wintrust has found a way to allow the local community bank to survive giving each location the autonomy to run like a separate institution, but offe- PILSEN'S TRUE COMMUNITY BANK ring the resources of the larger com- pany. It's the best of both worlds. When it comes to serving this mar- ket, Wintrust believes that only a company built for this area knows how to support the people, busines- ses and organizations here. That's why every new Wintrust Community Bank is staffed by local people and involved with the things that are unique to that community. Wintrust opened the Wintrust Bank – Pilsen location in May of 2016, but had been working within the community longer. "We knew it was a vibrant community we wanted to be part of and that there was tremendous growth that we could help support." "We were active in the Pilsen neigh- borhood even before we opened the bank," said Wintrust Bank – Pilsen Branch President Antonio Guillen. "We knew it was a vibrant communi- ty we wanted to be part of and that there was tremendous growth that we could help support." Before opening, the bank was already supporting local Pilsen edu- cational institutions, like St. Augus- tine College, Instituto Del Progresso Latino (IDPL) and St. Pius V Parish. Once open, it only solidified its support of local education through additional relationships with St. Pro- copius Parish, El Hogar Del Niño, Gads Hill Center, and Cristo Rey Jesuit High School. The bank has also been a supporter of Alivio Medi- cal Center that not only provides affordable health care to the imme- diate Pilsen area, but also to the surrounding neighborhoods, and El Valor a local nonprofit empowering those with disabilities. But, Wintrust Bank – Pilsen's support goes well beyond spon- soring local organizations. The bank believes in providing financial edu- cation to the people who live in the area and hosts regular seminars about credit building, credit repair and homebuying. The Pilsen team has also partnered with local high schools and area organizations to offer financial literacy classes for students and adults. The bank does its best to support organizations and events that advo- cate for the neighborhood and com- munity. In 2016, when there was a neighborhood fire, Wintrust Bank – Pilsen partnered with the Pilsen Alliance to help raise money for the local families in need and even hel- ped coordinate a donated a space for a fundraiser. With an understanding of how important the arts are to the neigh- borhood, the bank has hosted art exhibits, partnered with Elevarte to support a Dia De Los Muertos event at Dvorak Park, and has been a long-time supporter of the National Museum of Mexican Art. The bank is also active in the local annual para- de for Mexican Independence Day and the Dia Del Nino parade and celebration in Harrison park. "The neighborhood has come to know us," said Branch Manager Joel Rodarte. "We're not just here. We're a part of this community. We know what's important to Pilsen and we do our best to support those things." Wintrust Bank – Pilsen also has a strong business focus and has partnered with the local chambers of commerce, the Eighteenth Street Development Corporation (ESPC), Greater Pilsen Economic Develop- ment Association (GPEDA), and Uni- ted Merchants of Pilsen to ensu- "The neighbourhood has come to know us, we're not just here. We're a part of this community. We know what's important to Pilsen and we do our best to support those things." Branch Manager Joel Rodarte re that local businesses have the resources they need to grow. But it's the bank's personalized approach that really supports businesses of all sizes. "We believe in getting to know our local businesses so we can offer customized tools," said Vice Presi- dent of Business Banking Miguel Gomez. "At the end of the day, these are businesses that we frequent, so we're committed to making sure they have what they need to suc- ceed. Our local business' success means a stronger Pilsen for us all." Through the larger Wintrust com- pany, the bank has access to an award winning Small Business Administration loan team and has helped many local businesses with that loan program and with other customized lending support. Win- trust Bank – Pilsen takes a creative, holistic approach to partnerships with local businesses and has even found ways to provide support when other banks have turned away. In a day and age where banks are acquired or merged regularly, Win- trust Bank – Pilsen is ensuring the neighborhood has an institution it can rely on. While other banks are doing away with the services that keep them close to their customers, Wintrust Bank – Pilsen is working to expand the relationships it has with its community. And, while banking decisions seem to be moving further and further away from the commu- nities they're actually serving, Win- trust Bank – Pilsen remains local, earning its title as Pilsen's true com- munity bank

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