Bath State Bank (BSB) was built around Ag lending and a committment to "building genuine relationships with customers and community by caring for them like family." Agriculture and the community has not waivered since BSB was established, and has made BSB a top ag lender in 2023, according to Indiana Community Bankers of America (ICBA).

"Our entire management team and ag department have farming roots and are still involved in some form of production agriculture today," explains Branden Logue, BSB president and CEO. "We are bankers who enjoy getting out and visiting the operations, seeing how different producers operate, and building genuine relationships with our customers."

Even with an uncertain economic environment, BSB has made intelligent, strategic lending decisions to help individuals and businesses in the community achieve their goals and dreams, earning them one of the most successful loan producers according to lending category and asset. This was determined by ICBA methodology.

"Using FDIC data for 2022, we calculated a lender score out of 100 for each community bank," the ICBA website states. "The score combines the average of the bank's percentile rank for lending concentration and for loan growth over the past year in each lending category. We then adjusted each score for loan charge-offs in each category at certain percentile thresholds."

BSB was ranked fourth on the list of banks across the united states who have under $300 million in assets. 

The top ten banks (under $300 million in assets) are:

•Lusk State Bank, Lusk, Wyoming. Ag lender score: 95.5

•Rolette State Bank, Rolette, North Dakota. Ag lender score: 93.7

•Farmer's Trust and Savings Bank, Williamsburg, Iowa. Ag lender score: 93.7

•Bath State Bank, Bath, Indiana. Ag lender score: 93.6

Anchor State Bank, Anchor, Illinois. Ag lender score: 93.5

Bank of Gibson City, Gibson City, Illinois. Ag lender score: 93.5

First Security Bank, Mackinaw, Illinois. Ag lender score: 93.4

First Community Bank, Beemer, Nebraska. Ag lender score: 93.2

Iowa State Bank and Trust Company, Fairfield, Iowa. Ag lender score: 92.8

Lamont Bank of St. John, Washington. Ag lender score: 92.3

"This honor reinforces the fact that Bath State Bank has always been dedicated to the Ag community," commented Logue. "We believe in supporting our local communities to make them stronger."

BSB also shows its community commitment by supporting local organizations and endeavors, such as raising funds for cancer support groups and Junior Achievement. BSB supports the 4-H youth in roughly a dozen counties in the region and serves as clerks for various 4-H livestock auctions. And those are only a few examples of BSB's community involvement.

What Is the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA)

The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) is a domestic trade organization representing about 5,000 small to mid-size community banks. The ICBA provides various benefits to its members, such as conferences and publications and a voice on Capitol Hill. The ICBA represents members holding more than $4.7 trillion in deposits, $5.7 trillion in assets, and $3.6 trillion in consumer, small business and agricultural loans.