Pinnacle Bank, along with the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, hosted the ribbon-cutting ceremony of its new Grovetown location on Tuesday afternoon.
The grand opening drew a sizable crowd that included CEO Jackson McConnell, representatives from the Chamber; District 1 Commissioner Connie Melear, who’s on the bank’s board of directors; and local retail developer Rafy Bassali.
Construction on the Grovetown branch along the Horizon South Parkway corridor began last spring and was open at the beginning of November of last year. This is the Elberton, Ga.-based bank’s second CSRA location. The first, on 375 Furys Ferry Road, had its grand opening in February 2022, after quietly launching in November of 2021.
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“Both locations are doing good,” said Dustin Young, Pinnacle Bank’s senior vice president and marketing manager, attributing the success of the Martinez branch largely to reputation and word-of-mouth.
“It’s really been referrals,” he said, noting most of the branch’s marketing has been through direct mail campaigns and initiatives like the bank’s Tell A Friend program, in which customers earn rewards—such as gift cards—for referring new customers who open accounts. “We spend very little actual money for exterior advertising.”
Young also notes road construction along the corridor as a kind of double-edged sword for the Lewiston Road location, as it is exposed to plenty of traffic, but also likely causes some hesitation in drivers to take time out to open an account.
But bank managers are optimistic that that infrastructure changes will ultimately be positive, and that business will pick up once road work is completed.
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During the ceremony, Young indicated Pinnacle Bank has intentions to continue expanding into the Augusta market, including two possible branches in Richmond County. Young anticipates that the company will identify a site for the next location within four to six months.
“I told the executive team and said we’ve got two great locations at Columbia County but I’d like to see us get into proper Augusta,” Young said.
The Pinnacle Bank Grovetown branch is located at 420 Lewiston Road.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
