A bank’s remarkable growth and innovation journey

Newburyport Bank was founded in 1854 and has flourished to become the premier full-service community bank of Massachusetts and the greater seacoast region. Since joining the bank, CEO Lloyd Hamm has seen Newburyport Bank experience terrific growth on the backs of service and technological transformations.

Over the last five years, Newburyport Bank has doubled in size, initiated a strategic partnership with Pentucket Bank to raise assets to nearly $3 billion and emerged more resilient from the COVID-19 pandemic.

To make these achievements possible, Newburyport Bank needed innovative systems. Lloyd says after evaluating four different platforms, the bank decided easily and unanimously to implement the FIS® HORIZON core banking platform.

An implementation challenge like none other

Installing and implementing new systems across an entire organization with multiple locations like Newburyport Bank is already a large undertaking. Now, do it in the middle of a global pandemic, and it may seem like too daunting of a project. Everything was done remotely, and implementation was a success. This project solidified Lloyd’s belief in the FIS partnership.

Innovative technology and a powerful partnership

Lloyd views the technological partnership with FIS and the HORIZON core platform as fundamental to Newburyport Bank’s success.

The bank now offers customers the full suite of community banking products, including consumer lending, checking and savings accounts, CDs and mortgages.

Its lending business also experienced a major evolution after implementing HORIZON. Before, its lending was 30% commercial and 70% consumer, and those numbers have since flipped. Along with that transition, commercial lending has grown from $300 million to almost $1 billion.

The bank’s back-office operations and staff have also greatly benefited from HORIZON. Because the staff is more skilled and proficient and has innovative tools at its fingertips, Newburyport Bank has been able to double in size without increasing its headcount.

Empowering success together

Lloyd believes Newburyport Bank and FIS see each other as partners, and when you get to that point, you can achieve great things for your company. He reminds his employees that they’re partners and need to be treated as such. He knows FIS treats them the same way.