LETTER TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS
Doing well by doing good. It’s a phrase you’ll hear our CEO say often. Because it really does capture the mission and spirit of our Company.
We realize it’s essential we do well as a business, because we have many employees, customers and shareholders who depend on us to be a well-managed, strategic growing company. And when we are successful, all our stakeholders reap the rewards.
We have a strong commitment to economic development, and the results of our efforts in this area have had a tremendous impact on our communities and have been rewarding for our Company as well.
Doing good is extremely important to us. By doing good we mean supporting, caring for and giving back to our employees, neighbors and communities. We do this with boundless generosity and enthusiasm, and again, we reap the rewards of this work, too.
This all adds up to another phrase you’ll hear our CEO mention on a regular basis: “multi-bottom line.” It’s how our efforts in one area support our efforts in another. How everything we do is interdependent, connected and has transformed us into a successful, impactful multi-bottom line Company.
PROMOTING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IS THE FOUNDATION OF WHAT WE DO AND WHO WE ARE.
WE’RE HERE FOR OUR COMMUNITY
UB Community Development is what really sets us apart. It’s what makes our story, our mission and our Company different from other banks and financial institutions. United Bank received its Community Development Financial Institution certification in 2010 after an exhaustive application process. One of the criteria for certification is that the applicant institution has “a primary mission of promoting community development.” And that is absolutely true for both United Bank and UB Community Development.
Promoting community development isn’t a secondary mission to us, or one aspect of what we do. It is at the heart – it is the foundation – of what we do and who we are. Yes, we open accounts, cash checks and loan money. But ultimately, everything we do – day in and day out – is to further our mission of making our communities stronger.
WE’RE HERE FOR OUR NEIGHBORS
There are so many needs in our communities. We believe it is our responsibility to do what we can to address them. We do that through financial services, economic development efforts and also with our own personal time and efforts. Our employees volunteer countless hours to a wide variety of worthy organizations and efforts, and they love every minute of it. Truth is, if you ask our employees what they like most about working at United Bank, many of them say they enjoy the opportunity to give back, to support our communities and to help our neighbors. And we’re extremely proud of that.
WE’RE HERE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES
At United Bank, we believe it is our responsibility to be more than just a business. Because success isn’t just about dollars and cents, bottom lines or stock prices. It’s about people. Which is why we’re deeply committed to giving our employees a supportive, challenging and rewarding place to work. We’re also committed to reaching outside of our organization and strengthening the communities around us. It’s who we are and at the heart of everything we do.
So how do we put this into action? By committing to our multi-bottom line mission, we facilitate economic development, community improvement and affordable housing through UB Community Development. By encouraging our employees to volunteer their time and resources to a wide range of organizations. By helping feed needy families, by supporting financial literacy, by donating books and time to area schools — and we could go on.
But the truth is, while we’re certainly in business to serve our customers and build shareholder value, we’re also in the business of strengthening communities. And just as the future looks bright for our banking business, we’re going to do our part to make sure it’s equally bright for our neighbors and the communities we call home.
Empowering people who power
our company.