Amarillo National Bank facts for kids
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The Amarillo National Bank Plaza One building in downtown Amarillo
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| Private | |
| Industry | Finance |
| Founded | Amarillo, Texas, 1892 |
| Headquarters | Amarillo, Texas |
| Products | Financial services |
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Number of employees
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695 |
Amarillo National Bank (ANB) is a private bank that helps people and businesses with their money. It is based in Amarillo, Texas. In 2019, ANB grew bigger by buying Lubbock National Bank. This meant it now had locations beyond the Texas Panhandle and into other parts of Texas.
Today, ANB has 19 branch locations in and around Amarillo, Borger, and Canyon. It also has six branches in Lubbock under the name Lubbock National Bank. Plus, it has seven locations in Bryan, College Station, Fort Worth, and near Austin, called Commerce National Bank. The bank also has 116 local automatic teller machines (ATMs) where you can get cash.
As of 2019, ANB had more than $5.7 billion in assets. This means it had a lot of money and property. In August 2016, about 695 people worked for ANB.
The bank started in 1892. The Ware family has owned it since 1909. ANB is known as the largest bank in the United States that is 100% owned by one family. In 1999, Texas Monthly magazine called the Wares the "bankers of the century."
ANB's main offices are in two tall buildings in downtown Amarillo. The 16-story Amarillo National Bank Plaza One opened in 1971. The 12-story Amarillo National Bank Plaza Two was finished in 1984.
ANB was a leader in banking history. It opened Texas’ first drive-up bank window in 1950. It also had the first automatic teller machine (ATM) in Texas in 1978. This ATM was in the bank's main lobby. In the same year, the bank started building what was then the biggest drive-up banking place in the United States.
In 2019, Amarillo National Bank was ranked as the 25th largest farm lender in the country. About 15% of its loans help people in agriculture. It is also the biggest lender for home mortgages in the Texas Panhandle. Plus, it's the largest independent lender for cattle in Texas.
ANB gives more than $2 million each year to local charities. During the holidays, each employee can choose a charity to receive a $100 donation from the bank. The bank also helps Texans learn about money through its ANB Smart program. It takes part in national programs like Teach Children to Save and Get Smart About Credit.
Amarillo National Bank also owns the naming rights to the Amarillo National Center. This is a large arena built in 2000 that can hold 10,000 people.
How Amarillo National Bank Started
The bank began in 1892 as First National Bank of Amarillo. It was located at 4th Avenue and Polk Street. A local cattleman named Benjamin Taliaferro (B.T.) Ware was an early settler in the area. He became the vice president of First National Bank in 1895.
In 1900, B.T. Ware bought the bank. He ran it until 1906, when he sold his shares and started a new bank called Western Bank and Trust Company. Then, in 1909, Ware bought the Amarillo bank back. He combined it with Western Bank and Trust. This is how Amarillo National Bank was formed. Members of the Ware family have owned and run the bank ever since.
In 1986, ANB bought Borger's Bank in Borger, Texas. Later, in October 2018, ANB announced it would buy Lubbock National Bank and Commerce National Bank. These deals were completed in March 2019.
The Ware Family Owners
The current owners of Amarillo National Bank are from the fourth and fifth generations of the Ware family. In 2017, the bank's chairman, Richard Ware II, was named "Banker of the Year" by the newspaper American Banker.
In 2018, ANB announced that two of Richard Ware's triplet sons would take over leading the bank. Richard Ware is still the chairman. Patrick Ware is now the vice chairman, and William Ware is the president of ANB. The younger Wares first joined Amarillo National Bank's board of directors in 2008. Other members of the Ware family also hold important positions at the bank.
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