There’s no denying West Texas is where PlainsCapital Bank’s roots lie. But in 1999, PlainsCapital entered the North Texas market by opening a branch in Dallas’ Turtle Creek neighborhood.
“The Turtle Creek branch was the Bank’s first expansion outside of Lubbock when it opened in January of 1999,” says Brian Heflin, the Bank’s Chief Operating Officer. “We knew, moving to Dallas, that we didn’t have the infrastructure in place to open up branches on every corner. The Bank was right under $1 billion in assets when we opened up Turtle Creek, so when we moved to Dallas, I was told if the branch lost more than $100,000 in the first year, they’d bring me back to Lubbock. So, I had a goal to be profitable very quickly.”
With the large task at hand, Heflin and his team held a reception for prominent Texas Tech alumni and friends of the Bank, including folks in the Turtle Creek area. These first receptions introduced the Bank to new customers, which opened the door for more referrals. One new client provided referrals that accounted for over $1 billion in loan commitments, a significant amount of deposits, and still continues to refer like-minded customers to the Bank.
“The power of referral, understanding how to take care of the customer, and those West Texas roots really hold true for the way we do business,” Heflin explains.
Today, the Turtle Creek branch is led by Branch President Cole Dulaney. He joined PlainsCapital as a credit analyst and has spent the past 21 years at Turtle Creek. He understands the clients and community that his team serves.
“We love working with our clients,” Dulaney says. “It’s our job to help them in their business, whether that’s on the cash management side or the loan side where they may need some capital for growth needs or to expand their business. We enjoy seeing them succeed.”
The Turtle Creek branch staff, lenders, and credit analysts also give back to the community through their relationships with Friends of the Katy Trail and Turtle Creek Association. They also participate in an annual cleanup of Reverchon Park, just down the road from the branch.
“I’ve been very fortunate and blessed to work with some great people that have helped me through my career, and now I have a great team that certainly helps our branch service our many clients,” Dulaney says. “This has always been an important office to PlainsCapital Bank, and it’s an honor to be in charge of it.”