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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 1983)
Texas A&M Battalion Wednesday, August 24, 1983/The Battalion/Page 1B o al» iadorio t Carter' ilread)' Ians to iminatio! 1984. photo by Dee Dee Damon No horse play Dr. William McMullan, of the rge Animal Clinic, gives this rse one of a series of shots to Ip relieve paralysis in the right side of its jaw. The horse was one of several that McMullan and senior veterinary students treated at the clinic recently. t, Tow if the Sfl mem!)® | ’s I964| :y, LaW iancew hen esideni. derated' iroaclit® but iservaii'f aphv t “prof ng . it affair chair® 1 olican igebp* assir r Rea esatid 1 in H® the so» odist i a nut# titieS' SHOW YOUR FOLKS HOW SMART YOU ARE e SAVE ON LONG DISTANCE CALLS Save Up To 20 To 50% For More Information CALL CALL STAR TEL 779-2130 Bank changes its name Service tops priorities by Yvonne Cuzick Battalion Reporter What started out in 1919 as a community project to finance new homes in Bryan now has grown to become the largest financial institution in Central Texas — BrazosBanc. When the population of Bryan was 21,9/5, the main street was a mud road, Texas A&M was a few miles from Bryan, College Station was a train depot and the people of Bryan were experiencing a housing shortage. Bryan citizens were trying to find ways to finance new houses, especially the faculty members at Texas A&M. To solve the problem, com munity leaders met on Jan. 23, 1919, and approved the forma tion of the Bryan Building and Loan Association. On April 1, the doors of the association were opened for business. Seven applicants came for loans on the first day. The association continued to serve the community and by 1963 the association had grown so much it was necessary to en large the facilities. To do that, a six-acre tract of land was purch ased at 2800 Texas Ave. However, there was skeptic ism concerning the location of the land. At the time, it was being used as a childrens’ amusement park and was about three miles outside of town. Although there was the risk of losing some customers because of the distance, the new building was built and dedicated in 1966. The distance didn’t stop the customers from coming. The association continued to grow. In 1979 the name was changed from Bryan Building and Loan to Brazos Savings and by that time, the association already had established addi tional permanent branches in Huntsville, Hearne, Buffalo, Caldwell and College Station. Now, Brazos Savings has changed its name to Brazos Banc. The growth of the association is demonstrated by the wide area it serves along with the range of services it provides. There now are 18 branches of BrazosBanc. BrazosBanc presi dent Ralph Reed says the asso- Introducing products that are superior to the products offered by BrazosBanc’s com petitors is one reason president Ralph Reed gives for its success. ciation has not stopped growing. Introducing products that are superior to the products offered by BrazosBanc’s competitors is one reason Reed gives for the association’s success. “Our philosophy is that the customer comes first,” Reed said. Starting out as a community service project helped the asso ciation realize that it needed to concentrate on what it could do to make the customer happy, Reed said. When the community leaders decided to open the Bryan Building and Loan in 1919, they were looking toward the future. Now, more than 60 years later, BrazosBanc is still looking to ward the future. “We don’t wait for our cus tomers to tell us what they want,” Reed said. The associa tion tries to introduce a new pro duct before the customer asks for it. Reed said having young and aggressive employees helps. Many of the employees have a greater insight into what prob lems the institution has and what the customer is looking for, he said. People come from Houston, Seattle and Wisconsin to work at BrazosBanc. “We have a good mix of em ployees,” Reed said, adding that the mix helps insure a diversity of ideas when it comes to new products. It doesn’t matter what the em ployee’s title, Reed said they are all in the game together. “We’re all going to sink or swim together,” he said. BrazosBanc not only offers many services for customers, but it also offers extra incentives for employees. The bank has implemented a job posting system by which em ployees have the opportunity to apply for vacated positions with the company before the job is offered to outside applicants. “This process gives our em ployees the opportunity to grow and progress within the institu tion,” Reed said. BrazosBanc is ranked one of the largest savings and loan asso ciations in Texas and is among the largest of all financial institu tions. “We’re not ready to sit down and retire,” he said. Plans already are being made to develop new products that will be as novel when they’re in troduced as interest on checking was when it was introduced, Reed said. He said a long term ultimate goal for BrazosBanc is to be the largest financial institution in Texas, but for now it’s busy trying to provide for the needs of the customers. Although BrazosBanc is not quite the biggest yet, services are offered at the bank that no other institution offers. For instance, BrazosBanc is the only institution in Central Texas that offers a free call-in service for customers. The cus tomer can call a toll-free number from anywhere in Texas to check on an account balance or to make other transactions. Bills also can be paid over the phone. BrazosBanc also has more drive-in lanes than any other financial institution in Central Texas. “We feel we’re the best,” Reed said. BrazosBanc is not quite the biggest, he said, but maybe in time that ultimate goal will be reached. ‘Cool dude’ put on ice United Press International . FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A Fort Lauderdale man who jumped his car four feet over an open drawbridge proclaimed himself a “cool dude,” but police arrested him anyway. David M. Stachura, 29, was elated after he landed his Camaro on the south side of the Third Avenue Bridge over the New River. “I’m a cool dude,” he said, as he climbed out of his car — its tires and rims destroyed by the landing — wearing only orange shorts and deck shoes. Police handcuffed him and charged him with drunken driving. “You’ve been watching too much ‘Starsky and Hutch,”’ police officer Steve Palazzo told Stachura. “Cars don’t fly. Air planes fly” “1 don’t think 1 broke any laws,” protested Stachura. “I didn’t do nothing wrong, did I?” 1313 Briarcrest Drive, Bryan, Texas Some banks offer free checking with a low balance. BrazosBanc Savings offers free checking with a low balance and pays you interest. Some banks offer free checking with a low minimum balance. With a $250 balance, BrazosBanc Savings offers free checking and pays you interest. We pay you 5.25% (the maximum permitted by law) for every dollar in your account — regardless of balance. Funds in excess of $2,500 earn a variable rate not less than the average paid on Money Market Funds. At BrazosBanc Savings keep $250 in your account and write all the checks you need. No “per check” fee. No high balance. No “hidden” charges. For an interest bearing checking account without charges, come to BrazosBanc Savings. Savings Association of Ifexas Offices throughout Central Texas . . . and more to come