What is the full name of IBC Bank?

You can walk right up to my office in Laredo and say hello to me. You don’t need a special permit,” says Dennis E. Nixon, CEO of Laredo, Texas-based International Bank of Commerce (IBC Bank) and its holding company, International Bancshares Corporation (NASDAQ: IBOC).

This $12.2 billion multibank financial holding company headquartered in Laredo has 189 facilities and 288 ATMs providing services to 89 communities in Texas and Oklahoma. IBOC was ranked 22nd on Forbes’ prestigious list of 100 Best Banks in America in 2019. Despite their size, IBOC and its subsidiary banks have retained their focus on the personal touch.

“I wave at my customers and they wave back.”

Accessibility is the strategy that’s setting IBOC and its bank system apart from the competition and fueling its growth.

Building Relationships

“We started as a small bank in Laredo 53 years ago, and we’re still a community bank at heart,” says Nixon, who has led the organization for 43 years. “You can still walk in, talk to a banker and tell your story. We are a personal relationship bank.”

“Unlike the large banks that offer ‘one flavor fits all’ products, our community banks are run by people who grew up, live and work in those communities. They know what’s best for their city and their customers,” he says.

Staff in all 189 branches have supported countless personal success stories and played roles in kids opening their first bank accounts, people buying their first cars and families sending their kids to college. IBC Bank extends the same care and relationship approach to the business community. Its style of building personal relationships with its customers and robust product and service offerings have attracted a significant amount of business banking.

“We build teams around our major business relationships. There’s always someone available who knows and can work with the client,” says Nixon. “We offer a full range of services all customers can use, including checking, savings, lending, investment services, insurance, annuities and robust treasury management. We provide a one-stop shop for our customers.”

Growing With the Region

Given its proximity to the southern border and its roots in Laredo, home to America’s largest port, IBC Bank had a front row seat to explosive trade growth, and it has built long-term business relationships with many customers in Mexico.

“It’s wonderful to see the prosperity this has produced over the last 25 years,” Nixon says, noting the opportunity NAFTA has given IBOC to establish relationships with customers in two countries with a strong assist from technology.

“We provide services electronically to customers in Mexico, and international customers can still bank with us efficiently in between visits to the U.S.,” says Nixon. “It’s important to note that we use technology to benefit our contacts and enhance our customer relationships, but it is not a substitute for personal relationships. That sets us apart. Our motto says it all: ‘We Do More’ and in Spanish ‘Hacemos Mas’”.

Keeping It Local

IBOC and its system of banks have another key differentiator.

“We’ve decentralized and kept the decision makers at the local level. We manage our customers in a corporate environment with corporate policies, but we have ensured the local markets are in control of all their decisions, giving the customers confidence that they are doing business with a decision maker,” says Nixon. “It’s rare to find that kind of personal relationship with a banker anymore.”

That’s what makes it all worthwhile for Nixon.

“One thing about banking: You see the whole of the community and you touch every business and every person. I love it,” he says.

Nixon has been inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame, and IBC Bank won the Governor’s Volunteer Award from former Texas Governor Rick Perry for its employees serving the most volunteer hours in the state.

Dennis E. Nixon | IBC Laredo | 1200 San Bernardo Ave. | Laredo, TX 78042

956-722-7611 | ibc.com

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