Client Spotlight: McCray Lumber and Millwork
McCray Lumber and Millwork’s local banking reinforces local builders
Most business owners vividly recall when Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans were made available during the pandemic. With revenues for most companies shrinking or even disappearing overnight, PPP loans represented the best and most immediate source of working capital to pay employees, pay bills, or simply keep the doors open.
Time was of the essence. And when Brian Hall, CFO at McCray Lumber and Millwork, couldn’t reach his national banking provider to start the PPP loan process, he quickly realized the value of having a local banking partner that knows your name, your business, and your needs.
Country Club Bank was one of the first calls Hall made when he decided to explore a new local banking relationship.
With six locations in the surrounding area, and over 200 employees, McCray Lumber was founded in 1947 and is one of area’s oldest and largest independent lumber and millwork providers. Hall wanted a bank with robust resources, stability, and hometown ownership.
“Country Club Bank was responsive and interested and we knew we’d always have local continuity on our account team," Hall said. "We wouldn’t have to explain our business again to out-of-towners in the event of account team changes.”
Chandler McCray, president and CEO of McCray Lumber agreed with the assessment.
“We’d always known about Country Club Bank, and when they demonstrated their local market knowledge and investment in the community, they became an obvious choice for all our banking,” McCray said.
Banking Local Is Better For Business
McCray said banking locally is not only better for the more responsive service, but also for the larger economic implications of keeping deposits in the community and available for local loans, particularly for those in the building community.
“We like the fact that our deposits at Country Club Bank are helping fund new construction and development throughout the area,” McCray said. “Supporting local builders and construction companies is extremely important and this is another smart way for us to do it.”
McCray Lumber has centralized all operating and depository accounts at Country Club Bank, for all McCray Lumber locations. A sweep account previously held at a large New York-based bank was also moved to Country Club Bank.
Hall said the service, speed, and attentiveness of the Country Club Bank team has made banking a pleasure again, and also brought peace of mind.
“It’s been a wonderful partnership, and we feel much better keeping our funds in the area,” Hall said. “We can meet face-to-face anytime with the team managing our funds, but more importantly, we can see them being used for building loans and projects all over town.”
Chandler McCray said operating philosophy and customer alignment is another advantage of working with Country Club Bank.
“We work with builders and so does Country Club Bank, and we both have similar goals,” McCray said. “We want to take care of our associates, our customers, and our community, and working together makes us both stronger.”