October 11 marked a new milestone for Sheffield-based Bank Independent with the groundbreaking celebration for its fifth Madison County location, located at 9101 Memorial Parkway SW.

“Today marks another milestone in the bank’s legacy for service, growth, and commitment to the communities we serve,” said Bank Independent Huntsville City President, DeMarco McClain. “We’re beginning construction on the 33rd branch overall and the fifth branch in Madison County. That’s exciting.”

Penny Camp speaking on behalf of Bank Independent at the groundbreaking for their newest location in Madison.

Penny Camp, the bank’s Chief People Officer, expressed excitement about moving into the South Huntsville community. In addition to the team members instrumental in bringing about the latest branch, Camp recognized general contractors Robins & Morton, Lambert Ezell Durham Architecture, J.M. Phillips Engineering, Shoals Engineering, and Mechanical Design Services for their role in developing the newest branch location.

“We are thankful for each of you and look forward to partnering with you on this project,” she said.

Camp also noted that Bank Independent loves to support the local communities.

“We are all about strengthening our communities and that’s so much a part of who we are and what we want to do each and every day.”

Because of that, she stated that they will be actively seeking out team members that are involved in and want to help support the South Huntsville community.

“We look forward to finding those team members and continuing to serve this community the way that we have served so many in the past.”

Bank Independent President Macke Mauldin provided a brief history of the bank, which began when a group of farmers pooled their resources following the sudden closure of the town of Leighton’s only bank in 1947. “As we grow, our continued belief in serving the communities we’re in remains today and I think this is a testament to our commitment to our communities, and we thank you for that,” he said.

Mauldin noted that at the time of its organization, the bank had a total of $1 million in assets.

“The bank is now at $2.3 billion in assets and growing every day.”

Bank Independent is unique in that unlike most, it is a true family business, passed down through multiple generations. Mauldin acknowledged the many family members in attendance, several of whom live in the Huntsville area. Referring to his brother Preuit’s daughter Ann and his own daughter Hallie, Mauldin noted that they’re fourth-generation Bank Independent bankers.

“We’re looking forward to having them grow and prosper as well with the rest of our team.”

Following the groundbreaking, Bank Independent CEO Rick Wardlaw addressed the audience, echoing thanks for the leadership team and partners and noting that the bank “turn[s] the organizational chart upside down…when you turn it upside down, the customer is the boss.”

“With that servant leadership, it helps us achieve our mission of making a positive difference in people’s lives. So we’re excited about the opportunity for this location to be built so we can make a difference in the lives of the people in this community.”

Wardlaw then provided an example of how Bank Independent puts its promises into action: on October 6, it was recognized by Newsweek for its employee sentiment and satisfaction, ranking #36 among the “Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces” in the nation. The results were determined after surveying over 1.4 million employees from businesses ranging from 50 to over 10,000 employees.

Wardlaw noted that a number of local and regional banks in North Alabama and Huntsville have been sold and even resold in the past several years.

“For 75 years, Bank Independent has been building a reputation to be the bank of choice and the employer of choice in our communities. Bank Independent has been built not to sell, but we are built to serve. We’re excited to be able to extend this service to this community for the next 75 years and beyond.”