Vision and Mission
Our Vision
Bank Independent's vision is to be the bank of choice in the communities we serve.
Our Mission
Our Bank exists to make a positive difference in people's lives.
We will make a difference by:
- Valuing, respecting and rewarding our team members,
- Providing quality products at a fair price,
- Delivering exceptional service to our customers,
- Strengthening our communities, and
- Serving as stewards of all that has been entrusted to us.
In order to continue increasing our impact, we must remain a closely-held, independent high-performing organization.
Values
Our values reflect our commitment to build and preserve the solid reputation of Bank Independent.
We value:
- Playing by the rules;
- Treating others the way we want to be treated;
- Respecting each other's differences;
- Acting with integrity, and being open, honest and forthright;
- Doing the right thing for all parties involved; and
- Honoring our commitments.
History
Our story began in 1947 in Leighton, Alabama, when the area’s only bank unexpectedly closed, leaving the hardworking residents of eastern Colbert County without banking services for the first time since 1903.
In 1975, Board Chairperson Edward Fennel Mauldin organized a group of investors, including some directors of First Colbert National Bank, to charter The Bank of Florence in Lauderdale County, Alabama. At the same time, First Colbert continued to expand its offices in Colbert County.
The two banks merged on December 1, 1982 to become Bank Independent. According to a February 1983 article in the Times Daily newspaper, the formation of Bank Independent “began a new era in banking for the citizens of Colbert and Lauderdale counties.”
Bank Independent continued to build its branch network by opening new offices in Colbert and Lauderdale counties. In 2002, the bank expanded into Morgan County by opening a loan production office in Decatur, Alabama. Two years later, a similar office was opened in Athens in Limestone County, Alabama, broadening Bank Independent’s footprint to four counties in the northwest corner of the state.
In November 2005, the bank purchased 17 offices of Colonial Bank in locations throughout North Alabama, resulting in 25 offices of Bank Independent operating in 15 communities and six counties. This acquisition expanded the bank’s presence into Lawrence and Franklin counties.
Bank Independent continued to grow with the acquisition of The Citizens Bank of Moulton in December 2008. This resulted in three additional offices in Lawrence County.
In August 2009, the Bank welcomed Interstate Billing Service, Inc. (IBS) to the Bank Independent family. IBS, a nationwide corporate billing service based in Decatur, Alabama, offered the bank a new dimension of growth opportunities, as well as 87 employees.
The Bank expanded into a new and exciting area in July 2014 with the opening of a loan production office in historic downtown Huntsville. This was the 27th Bank Independent office, offering exceptional service to a seventh county. A second full-service office was opened in Madison in 2018.
Bank Independent continued its expansion in the Huntsville area in 2022 with the opening of an office in the new MidCity development. This modern facility provided banking services to the growing residential and business community in west Huntsville.
Bank Independent and Prince Holdings celebrated the opening of 225 Holmes Avenue in early 2023. Located in Downtown Huntsville, 225 Holmes is a five-story mixed-use development project in the heart of the city’s business district. The office building offers over 77,000 square feet of much-needed Class A office space and ground floor retail opportunity.
By late 2023, a convenient new location opened on County Line Road in Madison. In early 2024, Bank Independent expanded again with a new office serving the South Huntsville community. In December 2025, the bank completed construction of a new, state-of-the-art office for its MidCity location.
With multiple locations now across the city, Bank Independent remains committed to providing exceptional banking services throughout the Huntsville metro area.
Today, Bank Independent employs over 700 local team members who are deeply involved in the communities served by the bank.
Today, Bank Independent employs over 650 local team members who are deeply involved in the areas served by the bank. As we enter our seventh decade of continuous commitment to those communities, our team members, leadership and shareholders honor the firm foundation established by the bank’s founding fathers in 1947. Bank Independent will always remain rooted in tradition even as we focus on a future of growth and prosperity.
