JASPER, AL – Bank of Walker County – Smith Lake (BOWC) is now open at a second location, 5616 Curry Highway. A grand opening event will be held on Thursday; July 21, 2022, at 5:00 PM to celebrate the opening of this new branch in the Curry community.
“We believe in Walker County and its people. The opportunity to expand into the Smith Lake area and Curry community is extremely exciting,” said Mark Wilson, Bank of Walker County Chief Executive Officer. “While other banks are selling out or moving out, BOWC is growing. What is even more significant is that our growth is within Walker County.”
The Smith Lake branch will be staffed by Jackie Sparks, branch manager along with Teresa Kilgore and Dana Farris. “We are so excited to bring this group back together to serve our customers in this community,” said Mark Wilson. “This team represents over 80 years in banking in Walker County.”
“I’ve been part of the Curry community for most of my life and I’ve been in banking for 28 years. The fact that I’m going to be able to serve my community at a truly local bank is a dream come true for me,” said Jackie Sparks, Bank of Walker County – Smith Lake branch manager. “This community is important to me. To have the chance to work with a team whose primary concerns are the needs of the people of Walker County, is an opportunity that I could not pass up.”
According to Bank of Walker County president, Tony Sparks, BOWC is owned, operated, and managed by local shareholders and a local Board of Directors. “What this means is that the decisions made are based on what is going on right here at home, not in a neighboring county or another state. While BOWC has all the tools and technology offered by the regional and national banks, we don’t have to contact someone in another city to tell us how to handle things here at home.”
“It has been so refreshing to me to see how the leadership team at BOWC has been working together to get the Smith Lake office ready to open this summer,” says Jackie Sparks. “They want everything to be perfect for the community and they care about making it nice and beautiful for our clients. The convenience alone will be huge for my friends and family. The new office is really going to be something we can all be proud of.”
Bank of Walker County was established in 2004 as a dream of Mark and Walker Wilson, second and third generation bankers in Walker County. “Our desire was to maintain personal relationships between those that provide and those that need banking services,” said Walker Wilson, vice president of Bank of Walker County. “Over the years, we have established one of the most reputable teams in our local banking market.” The BOWC management team and staff represents over 300 years in banking in Walker County.
The Smith Lake office is the bank’s first branch location. The Smith Lake branch will be open the same hours as the Jasper location – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 9 am to 5 pm and Wednesdays from 9am to 12 noon. The Drive -Through at both locations opens at 8:30 am each day. Both Locations are closed on Saturday.
The market around Smith Lake continues to grow and has become popular throughout the southeast among people looking for a vacation home. “The secret is out,” said Mark Wilson. “Smith Lake is the place to be, and we are thrilled to be here and be part of it.”
