Bank of Tucumcari opens its doors

The new Bank of Tucumcari held its grand opening Friday, less than 24 hours after it received an occupancy permit to open its doors.

More than 40 people - many from the bank's mother office, The Bank of Clovis - gathered Friday morning at a ribbon-cutting ceremony organized by the Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce, including a blessing and prayer by the Rev. Cameron Degani of St. Anne's Catholic Church in Tucumcari.

Randy Harris, chairman and CEO of The Bank of Clovis, said the Tucumcari branch received an occupancy permit from the state about 11 a.m. Thursday. Officers and employees had been moving computers and other equipment into the building at 1601 S. First St. earlier in the week.

The Tucumcari bank for now is housed in a modular structure that was installed and its parking lot paved about 3 1/2 months after the groundbreaking. The bank has three employees.

Garrett Baker, area market president for the Logan and Tucumcari branches, said an automatic teller machine and a night dropbox would be installed in January.

"We're ready to go," he said.

Harris said his company is drawing up plans for a permanent bank building just north of the modular building.

He said construction on that would begin in February or March, with completion in "maybe a year."

Like he did during the branch's groundbreaking in September, Harris again voiced his commitment to community banking since The Bank of Clovis was founded in 2000.

"We truly believe in investing in a community is what a community bank should do," he said. "We don't loan money to Timbuktu; we loan here."

The Bank of Tucumcari is a full-service bank, with a variety of checking, savings and loan offerings.

Its hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, with the drive-through open until 5 p.m. those days.

In addition to Logan and Tucumcari, The Bank of Clovis also has a branch in Clayton and plans another in Des Moines.