BNC National Bank opens Fargo Center, hires White

Northwestern Financial Review, Aug 19, 2000

Bismarck-based BNC National Bank moved into its new Fargo branch and financial center on May 26 and at the same time welcomed longtime North Dakota community bank leader Dennis White to the family.

The new $2.5 million BNC Financial Center had been under construction for more than a year, and while the bank waited for its completion, its leaders opened a temporary facility on the site in February 1999. Besides housing a bank, the 25,000-- square-foot, two-story building also includes brokerage, trust, estate planning and insurance services.

Fourteen people work on the bank side in Fargo, while another five serve in the asset management division.

Along with the new facility, BNC National Bank hired White as president of the Fargo branch. White hopes to bring his strong community bank philosophy to the company. "I think to provide good financial service, it's plain and simple that you've got to get out and meet the customer and develop a strategy to meet their financial needs," said White, who served as president of the Independent Community Banks of North Dakota from 1991-92.

White has been involved in the banking industry for a number of years and worked for institutions in Alexandria, Minn., and Minnewauken and Dickinson, N.D. In 1987, he led a group of investors in buying a Valley City branch of Minneapolis-based First Bank Systems Inc. (now U.S. Bancorp) and renamed it First National Bank of Valley City. Four years later, White added Litchville State Bank, and in 1995, he bought The First State Bank of Casselton. The three banks formed the $100 million First Bancshares of Valley City Inc.

When Minneapolis-based Norwest Corp. (now Wells Fargo & Co.) purchased First Bancshares of Valley City in July 1998, White, who served as president of the Valley City bank, moved to Minot to become president of Norwest Bank Minot. White said he only stayed with Norwest for a few months before moving to Fargo to work as a consultant.

BNCCORP is on the rebound. Net income for the first six months of this year more than doubled to $1.17 million compared with $531,000 in 1999.

BNCCORP is a $587 million holding company that owns the $412 million BNC National Bank in Bismarck, and the $175 million BNC National Bank of Minneapolis.