NBT Bank leaders pose with the 2022-2023 Management Development Program graduates. (Submitted photo)

by Sophia Root

How many times have you been driving through New York or a neighboring state and seen a sign reading: NBT Bank of… whichever town you’re currently in?

This friendly and reassuring feature is in place to demonstrate NBT Bank’s commitment to the communities the bank serves.

Whether you are in New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, or Connecticut, NBT Bank is there as a financial partner. This is one of the many ways this bank chain stands out from the others.

Chenango County Chamber of Commerce members since the winter of 1979, NBT has been a point of pride in this County. Especially after Norwich experienced a commerce exodus with the loss of corporations such as Proctor and Gamble and Champion, NBT Bank has made its mark as the only publicly traded company that is headquartered in Chenango County.

NBT Bank has over 1,900 full-time employees to share this great pride and reputation with, one of them being Chenango County Market Manager Brian Burton. Burton, who has been an employee at NBT Bank for 21 years, sat down with Commerce Chenango and gave some valuable insight into why NBT Bank is as successful as it is. Burton emphasizes NBT Bank’s commitment to people: employees and customers alike. With team bonding initiatives such as the annual cornhole tournament to benefit the United Way or a food truck lunch, employees feel connected and supported by their colleagues and acquaintances. Burton said in his experience these connections help build trust between customers, staff and with leaders.

Burton describes employees and customers alike as NBT Bank’s People. According to Burton, “It is often said at NBT that our people are our biggest asset and most distinct differentiator.” He went on to say that any financial institution can open checking accounts and make loans, but not everyone has what NBT leadership refers to as “the best team in community banking.” This has not changed since the bank was founded in 1856. NBT Bank’s commitment to the community is another valued priority.

Burton’s claims aren’t baseless or insincere, either.

In 2022, NBT donated nearly $2 million to community organizations across its footprint, and its employees completed more than 7,000 community service hours. Burton explains, “As one of the NBT’s core values and a key component of the employee experience, locally based employees volunteer to help give back by supporting events and organizations, including the United Way, Helping Hands, Saturdays in the Park, and the annual Gus Macker basketball tournament.” Furthering their involvement in Chenango County, NBT Bank donates and supports many nonprofit organizations, such as local school districts, the Chenango Arts Council, the Norwich Family YMCA, Norwich Dollars for Scholars, Colorscape Chenango and much more.

As a result of their outstanding contributions to the local community, NBT Bank was named Commerce Chenango’s Business of Distinction for 2023. NBT Bank has also been featured on the 2023 Forbes World's Best Banks list and was the highest-ranked bank based in New York. The company was also recognized as a best place to work by the Albany Business Review, Vermont Business Magazine, Hartford Business Journal and—recently for the third consecutive year—in the Central New York Business Journal. “These recognitions are a testament to our strong focus on ensuring a positive environment to cultivate the best employees in community banking,” Burton said.

As well as helping our community thrive, NBT Bank is also finding ways to grow and expand, as they are on a perpetual quest to find more unique and award-winning employees. The company recently announced a merger with Salisbury Bank, a community bank with locations in northwest Connecticut, the Hudson Valley of New York State, and southwestern Massachusetts. This acquisition, pending regulatory approval, demonstrates how strong and healthy the corporation is and enables NBT to make more positive changes in local communities like ours. The bank is excited about this pending merger and what it means for the future of their business, expansion, and progress.

NBT Bank carries a lot of potential and kinetic energy and is always looking for more people to join their team. For more information about careers at NBT and to apply online, visit ww.nbtbank.com/careers. You can filter by location, hours, and type of job.

Brian Burton was adamant about how great of a place NBT Bank is to work. Although he boasted about the “best cafeteria in the world”, it was obvious that his favorite part of working at NBT Bank is giving back to the community here in Norwich.