Building a bigger endeavor: New headquarters another milestone for West Slope bank

Phil Castle, The Business Times

Jim Pedersen leads a tour through the newly constructed building that houses the headquarters of Timberline Bank in Grand Junction.

Pedersen strolls through the expansive lobby and past the teller line. He climbs the stairs that lead up the three-story atrium and eventually steps onto a fourth-floor terrace commanding sweeping views of the Grand Valley and Colorado National Monument.

Along the way, he points out features and furnishings. There are still offices and conference rooms, but they’re few and mostly small for a building with 40,000 square feet.

What there are instead are what Pedersen calls collision points designed to bring people together, among them a coffee shop, soda dispenser and full kitchen. That’s not to mention that terrace with its bar and food service facilities.

It’s an environment that’s not only welcoming for customers, but also conducive to collaboration among the people who work in the building, he says. “Us being together is what makes us us.”

There’s another thing Pedersen sees in the new building, and that’s another milestone for Timberline Bank.

Founded by employees and investors in 2004, Timberline Bank operates locations in Grand Junction as well as Aspen and Montrose with assets of about $500 million and a staff of 80, Pedersen says.

The new headquarters is like the bank, he says, in promoting flexibility and collaboration with room to grow. “This building is the perfect representation  of this company.”

Timberline Bank moved into the new building Sept. 1 following a year of construction and years of planning, Pedersen says. The Blythe Group architectural firm and FCI Constructors contracting firm were involved in the project.

Timberline Bank outgrew its previous building on 24 Road to the point of having to lease additional space, Pedersen says.

At 10,000 square feet, each of the four floors of the new building offers more space than the old building, he says. That reunites the 60 people who work there.

The building was designed to take advantage of what Pedersen says is a workplace culture of collaboration. He uses the term team, not employees. Team members are encouraged to share ideas and participate in processes to set and achieve goals.

Timberline Bank was among five banks in 2019 to receive Best Community Banks to Work For awards from the Independent Community Bankers of America, a national trade association. The winners were selected on the basis of the results of workplace surveys.

While the new building includes some assigned offices, team members have the flexibility to work where they’d like — whether that’s on long tables with computer monitors, in booths or other furnishings.

The coffee shop, soda dispenser and other amenities also bring team members together during various times of the day, Pedersen says.

The effort to promote that culture shows up in the way the team serves customers and the resources they provide, he says.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has twice honored Timberline Bank as rural lender of the year in Colorado.

Timberline Bank brings to lending an understanding of what’s involved in running a locally owned business, Pedersen says. “We are a small business. We operate as a small business.”

Earlier this year, Timberline Bank processed all of the loan applications the bank received through the Paycheck Protection Program implemented as part of coronavirus pandemic relief legislation.
It was an effort that had the team  at the bank working nights and weekends, Pedersen says.

Customers played a role in a different effort earlier this year when the bank faced limits on obtaining coinage, he says. Customers responded to a request to bring coins to the bank — some by the wheelbarrow full. 

Pedersen says he expects those same kinds of services and relationships to continue in the new location. While information about Timberline Bank is available on its website, he encouraged people to see the new building in person. “There’s no better way than to come down and see what we have.”

Timberline Bank has scheduled a grand opening event for Oct. 1 at its new headquarters at 649 Market St. in Grand Junction. A public open house is planned for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free coffee and soda will be served. Food trucks will serve meals for purchase. A customer appreciation event is set for 4 to  6 p.m. on the terrace.