Construction of German American State Bank’s new ultramodern Pecatonica branch has officially begun

German American State Bank is celebrating the beginning construction of their new branch located in downtown Pecatonica.

The announcement comes just eight months after the Bank officially purchased the building.  Changes in banking services and technology along with GASB’s strong growth in and around Pecatonica necessitate a more modern banking facility.

The Bank has contracted with local architect, PG Design and local contractor, Bennet Construction to design and complete the project.

German American State Bank’s new ultramodern branch will be located downtown Pecatonica in the former Bank of Pecatonica building.

This location is rich with Pecatonica history and has been home to many businesses throughout the years. It started as Bank of Pecatonica in 1941 but was part of the devastating fire of 1977.

All was lost during the fire for The Bank of Pecatonica, along with other local businesses; Wooly’s Café, Markham’s Market (owned by the grandfather of GASB’s previous President Jeff Sterling), several second-story apartments, and a 6-lane bowling alley.

After the fire, the land was purchased and transformed into a contemporary Bank of Pecatonica.

The location remained a banking institution under different entities with the latest being US Bank. US Bank closed its facility during the summer of 2020. This led to German American State Bank’s purchase of the building in August of 2021.

The newly renovated building will be a full-service banking center complete with a designer lobby, front-end staff, drive-up window, and ATM.  It will house many executive offices, conference rooms, and state-of-the-art training facilities. “Warren Laube, GASB President and CEO, stated the project is estimated to be complete by October of 2022 assuming current lead times of material remain the same.”

The Bank’s expanded location is a substantial investment in the Village of Pecatonica and will bring many well-paying full-time jobs to Pecatonica.

The Bank’s announcement is another reminder of its continued promise to support and invest in the communities they serve.

The physical address is 430 Main St. Pecatonica, Ill. 61063. Lobby hours will be Monday – Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Drive-up hours will be Monday–Thursday 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information about this and other German American State Bank locations, please visit www.germanamericanstatebank.com.

About German American State Bank

German American State Bank was chartered on Jan. 21, 1907, and prides itself on being one of the oldest community banks in the state of Illinois.

In 1986, German American State Bank and State Bank of Davis merged to form Foresight Financial Group, a multi-bank holding company.  Foresight Financial Group has grown from the original two banks to a multi-bank holding company that values and commits to community banking.

In addition to German American State Bank and State Bank of Davis, the holding company is also made up of State Bank Freeport, Northwest Bank of Rockford, Lena State Bank, and State Bank of Herscher.

German American State Bank has remained committed to serving its communities of German Valley, Seward, Pecatonica, Winnebago, and Belvidere with products and services to help achieve the financial goals of our customers.

Our staff includes a team of local decision makers-makers who recognize the importance of servicing our customers as trusted advisors while creating a personal relationship with them. German American State Bank, where “We Get Stuff Done.”