Bell Bank celebrates decades of putting employees first B Y
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Savannah Howe
ound in Fargo, ND in 1966, on its second consecutive year of being a ranked Top Arizona Workplace, Bell Bank is a privately-held bank that goes the extra mile for its employees, customers and communities. From industry-leading profit sharing to an employee stock ownership program (ESOP) to the Pay It Forward program, Bell Bank fosters a workplace where its 170 Arizona employees are thriving. Its workforce is, after all, Bell Bank’s “secret to success,” says Kyle Kennedy, Bell Bank Phoenix President and Arizona Banking Director. “At the heart of all we do — our interactions with each other, the service we provide customers and the outreach in our communities — is the importance of relations,” Kennedy says. “That’s why almost any Bell employee will tell you, not only is Bell a wonderful place to work, but it is very different from other places they have been.” Despite the company’s booming growth to nearly 2,000 employees nationwide and offices in 11 states, Bell’s community- and family-forward practices
from its early days as a small, local bank have continued. “Even as we’ve grown into one of the largest family- and employee-owned banks in the nation, the core of who we are hasn’t changed,” Kennedy says. “We’ve maintained our values, focused on how we treat one another, serve our customers, and make our communities even better. Employees and customers are treated like family, and our private ownership allows us to prioritize long-term goals, instead of short-term earnings.” The impact on the community is worth millions. Since 2008, the bank’s employees have participated in the Pay It Forward initiative. Each year, every full-time employee receives $1,000 and part-timers receive $500 to donate to an organization of their choosing. When the pandemic devastated the nation, Bell’s ownership doubled each employee’s Pay It Forward funds to make an even bigger impact. According to Kennedy, the program has disbursed over $22 million in employee-empowered giving to people in need. On the employee end, those practices look like competitive salaries and benefits, annual bonuses and the ESOP — on top of countless work culture perks, such as routinely catered
