Bell Bank: Winner of the special award for Values

B Y Savannah Howe

Found 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

office feasts, tickets to professional baseball or soccer games, company picnics, a free Thanksgiving turkey and over-the-top holiday bash.

“Our essential reason for being is to help other people,” Kennedy continues. “Ultimately, people want to make a difference, and Bell empowers employees to do so. When Bell provides a positive workplace, where people enjoy their work and are proud of their company and what they do, they go the extra mile to take great care of their customers.”

Many of Bell Bank’s employees are community pillars outside of their jobs, too. Two Arizona employees started the Ahwatukee Eats food truck festival in 2015, which is going strong to this day and raises money for local causes. In last summer’s record-breaking Phoenix heat wave, Bell employees dove in to helping an organization that works to keep the homeless hydrated, rallying over $4,000 in donations along with 25 cases of water.

With its core values — sustaining a family atmosphere, providing unequaled personal service and paying it forward by giving back to the community — Bell Bank’s ongoing investment in Arizona continues, from its multi-year naming rights agreement for Bell Bank Park in Mesa, to real estate investments in Arrowhead, to its relationship with community leader and new Bell Bank Champion Larry Fitzgerald.

“We owe our success to the communities around us, and we share that success by giving back in ways that make the community a better place,” Kennedy says. “While most companies focus on efficiency and finances, Bell has been different from the start. ... We’re a place where people absolutely come first, and because of that, our customers and employees actually say they love banking and working at Bell.”