Spring has sprung for the newly-branded ‘Darling Downs Bank’, opening a “full service” branch in Toowoomba on September 1, with the aligned “re-stylised” branch in Warwick, formerly known as a Credit Union.
Darling Downs Bank CEO, John Ford expressed excitement and pride when The Town & Country Journal caught up with him days before the official “day one”.
“It’s going to be impressive,” he said. “The Warwick staff especially are very excited about the refreshed brand. We have a very ‘high service’ model that we aren’t changing. Neither are we changing our values.”
Mr Ford confirmed that local suppliers have assisted the refit of the branches, and the bank has been “hiring staff, not reducing them”, with the same “familiar faces” in Warwick especially, ready to assist as always and especially from September 1.
“The local suppliers we have used are people in the Darling Downs, as it’s been a local effort,” he added, and so too has been the choice of brand ambassador and elite athlete, Matt Denny.
“We have a multi-year engagement with Matt, who was born and raised in Allora,” Mr Ford said of the bronze-medal winning discus champion.
Beyond the people who have made the re-brand possible and pertinent, Mr Ford said his message is to “encourage locals who haven’t used a local bank before, to do so”.
“If you put your savings in here, what happens is that we recycle the cash in the form of loans for people wanting to buy a car or home or start a business,” he said. “We see it as positive recycling of our capital. I encourage the retention of capital in our community by supporting local banks who support local borrowers and the like.”
Darling Downs Bank is investing in financial crime prevention strategies which Mr Ford described as “a hot topic to keep on top of,” highlighted in the recent Scam Awareness Week. “The risk of someone losing their life savings is something that worries most customers,” he said.
Financial results for the 2024/2025 financial year will shortly be announced, in what was “a record year,” Mr Ford adding that the Darling Downs Bank is "positioned for the future”.
