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Access 1st Capital Bank coming soon to downtown region
February 25, 2007
By Dawn Cobb / Business Editor, Denton Record Chronicle

Randy Robinson, a banker around Denton for a number of years, will soon open a new bank in town – Access 1st Capital Bank.

The proposed "de novo" or new bank, to be headquartered in Denton, will be housed in a new two-story office complex at Carroll Boulevard and Eagle Drive at the southwest corner of the city's downtown region.

"I think that Denton needs community bank options," Robinson said. "There are some great options for banking in Denton. We're going to try to bring a unique approach."

The idea for the bank originated with Benjamin Goff and his wife, Teresa, who envisioned a bank offering specialized services for professionals including attorneys, dentists and doctors.

They created Advocate Capital Inc. as a specialty finance company that provided loans to attorneys, selling the company later to a co-owner. The couple entered a non-compete agreement, which later expired. The couple then decided to create a community bank that offered a division targeting professionals.

In February 2006, an initial group of organizers met to discuss the viability of the proposed bank and soon formed Access FR Capital Inc. In the summer of 2006, a consulting firm, Bank Capital Group LLC, identified Robinson as a strong candidate for the role as president and chief executive officer.
The 27-year bank professional, formerly with TexasBank and First United Bank & Trust, agreed to take the position.

Soon, the group also decided to base the bank in Denton.

"People like myself, we can bring it back to community banking," Robinson said.

The proposed bank joins a number of banking institutions opening in recent years in Denton, especially along the Carroll Boulevard corridor. New banks along the thoroughfare include PointBank, Northstar Bank and First State Bank.

Financial circles have touted Denton as a prime location due to the ongoing population growth as well as the number of out-of-state banks taking over local institutions.

Mergers and bank sales have changed Denton's financial landscape in recent years as the former First State Bank became Wells Fargo, TexasBank became Compass Bank, and the former Farmers & Merchants State Bank merged to become First United Bank & Trust Co. Banks in neighboring counties have extended their reach into the growing market, including First State Bank, which changed its name from the First State Bank of Gainesville after deciding to move into the Denton County market in 2003.

The marketplace has seen a mix of smaller local banks looking to expand, such as PointBank and Northstar, with larger firms trying to increase their local presence, such as Bank One and Bank of America, officials have said.

According to state records, contracts for de novo charters have been increasing as new banks are developed across Texas. At least 17 banks have filed charters with the Texas Department of Banking, including several in the Dallas-Fort Worth region.

"The trend has been in other parts of the country such as Georgia and Florida," Robinson said. "Texas is starting to see the same thing. It's now third in the country."

Locally, new banks are being developed in Carrollton, McKinney, Frisco, Plano and Southlake, to name a few. All are considered high growth areas.

"Texas is a very desirable area for banks due to growth," Robinson said. "The potential growth in Denton in the next 10 years, if it doubles in size, there's going to be a lot of people."

At his temporary location tucked inside a small office complex at 210 S. Elm St., Robinson is working with state and federal agencies to set up the new bank as well as raising $15 million in minimum capital.

Robinson said he anticipated approval for the bank charter in the second quarter of 2007 with the bank expected to open for business by the third quarter of 2007.

The bank will be on the first floor of the 20,000-square-foot building to be built on 1.8 acres at 320 Eagle Drive.

"That's really kind of what we've identified as the edge of our downtown core," said Linda Ratliff, director of economic development for the city of Denton. "It'll be an excellent entranceway into downtown. It'll provide the type of building that First State Bank and Northstar Bank have built along Carroll Boulevard."

The architecture for the building will be derived from the Denton Courthouse on the Square and other older, historic buildings, Robinson said. The bank is using a clock tower rendering of the courthouse style as the bank's logo -- yet another tie to the community, Robinson said.

"From logo to location to the style of building, its all a package," he said. "We want it to be the entrance to downtown."

The following are organizers of Access 1st Capital Bank who will serve as the bank's initial board of directors:

Benjamin A. Goff, chairman
Brett M. Bingham
Carmen Mitchell Goff
Fred L. Hill
David J. Vanderlaan
Jerry M. Kelsoe
Randall L. Robinson, president and chief executive officer
Truman M. Wolf
Ben A. Goff
Garrett H. Jamison
David A. McBee Sr.
Pablo Alvarado
Philip J. Gallivan Jr.
Teresa L. Goff
Mary Jo "Pete" Kamp
J. Virgil Strange
*Carolyn Gardner will serve as senior vice president and chief financial officer.

DAWN COBB can be reached at 940-566-6879. Her e-mail address is dcobb@dentonrc.com.