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34 MACONMAGAZINE.COM One South Bank Macon is a division of the Bank of Early, founded in Blakely, Ga. in Early County in 1941. How, when and why did One South decide to enter the Middle Georgia market? The Bank of Early looked at different locations to expand into, but Macon provided the best opportunity for the bank to grow. We are committed to being a strong, community bank, something that Macon needs. With opportunities in Macon and surrounding areas, we plan to expand our presence in Macon and the Houston County area. What is different about One South? What can you offer that other larger banks can't? We have so much more control over what we do locally. We can make decisions right here and not answer to a large corporate, bureaucratic structure. When you call us, you will get a person right here in Macon on the phone. We try to do things that make sense, that matter and that take individual situations into account. We are able to be nimble and responsive to everyone much more easily than many banks. We value all our One South Bank Macon 4070 Forsyth Road (478) 254-7775 www.osbga.com customers, regardless of the size of the checking account or the business. We bank people not numbers. You have an exciting project going on in downtown Macon. What is involved? One South is very committed and excited about the growth downtown. So much is going on. We now have the wonderful opportunity to work with Trace Butler of Butler Family Properties who just purchased the famous Lawrence Mayer Building on the corner of Mulberry, Cotton and Second. We are financing the project, which will involve redoing the top two floors into 10 loft apartments. One retail bay will be added to the first floor for a new business location; Jonathan Mayer will retain his florist shop, but it will be smaller. That means the project will bring new business and new residents to downtown. It's such an exciting new venture. We are looking forward to working on it. Macon Magazine asked Trace Butler why he chose One South Bank to finance his new downtown project. We worked with Rusty (Gleaton) before on projects when he was at a different bank, so we knew we wanted to work with him again. The main thing that was attractive about One South is that the bank is very comfortable with downtown projects and the importance of being able to think out of the box. They are flexible in their approach, and their ability to make decisions locally is a big advantage to us. The bank and the people have been so accommodating. We expect to finish the project next spring. SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION Busine Spotlight From left to right: Rusty Gleaton, Senior Vice President & Senior Lender, Trace Butler, Butler Family Properties, and Randy Griffin, Executive Vice President & Chief Credit Officer The historic Lawrence Mayer Building in Downtown Macon