Jul. 10--Los Banos' citizens in the ag business have another banking choice in town.

Rabobank, N.A, whose name is taken from a cooperative merging two banks from the Netherlands in the late 1800s, opened a branch in Los Banos on June 29. The facility is the third in the county, following new locations recently opened in Merced and Atwater.

Bank officials believe, even with the banking industry general having trouble in the current recession, that now is the time for expansion. Rabobank's regional hub is in Fresno.

"We've been looking for opportunities to expand northward for some time now," said Andy Frokjer, a company spokesman. "Now is a good time."

The 1,600 square-foot branch is located on the 1400 block of W. Pacheco Boulevard near Badger Flat Road.

"We are glad to be part of the community in Los Banos and are hopeful that Rabobank's community banking and agricultural heritage will be warmly received," said Ed Rocha, community banking manager. "We invite our neighbors here to stop by and get to know us."

The bank is holding a sweepstakes for a RaboCruiser bike. At the end of July, the Los Banos branch will award a bicycle helmet and a cruiser bike customized with the orange and blue Rabobank colors.

"As a bank, we take pride in being safe and healthy," said Rocha. "We want to encourage our customers and the community to be safe and healthy too."

The branch in Los Banos will be led by Vice President and Branch Manager Lucy Lawrence. A banker for 26 years, Lawrence served as vice president and branch manager of County Bank's Los Banos Branch for two years and served as a customer service officer for the company for 16 years. She also has experience working for American Savings & Loan and Bank of America. Lawrence is a lifelong Los Banos resident.

"We are delighted to have Lucy lead our team here in Los Banos," said Rocha. "Because she has lived and worked in the area her whole life, she knows the community well and will help us provide the friendly, hometown service, local decision-making, and community involvement that are Rabobank's hallmarks."

Frokjer touts the bank as one of the "safest banks in the world." It's a title bestowed upon Rabobank by Global Finance Magazine in 2008.

Rabobank, N.A. is a California community bank and a leading provider of agricultural financing and banking products to California farmers, ranchers, input suppliers and agricultural manufacturers. With 88 retail branches and 14 commercial banking centers in California, it serves the needs of communities from Sacramento to the Imperial Valley.

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