Principal Street Bank President and CEO Wealthy Lucas talks to shareholders for the duration of their annual meeting Thursday.
WHEELING – Principal Street Bank President and CEO Wealthy Lucas mentioned he has been pleased that for 22 years, he has presented great news to shareholders at their annual meeting. Their meeting Thursday, exactly where Lucas recapped Principal Street’s 2022 efficiency, was what he thought of a different notch in that streak.
Lucas told shareholders Thursday afternoon at the Undo’s Occasion Center in Elm Grove that the bank posted record net earnings of $five.56 million in 2022, which represented $1.63 in earnings per share for investors.
That is seriously great for a bank that, 22 years ago, began in the Ohio Valley with zero deposits and zero buyers. Rapidly forward to 2022, exactly where Principal Street acquired two,160 new accounts and 1,272 new buyers and issued 1,083 new loans.
Lucas chalked that good results up to the bank’s extended-term organizing.
“It’s the extended term considering, consistency, delivery, and understanding that we want to be there,” he mentioned following the meeting. “And it is day to day, month to month that you have to operate, you have to be there to provide the item to the client.”
photo by: Photo by Derek Redd
Nick Sparachane, chairman of the Principal Street Bank Board of Directors, talks to shareholders at their annual meeting Thursday.
Lucas attributed these record net earnings, in portion, to the market place. A increasing tide, he mentioned, will lift all boats. He also gave credit the the dozens of Principal Street Bank staff all through the bank’s branches in Wheeling, Elm Grove, Moundsville, Wellsburg in West Virginia and in Toronto, Ohio.
“I consider our employee dedication is amazing,” he mentioned. “I consider we we have staff across the board who come to operate and want to aid. They want to see us all succeed. They have a piece of the game, no matter whether it is employment or stock or family members or what ever.”
These staff aid keep the connection-primarily based strategy to banking that has been the trademark of Principal Street Bank, Lucas mentioned. Although other banks move away from physical areas, Lucas mentioned Principal Street tends to make it a priority to keep a individual touch with buyers.
That does not imply Principal Street is not thinking about the future. In 2022, Lucas mentioned the bank created strides in on-line banking and added access to Apple Spend, Google Spend and Samsung Spend. It now supplies buyers with a debit card as quickly as an account is opened and created contactless debit cards readily available.
The bank also created advances for business enterprise buyers by supplying ACH Direct Deposit Payroll and remote deposit scanners.
Principal Street also builds relationships via its neighborhood involvement, according to Board of Directors Chairman Nick Sparachane. It has sponsored events from youth baseball to the Mountain East Conference basketball tournament. Sparachane told a story of his current take a look at to Trinity Health-related Center when he overheard a nurse go over the assistance Principal Street gave to a regional football group.
“She mentioned we had been the only bank that jumped in to aid them out,” he mentioned. “And then somebody else mentioned, ‘Yeah, that bank up in Toronto, they aid everyone up there.’ And that is been a thing that we’ve spearheaded for the final 22 years.”
As effective as 2022 was, Lucas is hopeful for an even extra dynamic 2023. Principal Street announced in February that it would merge with Wayne Neighborhood Savings Bank primarily based in Wooster, Ohio. Principal Street officials hope the merger will be comprehensive later this year, which would expand the bank’s attain additional into the Buckeye State.
“I consider for the initial quarter, we’re off to a terrific start off,” Lucas mentioned. “I consider the principal point is that we will basically and one hundred% concentrate on our constant delivery and on our goods and not deviate from what’s gotten us to 2022.”
Principal Street Bank President and CEO Wealthy Lucas talks to shareholders for the duration of their annual meeting Thursday.
Nick Sparachane, chairman of the Principal Street Bank Board of Directors, talks to shareholders at their annual meeting Thursday.


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