When you call Century Bank of Oklahoma, don’t be surprised if the CEO answers the phone.

From the tellers who greet you when you walk in the door to the bank’s president, Richard Willhour, and his father, CEO and longtime Tulsa banker Rick Willhour, everyone is focused on building customer relationships.

A year and a half after its entry into the Tulsa market, management recognizes that Pryor-based Century Bank’s successes are built on those relationships.

“Our employees understand our business plan, which is to develop relationships, not just make loans,” Richard Willhour said. “I think that is the primary reason for our successes.”

Officers of the bank are quick to share instances of how the bank’s staff employs customer service attitudes in dealing with clients and potential customers.

“The likelihood of the CEO of any other bank in Tulsa answering the phone is stunningly near zero,” said John Lindhardt, vice president. “Not that Rick works to answer the phone day in and day out.”

“But he’s big on it,” added Marlon Goodwin, senior vice president. “If it rings more than twice, he’s going after it.”

Bobbi Millea, compliance officer, noted that at the bank’s annual shareholder meeting, “Rick took a lot of pride telling, and it was one of the first things he told the shareholders: ‘We have employees here who will stay late and let people into the bank after hours.’”

Richard Willhour explained that a couple of staff members saw a customer walking up to the door shortly after the bank had closed at 5 p.m. and opened back up to allow her to conduct her business.

“Now this lady is telling people, ‘I bank at Cheers because everyone knows my name,’” he said.

“Starting the shareholders’ meeting out with that fact, that speaks volumes to me,” Millea said. “People who walk through the door, they’re not account numbers, they are people.”

When the Willhours and their investor group bought Century Bank of Oklahoma in June 2007, it had assets of about $17 million, with a loan portfolio of $11.6 million and deposits of $15.8 million.

The bank management soon realized the bank needed to expand into the Tulsa market to spur its growth and opened a branch in a trailer in November 2008 while it constructed a building at 5705 E. 71st St. The bank moved into the building in December.

As the bank nears its third year under new ownership, it has exceeded $51 million in assets, Richard Willhour said.

That is up an additional $7 million since its most recently available FDIC report for Dec. 31.

While the economic downturn and tightened regulatory controls have squeezed its loan portfolio growth and put a pinch in its bottom line, the bank, practicing its customer-oriented banking values has built its client base on the deposit side.

As of Dec. 31, its deposits stood at more than $38 million, and its loan portfolio topped $36 million, while its earnings took a hit with a loss of $111,000 for the year.