Mancos Bank conversion is Friday

Merritt: Customers will benefit
The Mancos Valley Bank building, along U.S. 160 in Mancos.

The conversion of two Mancos Valley Bank branches to Dolores State Bank ownership is slated for this weekend.

Dolores State Bank president Ed Merritt said that the change won't have much of an effect on customers, as things like account numbers, loan interest terms, debit cards, and bank staff are all staying the same.

Dolores State Bank signed an agreement in February to acquire Mancos Valley Bank, with the transaction closing July 31.

"It really won't have an effect on customers day-to-day at all," said Merritt. "They can still use their accounts, checking accounts stay the same, loan terms stay the same, and they'll still be able to see the same people they're used to at the Mancos and Cortez East branch."

Online banking will be temporarily unavailable starting at 4 p.m. Friday when it is updated this weekend, Merritt said. All features should be available Monday morning.

Bank will open on Saturdays

Drive-up banking Mancos Valley Bank in downtown Mancos will now be open from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, something that wasn't offered at the location previously, Merritt said.

The Mancos Valley Bank branches are also undergoing a name change this weekend.

The downtown Mancos location will the Mancos Valley Branch of the Dolores State Bank, and East Main Street branch in Cortez will be known as Dolores State Bank Cortez East.

In the end, Merritt said, the area will have a stronger local bank with additional convenience for account holders, as they will be able to use services at all four branch locations throughout Montezuma County.

"We're excited. We hope it goes flawlessly. We've picked up some new stockholders, and with the Mancos Valley Bank acquisitions, we're almost a quarter-billion-dollar bank, all locally owned," said Merritt.

For anyone unsure about the change over, the bank has compiled a comprehensive "Frequently Asked Questions" list available online at mydsb.com under the "Mancos Info" tab.