April 2013
| Business World Magazine | 337
serving businesses within their respective
market mirrors what is often the approach
with smaller firms who lack FSG’s capacity.
This has also fundamentally helped the
bank throughout a busy recapitalization
campaign with a goal to restore the bank to
“well capitalized” status. Kramer says inves-
tors have responded favorably because they
realize the recap isn’t a byproduct of bail-out,
but essential to the strategy on how best to
move forward into the future. Although the
results of those efforts have yet to be publi-
cally reported, Kramer expresses optimism.
He also says the FSG team has put to-
gether a growth strategy that doesn’t rely on
“quick hits” but goals for five years and ten
years, all in accordance with their plan to
serve many years ahead. “No one can predict
with absolute precision… but our market is
robust and our plan is in tune with our mar-
kets, and these are good markets which are
growing. We intend to grow with them.”
Greater services, greater product offering
and greater sense of direction - all helps to
distinguish today’s repurposed and revital-
ized FSG Bank from that of yesterday.
Banking issues continue to dominate so
much of the business headlines throughout
the country, not necessarily in positive terms,
but in this special corridor between Tennes-
see and Georgia, there is a success story that
will continue to unfold, or as Kramer says,
“We’ve spent twelve months building the
foundation for what should be years of good
news for our bank, our shareholders, our cli-
ents and our communities.”
o
