Mission Statement
The mission of Altamaha Bank and Trust is to grow and enhance the long-term return of our shareholders' investment by offering high quality banking services and exceptional customer service to the communities we serve.
Bank History
In 1946, Milton and Wallace Brogdon formed a private bank in Uvalda, GA called Brogdon Brother Bank. The Bank was later taken over by Milton Brogdon who, in 1966, applied for and received a state charter, and in the process changed the name to Brogdon State Bank.
Mr. Brogdon decided to retire from banking in 1972 and sold the bank to a group of local investors who, seeing the potential in the bank, renamed the institution "The Altamaha Bank." At that point the Bank had assets of approximately $1 Million and operated solely in Uvalda, GA.
In September of 1977, the bank changed names again to become known as "Altamaha Bank and Trust Company" and opened an office in the nearby community of Higgston, GA. Assets of the bank at that point stood at approximately $7.1 Million.
In August of 1981, with Mr. Gilman Jones as President, the bank moved into a newly constructed main office building in Uvalda, GA, which it occupies today. Mr. Jones served the bank faithfully until his untimely death in June of 1988, at which time the bank assets were approaching $39 Million. The Board of Directors at that point wasted no time in securing local banker W. Colon Sammons as President to succeed the late Mr. Jones.
Mr. Sammons led the bank to construct a new office facility in neighboring Vidalia, GA and proceeded to relocate the Higgston office to this new building (about a mile away) in May of 1989.
The bank continued to grow under Mr. Sammons' leadership, and in 1997 opened a new branch office in Hazlehurst, GA, in neighboring Jeff Davis County. Bank assets exceeded $73 Million at that point. In October of 1999, the bank moved into a newly constructed Operations Center located behind the Vidalia office, thus allowing the operations department room to grow to serve the bank's needs.
In late 2000, the bank expanded further into Vidalia, funded by the growth of their business in this market, and opened the Plaza Office in front of a retail grocery store on the main thoroughfare in Vidalia, GA Highway 280. The growth continued, and in June of 2003 the bank relocated the Plaza Office to 206 Jackson Street in downtown Vidalia.
In 2006, due to the bank's growth in the Vidalia market and the two offices located there, Mr. Sammons and the Board of Directors voted to move the bank's headquarters from Uvalda to Vidalia. The Vidalia Downtown location would serve as the Main Office. In 2013, Mr. Sammons retired. His son, Brent, stepped into his father’s shoes and is currently serving as the bank’s President and Chief Executive Officer.
Today the bank maintains four locations and has grown to approximately $160 Million in assets. The Bank directly serves the needs of citizens and businesses in Vidalia, Uvalda, and Hazlehurst, GA, as well as the surrounding communities. As the Bank continues to grow, the present directors, officers, and employees of Altamaha Bank and Trust are dedicated to maintaining the standard of excellence that has been set by our predecessors and delivering on our promise of high-quality products and service.