Bank of Santa Clarita announced its results of operations for 2014 on Wednesday. Net earnings were at a record level for the Bank, totaling $1.02 million, an increase of 2% over 2013 net earnings, while pre-tax earnings increased 5% over the 2013 results. The Bank noted that net interest income was also at a record level, as the Bank had $7.42 million of net interest income, reflecting an increase of 6% over the amount reported for 2013.

The Bank reported that its loans totaled $165.17 million at quarter-end, an increase of $3.28 million or 2% from the prior year-end. In addition, the Bank continues to experience excellent credit quality in its loan portfolio, as nonaccrual loans totaled approximately $1 thousand, or less than 0.01% of total loans at year-end.

“We are pleased to report another year of record earnings,” said Frank Di Tomaso, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We increased our client relationships, decreased our nonperforming assets, and grew our loans and deposits bases during the past year, which has positioned us well to meet our clients’ needs and continue to grow as economic trends improve. It was also a year of celebration, as the Bank completed its 10th year of helping clients build wealth and achieve their goals in the Santa Clarita Valley.”

In reviewing 2014 earnings, the Bank reported that, following an analysis of the operations of its branch located in the Eastern Santa Clarita Valley which has been open for nearly six years, the Bank concluded that its contribution to Bank operations and earnings did not warrant continuing as a full-service branch, and thus discontinued most of the retail aspects of its operations and redesignated it a limited-services branch. This resulted in a pre-tax charge to earnings of approximately $538 thousand, which generally reflects the expensing of a substantial portion of the Bank’s future obligation relating to the branch property, including the lease contract and related costs, tenant improvements, and other branch-related fixtures.

In addition to the expense item noted above, during the fourth quarter of 2014 the Bank determined that the modeled expectation for losses on its loans was such that, based on that quarterly detailed analysis, its reserve for losses on loans was greater than necessary, and thus reduced the allowance for loan losses by $180 thousand for the year (from an effective rate of 1.28% to 1.15% of total loans). Also impacting the Bank’s net earnings during 2014 was a change made by the State of California generally removing the Santa Clarita Valley’s “Enterprise Zone” designations, which had been a benefit to the Bank in prior years, but which affected the amount of income taxes the Bank owes by eliminating both Enterprise Zone tax deductions and credits for State tax purposes, which had the effect of increasing the Bank’s overall effective income tax rate from 37% to 39% of pre-tax earnings.

At December 31, 2014, shareholders’ equity totaled $24.02 million and the Bank’s total risk-based regulatory capital ratio was 14.03%, exceeding the “well-capitalized” level of 10% which is prescribed in the applicable capital regulations. The Bank also continues to maintain substantial liquidity positions, retaining significant balances of liquidity on its balance sheet as well as readily available collateralized borrowings and other potential sources of liquidity.

Founded in October 2004, Bank of Santa Clarita is the only full-service commercial bank headquartered in the Santa Clarita Valley and is focused on the needs of the community and its businesses. We promote face-to-face interaction with our clients, which in turn leads to deeper relationships overall. The Bank provides local, experienced decision-making and the personalized service that growing businesses need on a daily basis. Bank clients have direct access to executive management and professional staff members to address their credit requirements from commercial lines of credit to SBA loans to commercial real estate and other commercial loans, and also technology-based services that include online bill-paying, remote capture depositing, check imaging and initiating online wire transfers, among other cash management facilities.

We are proud of the fact that Bank of Santa Clarita has served the Santa Clarita Valley’s residents, including individuals, small businesses and non-profit organizations, for more than ten years, and we cherish the relationships we’ve made with many of our neighbors, and invite any of those in the community who do not yet know us well to visit us, and together we can continue to build an even more vibrant community.

Bank of Santa Clarita, Corporate Headquarters
23780 Magic Mountain Parkway
Santa Clarita, California 91355
(661) 362-6000
www.bankofsantaclarita.com