CADIZ — Officials cut the ribbon for the Cadiz branch of Woodsfield Savings Bank on Friday.

Bank President and CEO Tracey Craig started by thanking newly elected Mayor Kevin Jones and village officials for their support.

“We’re excited for a new business to come to our village. The village would like to show their support to the Woodsfield bank on their venture and their community outreach. On our behalf, myself and the village of Cadiz, the elected officials and the CIC, we’d like to welcome everybody to our community,” Jones said.

Ohio Rep. Don Jones, R-Freeport, also spoke at the event.

“Thank you all for being here. I want to extend my appreciation to Tracey (Craig) and the board of directors for Woodfield Savings Bank. It’s been a long time coming,” he said.

Don Jones said that conversations and plans for the bank started years ago.

“We needed a locally owned bank in Harrison County, and now we have one,” he said.

Don Jones presented a framed document from the Ohio House of Representatives signed by himself and House Speaker Jason Stephens.

“I’ve gotten to know Tracey (Craig) through my role before this decision was made, and this is their third branch, and, you know, they’ve done a very good job in the communities in which they exist in Woodsfield and Barnesville, and that’s important. It’s important for our communities, important for our county. As I’ve got to meet some of the board of directors, you know, they care about, they care about the communities where they do business,” Don Jones said.

“They have done more for our community than some of our existing established banks in the county. That’s the difference between a corporate bank and a community-owned bank. That’s an important part. In the world that we’re a part of the day, you know, it’s a lacking thing in our communities, and it’s all across America,” he said.

Craig thanked all of the employees, including the board of directors, other corporate staff and Cadiz branch staff, for their hard work. He said that the Cadiz branch staff all live in Cadiz and the surrounding area.

Five full-time employees currently work at the branch: Manager Emily Freese, personal banker Denice Geanangel, tellers Kalynn Snair and Callie Anderson and cashier Nikki Saffell.

“I think a lot of you already know them, which is important to us. Part of being a community bank is using community people,” Craig said.

He said that Freese has lived in Cadiz all of her life.

“I think I know everybody in this room,” Freese said.

Craig said he originally planned for the bank to open in September but faced delays. He said that he hired the five employees for the Cadiz branch back in August, and they had to travel to work in the Woodsfield office for nearly four months due to the delays.

“They’ve been troopers,” Craig said. “I can’t say enough about them. They’re a great group of ladies, so we love having them as part of our family.”

Craig thanked the Harrison Regional Chamber of Commerce for supporting and promoting the new branch and assisting with the ribbon-cutting ceremony. He also thanked his wife, Amy Craig, for supporting him throughout the process of constructing and opening the new branch.

“She puts up with a lot of things from me and my tantrums, and I’m very lucky to have her,” he said.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony featured food that all came from local restaurants. Gifts and service packages from local businesses were also raffled off at the event. Craig said he wants to support the community in any way he can.

“We use as many community businesses that we can to help promote and help serve our community,” he said. “You’re going to find that we are a true community bank, and we take that seriously.”

The bank is located at 202 W. Market St. on the corner of West Market and South Muskingum streets in the village of Cadiz. The new location offers deposit and lending services, drive-up teller lanes, an ATM, digital banking services as well as investment services through a partnership with financial advisers.

The bank had its soft opening on Jan. 4. Construction on the new branch started in March of 2022. The new branch office was designed by APG Architects of Zanesville, Ohio, and cost approximately $2 million to build, according to a press release.

The Cadiz branch can be reached at 740-320-0590 or by email at info@woodsfieldsavings.com.

The drive-through is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday. The lobby is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment only on Saturday.

All branches of the bank will be closed on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.