The Old Country Banker
This film tells the story of Ken Hale and BOM Bank, both hailing originally from Montgomery, Louisiana.
Ken inherited 10 percent of Bank of Montgomery when his grandfather, Kent Wardlow, passed away in 1994. Its balance sheet that year showed $18 million in assets.
Since then, Ken moved the bank’s headquarters to nearby Natchitoches, established a holding company, changed its name to BOM Bank, expanded into Texas, grew the bank’s balance sheet to $1.5 billion in assets, and accumulated 40 percent of its outstanding stock.
It is a terrific banking story and an American success story.
Ken also happens to be one of the strongest on-camera personalities one comes across in banking. He’s confident, funny and irreverent. He’s also a sharp banker, obsessed with risk and efficiency.
I hope you enjoy the film.
Sincerely,
John J. Maxfield
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KEN HALE was raised by his grandparents in Montgomery, Louisiana, a withering agricultural community in the center of the state. After joining Bank of Montgomery full-time in the mid-1990s, Ken spearheaded its growth from one location in downtown Montgomery to more than two dozen locations orbiting around its home today in Natchitoches. In this outtake, Ken talks about his philosophy on competition — that “you can be friendly with your competitors, but you can’t be friends.”
SHANNON HALE is a professor of psychology at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Shannon and Ken have been married for thirty years and have three children. In this outtake, Shannon tells the story of the adoption of their eldest son, Dillon. Shannon and Ken’s two other children, Ragan and Drake, work at the bank — Drake as a member of the “credit cowboys” in the credit department and Ragan as a business development officer.
JAMES SNYDER is the former president of Bank of Montgomery, serving from 1983 until Ken took over in 1995. He is the only person to serve as president of the bank who isn’t descended from the Wardlow family. Ken credits much of the stewardship of BOM Bank and his own education as a banker to Mr. Snyder, who remains on the bank’s board of directors. In this clip, Mr. Snyder talks about Ken’s work ethic and evolution as a banker.
BARBARA BONNETTE is the founder of Bonnette Auctions, a nationwide auction company based in Alexandria, Louisiana, that is both a customer of BOM Bank and a provider of auctioneering services to it. She speaks with the poise and confidence of someone who knows where they’re going. In this outtake, Ms. Bonnette talks about breaking into a male-dominated industry at the age of 20 and the importance of believing in oneself. “Honestly, I think I can sell anything,” she reflected. “And I will.”
DARYL “SWEETIE” WALKER is the founder and owner of Sweetie’s Bar-B-Q and Blues House in Natchitoches — a place that “makes food taste good,” says its tagline. An effervescent personality and talented chef, as I can attest, Daryl attributes much of Sweetie’s early success to support from BOM Bank, which has sponsored its travel to national competitions in places like Alaska and New York, leading to a fourth place finish in the ribs category at the Memphis in May World Championships.
MICAH MURCHISON is the Louisiana marketing manager for BOM Bank. She is also related by her first marriage to Ken Hale’s great-uncle Merwin Wardlow, who ran the bank until dying in his office in 1956. His death precipitated the move of Ken’s grandfather, Kent Wardlow, from the family farming operations into the bank, which he ran until James Snyder became president in 1983. In this outtake, Micah shares how two acute personal tragedies have shaped her life.
LUKE FREDERICK is a fifth generation owner of Kaffie-Frederick, the oldest general store in Louisiana. His son, who is involved in the business as well, is the sixth generation. Kaffie-Frederick is Natchitoches’ oldest business and a landmark on Front Street. Unlike many other independently owned retailers, Kaffie-Frederick has withstood competition from Walmart and Amazon and thrives today. “Walmart sells a lot of Chinese junk,” says Luke. “We sell Chinese junk too, but the majority of our stuff is not Chinese junk.”
ANGELA LASYONE is the owner and head chef at Lasyone’s Meat Pie Restaurant, a nationally known eatery based in downtown Natchitoches. The company was founded in 1967 by her father, James Lasyone, who had been the butcher at a local grocery store. They’re known for their meat pies, which have been featured in news stories by Good Morning America and others. In this outtake, Angela gives a tour of Lasyone’s and talks about her and Ken’s parallel upbringings in Grant Parrish.
FATHER JOSE is the priest at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Natchitoches, where Ken serves on the finance committee. Father Jose was born in India and moved to America to serve in the priesthood. In this outtake he shares his philosophy on patriotism. On the Fourth of July, he drapes the church with American flags. “I still love India, naturally,” he explained. “But being a citizen wherever you are is where your affiliation is supposed to be more.”
DANIEL LONSBERRY is the regional southern market president for BOM Bank, based out of Alexandria, Louisiana. Like Ken, Daniel is a Northwestern State University alum. He’s also a former professional baseball player, playing in the Baltimore Orioles farm system. In this outtake, Daniel talks about banking and baseball, sharing a story about being one of the few people to have touched Babe Ruth’s bat with their bare hands.
KATRICE BELOW is a senior vice president and commercial lender at BOM Bank. Her positivity and optimism are contagious. Banking is more than a job to Katrice, it’s both a career and an outlet for her passion to help others’ dreams come true. In this outtake, Katrice talks about her development and confidence as a leader. “I think for me it’s just hard work,” she said. “Coming into work every day, putting in the work . . . showing people that you’re dedicated to your job.”
PAUL SMITH and his wife Debra, who serves as mayor of Timpson, Texas, founded Tie & Timber Lodge and Event Center after a career in the sawmill industry. Paul was a saw filer, responsible for keeping the blades sharp, perhaps the most important position in a sawmill. The Tie & Timber Lodge is “a fine place where people can enjoy cigars, bourbon, and the stories that make life meaningful,” wrote Paul in a LinkedIn post announcing its opening a year ago. “Sawmilling wasn’t just a job for me — it was my life. If your travels bring you through East Texas, I invite you to stop by our lodge.”
REBA PHELPS is the director of BOM Financial Services at BOM Bank. Since Ken Hale’s mother-in-law recruited Reba to work at BOM in 2006, she and the bank have built, from scratch, the go-to insurance agency today in Natchitoches and the surrounding area. A lifelong resident of the area, Reba’s passion for banking and the community shine through in this outtake.
BRANDON YARBROUGH is an assistant vice president and lender at BOM Bank in Timpson, Texas. Previously, he spent eight years at Texas State Bank, then six years at American State Bank. Brandon is the oldest of twenty-two closely-knit cousins. He joined BOM Bank in 2024, when BOM acquired nine locations in East Texas from American State Bank.