Private Bank of Buckhead in Atlanta is looking to open its second branch in suburban Decatur.
Its chairman and chief executive, Charlie Crawford, told the Atlanta Business Chronicle this week that the $175 million-asset bank is in the process of seeking regulatory approval for the new office and is scouting potential locations. He added that the branch, which would operate as Private Bank of Decatur, would be run by Judy Turner, who was the chief executive at the $192 million-asset Decatur First Bank when it failed in October.
Private Bank of Buckhead has weathered the financial crisis much better than many of its Atlanta-area peers. Founded in 2006, the bank has been profitable in each of the last nine quarters, according to Crawford, and though its loan portfolio is heavily weighted toward commercial real estate, it has relatively low levels of problem loans.
Turner has been a banker in the Atlanta area for about four decades and was among the founders of Decatur First, which opened in 1997.
Decatur First was hit hard by Georgia's real estate bust as it lost roughly $20 million in the three years leading up to its collapse. It was taken over by Fidelity Southern Corp. in Atlanta.
