WARSAW — The four-story building formerly used by United Telephone west of Lake City Bank's corporate headquarters in downtown Warsaw is about to undergo a brick-by-brick facelift.

Renovations are part of a $12 million transformation of what will be the bank's future Innovation and Technology Center, and Davild Findlay, the bank's chairman and chief executive officer, said it will include structural revisions that "will require us to peel off the facade of the building, brick by brick, and reinforce the structural components of the building and then use that exact same brick to come back and refinish the facade."

[caption id="attachment_119868" align="alignright" width="190"] David Findlay[/caption]

Engineers with Weigand Construction were asked about that decision, and they called it "some of the highest quality brick we've ever seen," Findlay recalled.

"So apparently, we bought a building with really good brick and we're going to take if off, clean it and put it back on,"  he said.

On top of a nicely improved exterior, the improvements are seen as key for the company.

While the bank has always been a “quick follower” on technology, Findlay said, “More importantly, we  need to be innovative because we compete with some of the biggest  banks in the Midwest, and it’s important that we’re constantly thinking about innovation and moving the business forward to ensure we stay competitive with those big banks.”

Lake City Bank's downtown headquarters was renovated about ten years ago and is now a template for new offices, he said.

The new expansion will likely provide growth for the company for the next ten years.

Preserving the building's history is more evidence of the company's 153-year-old commitment to the downtown, where the bank has six buildings that will be home to more than 300 employees when the expansion is complete.

Findlay likes to say the bank has been in a growth mode for its entire existence, but it's been much more pronounced in its geographical expansion since 1990, when it opened a branch in Elkhart County.

These days, the bank opens about two branches per year.

They opened their 55th office with one in Westfield two weeks ago.

Most of the offices are in northcentral and northeastern Indiana, but they have moved into the Indianapolis market in recent years. They now have a presence in 15 Indiana counties, with three of those in central Indiana

He said they're seeing good growth in all areas, including Kosciusko County.

He was effusive about the local business climate, which has benefited from support from Zimmer Biomet and Orthoworx as well as other entities, but was especially complimentary about the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce and the Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation. better known as KEDCO.

"We really have a dynamite team from a chamber of commerce and economic development perspective, and I think because of those two organizations, we punch above our weight on economic development."

Mayor Jeff Grose and his administration have a long list of ideas that will help bolster and expand the downtown, Findlay said.

"That's why it's so important for Lake City Bank to be so supportive of what's going on in downtown Warsaw," Findlay said. "We've invested a substantive amount of money in our facilities, in our people, and in our technologies and our headquarters, and we're going to continue to do that."

Findlay was asked about parking.

He said the bank supports plans by the city and county to construct a parking garage and believes it will be a benefit, but said the bank, with its large number of existing parking lots, won’t need to rely on the future structure.

“We’ve got our parking situation figured out already with the surface lots we’ve got,” he said.

As it turns out, the bank project will coincide with a major apartment construction project a few blocks to the west (on the old Owen's property) for much of the next 12 months or so.

Perimeter fencing and traffic barriers were put up last week around both sites.

Renovations to the LCB's future Innovation and Technology Center, he said, will cause some disruption for motorists, but will result in "an incredibly good facility for a long, long time."

[caption id="attachment_119870" align="aligncenter" width="730"] The southbound lane of traffic on Indiana Street south of Center Street in Warsaw is currently closed for an exterior renovation on a Lake City Bank property across from its headquarters. New Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

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WARSAW -- Lakeland Financial Corporation and Lake City Bank on Wednesday announced that Kristin L. Pruitt has been promoted to president of both organizations and will join their respective boards of directors.

She joined the company in 2008 as senior vice president and general counsel, was promoted to executive vice president in 2014 and to chief administrative officer in 2019.

David M. Findlay, chief executive officer of both organizations, said, “Kristin has proven to be an impactful leader during her career at Lake City Bank. From day one, she’s brought a practical and thoughtful approach to leadership that exemplifies the Lake City Bank culture.”

Pruitt said, “The Lake City Bank team has a performance track record that I am proud to have played a role in over the last 15 years. We have great talent throughout the organization that positions us for success as we continue our growth in the Indiana markets we serve. I look forward to working with David and the strong team of community bankers we have at Lake City Bank as we move the bank forward.”

Findlay stated, “Kristin has been a wonderful partner for me and every member of our management team and we’re excited to continue to work together to lead this great organization. This long-planned move is a further affirmation of the strength and depth of our team.”

Pruitt will continue her present oversight of risk management, compliance, corporate governance, legal, people development, operations, marketing and corporate and institutional services. In addition, she will become more directly involved with the company’s investor and public relations initiatives as well as client and community engagement activities.

Pruitt has a bachelor’s degree cum laude from the University of Notre Dame and a juris doctor degree magna cum laude from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Before joining Lake City Bank, she served as assistant general counsel and chief compliance officer for 1st Source Bank in South Bend. Previously, she practiced law with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in Washington, D.C., and with Baker and Daniels in South Bend.

Lake City Bank, a $6.4 billion bank headquartered in Warsaw, is the sixth largest bank headquartered in the state, and the largest bank 100% invested in Indiana.

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