Truist Bank

One of the nation’s largest and strongest financial services companies, we offer a full suite of products and services designed to meet the needs of our consumer, business, corporate and institutional clients.

An interview with Patton Dugas, Market President of Truist Bank.

Tell me about your company, your role in the company and how long you have worked there.
I’m in my 10th year of service with Truist, and in my current role as Market President, I’m proud to be a part of the commercial banking team serving clients throughout Coastal Georgia, which includes both of Georgia’s international deep-water ports. Truist is a purpose-driven company committed to inspire and build better lives and communities. With 275 years of combined BB&T and SunTrust history, Truist serves approximately 12 million households with leading market share in many high-growth markets in the country. Our company offers a wide range of services including retail, small business and commercial banking; asset management; capital markets; commercial real estate; corporate and institutional banking; insurance; mortgage payments; specialized lending and wealth management. We are the sixth largest commercial bank in the U.S. with total assets of $504 billion as of June 30, 2020.

Truist has several locations in the Southeast. How many branches do you have here?
We have numerous branches throughout Coastal Georgia, and we have bankers covering every community. We believe branches will continue to play an important part in serving clients, but, increasingly, clients want to bank when and how they choose – very frequently from a phone in the palm of their hand. Given those preferences for digital banking solutions, focusing on the number of branches that we have in a community may not be a complete indicator of our presence or impact in a market. Instead, we think the question should be – how many clients and businesses have benefitted from our expertise and capabilities? That’s what the future of banking looks like.

How does Truist serve customers with global needs?
We offer a full range of international banking and risk management services to help our clients conduct business globally. Our services include expert, tailored guidance, financing and our team of international banking specialists delivers the tools and advice needed including global treasury management, trade services and currency risk management.

Tell us about your logistics & supply chain industry expertise.
Truist leverages a unique Community Banking model, which combines a decentralized, regional structure with industry and banking expertise. This is a differentiator for us. Our local team collaborates with and draws upon a dedicated industry and advisory team comprised of experts in industry verticals, specialty products and strategic advisory solutions. The logistics and supply chain industry group brings industry-focused solutions to meet our clients’ unique needs. Our sea, air and inland ports serve as an epicenter of commerce with logistics, surface transportation and distribution networks intersecting all aspects of our clients’ financial needs. The industry group helps clients navigate the opportunities and challenges associated with rapidly evolving economies and global supply chains. The group leverages the entire bank to optimize and efficiently address the specific needs of our logistics and supply chain clients.

Our region has a lot of ag and agribusiness – how does Truist specialize in this industry sector.
The food and agribusiness space is another area where we have industry specialization. We recognize that our clients compete locally in their respective industries. As such, we created a specialty group that provides industry-focused advisory services and expertise to complement our local banking team. Our industry expertise spans the entire range of sectors within food and agribusiness including inputs, farming and livestock; agriculture services harvesting; processing and manufacturing; packaging; storage and distribution.

What is your relationship like with WTCSavannah?
We have had a close relationship with World Trade Center Savanah since 2011. As a founding partner, we are proud to promote our shared mission to build better communities in coastal Georgia through international trade and economic development. We stay in close contact with WTCSav staff and engage often in their educational and trade development efforts.

What makes Southeast Georgia an ideal location for Truist?
Since 1889 in Savannah, Truist has been leading Savannah’s growth all along. Savannah and coastal Georgia have a very strong value proposition including a strong workforce, a pro-business culture and a strong quality of life for businesses seeking to locate near international transportation and logistics infrastructure.

How is Truist involved in local communities?
Tracing its roots back to The Germania Savings Bank, Truist has been a part of Savannah’s economic foundation since 1889. We have been an integral leader in Savannah’s growth ever since. We pride ourselves on committing resources to the communities we call home. Our teammates have contributed over $1.7 million to the United Way over the past five years. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in Truist Foundation grants have been deployed to other local agencies as well. Truist teammates hold leadership positions with a diverse set of organizations and agencies serving the areas of education, housing, job readiness, hunger, youth, homelessness and other humanitarian efforts.

We have also announced a Community Benefits Plan, under which Truist will lend or invest $60 billion to low- and moderate-income (LMI) borrowers and in LMI communities over a three-year period from 2020 to 2022. As part of this plan, we will:
• Provide LMI and rural communities with increased social services, improved infrastructure and greater access to healthcare
• Support workforce development issues, with a specific focus on economic sustainability, education, racially and ethnically diverse communities and youth
• Assist in the creation and retention of affordable housing, including housing for individuals and families in transition, as well as the development of rental and ownership opportunities
• Deploy capital to support the creation and growth of small businesses
• Develop a taskforce to address issues impacting rural communities