As much as the banking industry talks about going paperless, First State Bank President Tristan Smith knows that’s “largely a myth.”

“If we couldn’t print, we probably couldn’t exist as a bank for very long,” Tristan says. “In order to do their business, people need checks, cashier checks and money orders. Things like that run on today’s equipment.”

That’s why First State Bank has relied on Elite Imaging Systems for more than 15 years. Today, the bank’s branches run more than 50 machines leased from Elite, including printers, copiers and scanning devices.

A Partner That Understands Banking Security

“They know our unique needs,” Tristan says. “One of the unique needs of banks is security — whether that be patching or secure printing — and they understand exactly how to ensure our security is reliable.”

First State Bank is relationship-driven. It’s the philosophy that puts customers and employees first, and makes the bank’s relationships with vendors so close and long-lasting. And the bank’s commitment to the community is unwavering. That’s made Elite and First State Bank a great pairing for a long time.

The Same Team, Year After Year

While CEO Dave Snyder is Tristan’s direct contact for the engagement, First State Bank has also relied for many years on Tim Foran as Elite’s technical contact.

“Tim has been there since we’ve started doing business with them, and that is important,” Tristan says.

That stability extends to the whole team. While other members have been added to work alongside Tim, there have been no subtractions from the team for the entire 15-plus years.

Going Beyond the Service Level Agreement

Because Elite’s relationship with First State Bank is a Service Level Agreement (SLA), it comes with service expectations built into the agreement. In Tristan’s experience, however, not all SLA vendors consistently meet those requirements.

Elite does — and sometimes even more.

“Not only have they always met their SLA requirements, but sometimes they’ve supported us and been responsive when, according to the agreement, they had the option of saying no,” Tristan says. “And they didn’t. I always appreciate that.”

“The Company Is Dave, and Dave Is the Company”

And of course, Dave Snyder is the key to everything.

“Dave is one of the rare company owners in that the company is Dave, and Dave is the company,” Tristan says. “His team loves him. We love Dave. We love their team. We almost treat them like they’re employees. And Dave’s values line up with ours. He gives himself to the community, whether it’s volunteering his own time or the way he goes the extra mile for clients. That’s something the community might not know about Dave, and he does it for the right reasons.”

Doing what’s right for customers is always the reason for everything, and our commitment to that principle is why the Elite/First State Bank relationship has been so strong for such a long time.

Looking for a Print Partner That Sticks Around?

Whether you run one office or dozens of branches, Elite Imaging Systems brings the same responsive service, security expertise and long-term team to every client across Southeast Michigan. Request a free quote to see how we can support your business.