Our History

In 1976 a group of Klamath Basin business people, discouraged with the services provided by existing financial institutions, met to discuss the problem of community banking in the area.  More and more, banks seemed to be growing with disregard to local needs, and local people.  The solution was to form a new bank, one that would provide the services and customer service lacking in other institutions. On January 12, 1977 South Valley State Bank opened its doors at a mobile unit on 5215 South Sixth Street in Klamath Falls, Oregon. 1st SVBT Branch: Jan. 17, 1977 - Herald and News From these humble beginnings, South Valley State Bank has grown into South Valley Bank & Trust with ten full service Branches located in Klamath Falls, Medford, Lakeview, La Pine, Gilchrist, Bend, and Redmond, Oregon; two Trust Service branches located in Medford and Klamath Falls; a growing network of ATMs; and assets of over $400,000,000.  Something that will remain true is South Valley's MISSION STATEMENT: "To be the bank of choice in our communities through people committed to trust, integrity, and superior service." At South Valley Bank & Trust we will never forget the reasons why our bank was originally formed.   We will continue to provide personal service with real Tellers and Customer Service Representatives; continue to make loan decisions at the local level; and continue to use the tools technology provides to insure our customers' accounts are both accessible and protected.  As South Valley continues to grow, we will stand firm in our commitment "to be the bank of choice through people committed to trust, integrity, and superior service" now and on into the future.