Pat Hickman, Chairman and CEO of Happy State Bank, says he wants customers to have a “Happy Experience” with banking. In fact, the mission of Happy State Bank is “Work hard, have fun, make money, while providing outstanding customer service and honoring the Golden Rule.” Founded in 1908 as First State Bank, Happy, Texas by L. Lester, the bank operated only one banking office located in the town o
f Happy during its first 81 years. Hickman and other investors purchased the bank with its one banking office in 1990 and formed Happy Bancshares, Inc. A plan to serve the Panhandle as a whole was implemented with the concept of providing area residents with a regional bank dedicated to serving multiple communities. As a result of an aggressive growth strategy tied to buying healthy banks with great bankers and providing exceptional customer service, Happy now has a presence in 25 communities with 34 branches across the Texas Panhandle, the South Plains, Lubbock, Abilene and the DFW Metroplex. Happy State Bank has been the fastest growing bank in the Texas Panhandle, increasing from six to approximately 700 employees and from $13 million in total assets in 1990 to over $3.2 billion in total assets in 2017. Hickman says, “we like, know, and understand the markets we serve as well or better than anyone. We understand agriculture, oil and gas, and real estate.” That understanding gives Happy the ability to offer a full array of banking services including personal and commercial banking. As a leader in the banking industry, Happy provides online banking, ATM/MasterCard debit cards, text banking, online banking, and Happy mobile apps.
*The postings on this site represent my own opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of Happy State Bank.
