Our History
A Letter from Bill Coffee, CEO
Welcome to Stockman! We are a family owned, community bank with locations throughout Montana and are committed to enriching the lives of Montanans and helping our communities succeed. Like Montana, Stockman is distinct with a rich history blending traditional, western values with modern conveniences and state of the art technology.
All of us are proud to be your full-service financial partner, serving all of your banking, insurance, and wealth management needs. Our people are focused, and our products and services are uniquely designed to meet the financial needs of Montanans. Important in our focus is safety and security. We are proactive in taking every precaution to protect you and your family’s hard-earned assets and your valuable information.
What can you expect from Stockman?
- Reliable, dedicated people here to meet your needs.
- Local decisions from people who live and work in your community.
- Products and services that fit the way you live and work.
- Strength and expertise in all areas of financial services.
- Deep Montana roots.
We have full-service banks and over 100 ATMs across the state for your convenience. Plus, you can always visit us here on our website or on social media. We provide time-tested products and services from people who truly care about you and your financial success.
We look forward to serving you and thank you for being part of the Stockman family.
Our Story
The history of Stockman Bank began long before Bill Nefsy purchased controlling interest in the Miles City Bank in 1953. Bill’s vision to serve the agricultural producers and local business people in his eastern Montana community was seeded in his childhood, working on his uncle’s ranch in northeast Wyoming, and learning the value of working hard from sun-up to sun-down.
Bill purchased a small cattle ranch south of Miles City in the late 1930s. Over time, he was able to add to his ranch holdings by purchasing other ranch operations that had fallen into disrepair during the Great Depression, and nursing them back to productivity. When Bill began looking to get an operating loan for his growing ranch, he was turned away by the banks with the explanation, “We don’t do Ag loans.”
In 1953, when an opportunity to purchase controlling interest in the Miles City Bank presented itself to Bill, he took the chance and began building a banking organization that would serve the needs of the entire community, including local business people, farmers and ranchers.
Bill never viewed himself as a banker, but as an entrepreneur and consumer of financial services. This unique outlook quickly set him apart from his competitors as he made it his mission to serve honest, hard-working Montanans of every walk of life, throughout Montana. Bill’s philosophy, determination, and traditional values, continue to guide Stockman Bank today.
Regional Leader
We are deeply committed to our customers and are recognized as Montana's largest Agricultural bank, as well as one of the state's largest commercial and real estate lenders.
- Montana's largest Agricultural Bank
- 18th Largest Ag Lender in the Nation
- Montana's premiere Real Estate and Commercial Lender
- Certified LEED v4 Platinum award - Missoula Downtown bank
- SBA Preferred Lender
- USDA Rural Development Business & Industry Certified Lender
