BRUNSWICK

1. First of all, please give us a brief history of Norway Savings Bank, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.

In 1866, 14 men with a clear vision came together to form Norway Savings Bank. The charter was signed in February of that year and Nathaniel Gunnison was elected the first president one month later when the bank was incorporated.

For the next 103 years, Norway Savings Bank consisted of one location on Main Street in Norway. In 1969, we opened our first branch in Bridgton, and over the next nearly 50 years, have expanded our branch network to 24 locations throughout western and southern Maine.

Continuity of leadership has been an integral part of Norway Savings Bank’s growth and success. Only 16 individuals have had the honor of serving as president of Norway Savings Bank over the past 150 years. Our current president and CEO, Patricia Weigel, is the first female president in bank history.

2. What’s makes Norway Savings so special?

Although we’ve experienced tremendous growth over the years, we have stayed true to the values on which we were founded: honesty, hard work, treating people with respect and dignity, and community leadership.

We understand the needs of Maine people and businesses. Our unique achievement and support culture empowers our employees, giving them the ability to act quickly and offer solutions to a wide array of financial needs and challenges.

3. How is the bank involved with the communities it serves?

At Norway Savings, we define the success of our bank by our ability to give back to the communities we serve. We know that when everyone is able to live a happy, healthy life, we all prosper.

We provide financial support to many nonprofit organizations in the Brunswick area, such as the Maine State Music Theatre, People Plus, Bath Area Family YMCA at Brunswick Landing, Seeds of Independence, Mid Coast Hospital and United Way of Mid Coast Maine, to name a few.

Not only do we provide financial support to our communities, our employees donate thousands of hours of their personal time each year to volunteer for nonprofit organizations. Lennie Burke, vice president and branch manager of our Brunswick and Freeport locations, and Pam Bowerman, vice president and commercial lender in Brunswick, serve on the board of directors for Mid Coast Parkview Health and are highly involved with United Way of Mid Coast Maine. In fact, Lennie served as the chairwoman for United Way of Mid Coast Maine’s 2015 annual campaign. Karry Kane, assistant vice president of our Topsham location, serves on the board of directors for the Central and Mid Coast Maine Chapter of the American Red Cross.

4. Among your bank branches, you have offices in Brunswick, Topsham and Freeport. What is the contact information for these facilities if someone would like to become a customer of your bank and access your services?

We welcome the community to visit any of our four convenient branch locations. You can find location and contact information by visiting our website at norwaysavingsbank.com or by calling our friendly customer care center team at 1- 888-725-2207.

We love talking to our customers in person, but we understand busy schedules sometimes make it a challenge to visit a branch. We offer online account opening and online loan applications to help make banking as convenient as possible.

5. Is there anything else you would like to add? Are there any particular services your bank is pushing at the moment?

Summer is prime homebuying season and we’re here to help buyers purchase the homes of their dreams. We offer a variety of loan options, including fixed and variable rate mortgages, financing for primary residences, investment properties, second homes, camps and manufactured homes. Home buyers can visit our website to find the tools and information they need to begin the process and to apply for a mortgage online. Our knowledgeable lenders, like Burke and Kane, work closely with home buyers from start to finish to make their dream home a reality.

We also know that small businesses are the backbone of our local economy, and we’re focused on building relationships with business owners in our communities. We offer a variety of business accounts and cash management services for business owners that make it easier for you to be in business.

Our team of experienced commercial lenders, like Bowerman, are dedicated to the success of local businesses and provide competitive rates and prompt, local decisions from people you know and trust.

Don’t be shy

• WOULD YOU — as a business owner or employee — like to participate in The Times Record business feature 5 Questions? It’s easy and it’s free. If so, please send an email to Patrick Gabrion at pgabrion@timesrecord.com. Thank you.

• For more information, go to

norwaysavingsbank.com or call 1-888-725-2207