VICTOR, N.Y. – Two well-known banking executives with Rochester area ties, Pat Tobin and Martin Griffith, are leading the way for BankOnBuffalo opening its first Rochester area location, a loan production office in Victor.
The bank announced today it has received all federal and state regulatory agency approvals to move ahead with its 13
th office location in Western New York, to be located at 235 High Street Extension in Victor. The loan production office is scheduled to open this fall but services are available now by calling (585) 450-2398.
The loan production office will offer commercial lending services including loan origination, approval and closing for regional real estate development opportunities and small to middle market businesses, with a focus on privately-owned commercial and industrial/manufacturer-based businesses.
Guiding the new venture as BankOnBuffalo’s Rochester Senior Advisor is Patrick Tobin, former New York State market president for S&T Bank who oversaw its entry into the state for commercial banking in 2015. Tobin started his career in banking with Security Trust Co. (Fleet Bank) in 1980.
In addition to banking and finance, Tobin, a Rochester native, has been active in real estate development having previously held leadership positions in regional construction and senior living facilities development companies. His civic involvement includes previous service on the Rochester Downtown Development Corporation board, the City of Rochester Zoning Board of Appeals, and the Rochester Contemporary Art Gallery board. Tobin currently serves on the Pathstone Corporation board and REACH Advocacy board, developing the first Tiny Home Village in the city of Rochester for chronically homeless.
“I am very excited about working with Rochester’s development community and middle market businesses as BankOnBuffalo expands its responsive, hands-on approach to commercial lending to the local market,” Tobin said.
Griffith also has significant ties to the Rochester market, via his family’s legacy ownership of Griffith Oil Co, Inc/Griffith Energy and Griffith Builders Inc. (Canandaigua, NY), as well as a 16-year career with Five Star Bank. He began his banking career in the Rochester market with the former Security Norstar Bank.
In 2016, Griffith left his Regional Presidency of Five Star Bank to launch BankOnBuffalo, a division of CNB Bank headquartered out of Clearfield, Pennsylvania. In just five and a half years as President of BankOnBuffalo, Griffith grew the bank to over $1 billion in total assets. In August 2021, Griffith was promoted to Senior Executive Vice President and Chief of Community Banking for CNB Bank. He is now the Chief Banking Officer for the bank’s four-state operation, which includes BankOnBuffalo, CNB Bank, ERIEBANK, FCBank, and Ridge View Bank.
“BankOnBuffalo has enjoyed great success in working with the western New York business community since our inception five years ago,” said Griffith. “We are looking forward to meeting the commercial lending needs of Rochester’s real estate developers and businesses. We have a great track record of listening to local business communities and finding ways to say yes so they can achieve their goals, objectives, and dreams.”
BankOnBuffalo opened its first full-service branch office in February 2017 on the first floor of downtown Buffalo’s Electric Tower and expanded later that year by opening branch offices in Orchard Park and Williamsville. The bank currently operates other branch offices in Akron, Amherst, Buffalo’s Northland Corridor, Clarence, Clarence Center, Lancaster, Niagara Falls, and Wilson, as well as a private banking and wealth management service, 1865 Wealth Advisors.
Since 2017, BankOnBuffalo has grown to nearly $1.2 billion in deposits. BankOnBuffalo has more than 110 employees serving customers through 12 branch offices in both Erie and Niagara Counties.