An Idaho-based bank has opened its sixth branch in Richland. 

The new bankcda branch, one of two in Washington, is at 1950 Keene Road, Suite F100, in Richland in the Queensgate Village development, which is anchored by 3 Eyed Fish restaurant.

The location may seem a little out of the way, but with a full suite of online banking and courier services for small businesses, the bank doesn’t need a giant branch with visibility, said Wes Veach, bankcda’s president and CEO. 

With more interconnectedness than ever and plenty of cross-traffic between Washington and Idaho, bankcda is excited to expand into Eastern Washington, Veach said. 

The bank launched its first Washington branch earlier this year in Spokane, and Veach said it’s likely there will be a permanent location in each of the Tri-Cities in the future. 

The Richland location is a starting point, and the bank is seeking a more permanent location. 

Veach cited the Tri-Cities’ continued growth as a reason for expanding here. Already, there were a few customers and shareholders in the area. 

“Just seeing what Tri-Cities has done over the last decade, it seemed like a really good fit for us,” Veach said. 

While bankcda boasts 9,000 total members, its strength lies in its focus on small- to medium-size business lending. It’s an area the bank saw overlooked by larger banks, which struggle to serve small businesses with loans that fit their needs, Veach said. 

There are currently four employees at the Richland branch, and a Tri-Citian – Preston House, the local Papa John’s franchisee – has been appointed as a bankcda board member. 

House has more than 25 years of experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry, according to a bankcda press release announcing the appointment. Based in Richland, he owns Dough Nation LLC, a Papa John’s franchisee that operates 51 locations across Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona and Montana.

“I’m honored to join the bankcda Board and contribute to an institution that believes in building strong communities through local relationships,” House said in a statement. “I look forward to working alongside the Board and leadership team to support the bank’s mission and its impact across the Tri-Cities and beyond.” 

“We’re excited to be part of the community,” Veach said, from supporting local nonprofits to showing commitment by bringing on a local board member. 

“We’re here to serve the small business community. We feel like there’s a real demand and a need for those folks to have a financial partner that has a vested interest in their success,” he said.

Go to: bankcda.bank.