Everything begins on Main Street…including GSB.

We got our start nearly 150 years ago when a group of local business owners invested $17,000 to establish a community bank on the Guilford Green. Although the bank has expanded to include multiple branches serving the Connecticut shoreline and beyond, our commitment to supporting small businesses has never wavered.

More and more people are coming to understand how important local merchants are to creating vibrant and attractive communities — especially during times of economic uncertainty. Small Business Saturday, first established in 2010 to encourage people to patronize small businesses reeling from the Great Recession, continues to be a holiday shopping tradition today. Communities also rallied around their local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding ways to support local restaurants, shops, and services through this difficult period.

While it is wonderful to see this support for small businesses, we believe local entrepreneurs deserve our attention all year long — not just on a certain Saturday in November, or when times are tough. GSB works to celebrate and promote small businesses through our partnerships with regional chambers of commerce and other local organizations, and by providing accessible and reliable business banking services.

This year, we’ll be celebrating small businesses even more with our holiday campaign, “There’s No Place Like Local for the Holidays.” This messaging will highlight individual businesses on our social media channels and showcase how they can be part of your holiday shopping. 

We’re looking forward to celebrating small businesses throughout this holiday season and supporting their year-round growth with outstanding products and services. 

Tim Geelan
President & CEO, GSB