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Small Skagit County town losing its only bank: ‘This could gut the town’

The only bank in the small town of Concrete in the North Cascades is closing in September, leaving residents worried about the future of business in the town.

With a population of 760, the town of Concrete, Washington has no stop lights, one movie theater, and one bank. At least for now.

Columbia Bank announced they are closing its Concrete branch, leaving the town with no bank at all.

Gary Gilbert has lived in the Skagit County town for at least 30 years.

"The idea of it closing makes me mad," said Gilbert. "I ain't too happy with them, I'll tell ya."

The bank recently told customers the last day of operations will be September 13. After that, people will have to drive at least an hour, round-trip, to Sedro-Woolley or Burlington to do their banking.

Business owners worry if people have to drive all that way to cash a paycheck they'll end up spending their money out of town, too.

"I'm just putting myself in their shoes. If I have to go down there to do something, I'm probably going to go down there to do most everything," explained Don Rohan, who runs Cascade Supply.

The news comes as Concrete is working hard to attract businesses to the tiny mountain town nestled along Highway 20 in the North Cascades.

Mayor Jason Miller recently opened a small business "incubator" to help start-ups grow and prosper. He said Columbia Bank’s departure will set his town back years.

"This could gut the town. It's a very real concern," Miller said. "It makes it extremely difficult to recruit businesses to town if they know they won't have a bank they can do business with."

Miller said he was told by Columbia that the bank is pulling out because it wasn't getting enough foot traffic due to more people banking online. Requests for comment from the bank have been unsuccessful.

Miller doesn't plan to plead with Columbia Bank to stay. Instead, he's openly asking another institution to come in and give Concrete a financial foundation it can bank on.

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