History & Heritage
Our Story
The history of Stockman Bank began long before Bill Nefsy purchased controlling interest in the Miles City Bank in 1953. Bill’s vision to serve the agricultural producers and local business people in his eastern Montana community was seeded in his childhood, working on his uncle’s ranch in northeast Wyoming, and learning the value of working hard from sun-up to sun-down.
Bill purchased a small cattle ranch south of Miles City in the late 1930s. Over time, he was able to add to his ranch holdings by purchasing other ranch operations that had fallen into disrepair during the Great Depression and nursing them back to productivity. When Bill began looking to get an operating loan for his growing ranch, he was turned away by the banks with the explanation, “We don’t do Ag loans.”
In 1953, when an opportunity to purchase controlling interest in the Miles City Bank presented itself to Bill, he took the chance and began building a banking organization that would serve the needs of the entire community, including local business people, farmers and ranchers.
Bill never viewed himself as a banker, but as an entrepreneur and consumer of financial services. This unique outlook quickly set him apart from his competitors as he made it his mission to serve honest, hard-working Montanans of every walk of life, throughout Montana. Bill’s philosophy, determination, and traditional values, continue to guide Stockman Bank today.
Regional Leader
We are deeply committed to our customers and are recognized as Montana's largest Agricultural bank, as well as one of the state's largest commercial and real estate lenders.
- Montana's largest Agricultural Bank
- 18th Largest Ag Lender in the Nation
- Montana's premiere Real Estate and Commercial Lender
- Certified LEED v4 Platinum award - Missoula Downtown bank
- SBA Preferred Lender
- USDA Rural Development Business & Industry Certified Lender
