About Us
We are dedicated to adapting to our customers’ ever-evolving banking needs while upholding our South Dakota values and hometown roots.
What is the BankWest Difference?
About BankWest
For more than 135 years, we’ve been committed to building strong and long-lasting relationships with our customers. Headquartered in Pierre, South Dakota, we are deeply connected to our communities and driven by a passion for innovation to meet the demands of customers’ fast-paced, high-tech lifestyles. Our customers can count on individualized solutions, prompt answers, and the best in customer care from the financial professionals of BankWest.
As your trusted financial advisor, BankWest will always put your needs first.
We are devoted to delivering exceptional banking experiences that cater to your lifestyle, whether you’d prefer to bank from your smartphone or enjoy stopping in for a face-to-face chat.
As the fourth and fifth generations of Burke family members lead our organization, we remain steadfast in our mission to invest in our customers, our communities and our employees.
We deliver what customers need and want better than anyone else, by being …
CONVENIENT. CONNECTED. COMMITTED.
Most banks claim to do the same three things, so our job is to do them dramatically better.
BankWest at a Glance
- $1.6B+ in Assets
- 370+ Employees (and growing)
- $400,000+ in Community Donations/Support
- 2,000+ Volunteer Hours
- 28 Communities Across South Dakota
- 19 Bank Locations
- 20+ Insurance Agencies
- 12+ Title Companies
Fun Fact: We were a bank before South Dakota was a state!
Our History
We’ve Been There …
We Opened our Doors
Pierre National Bank (now BankWest) opened its doors on September 2, 1889. The bank’s first customer was Charles H. Burke of the real estate firm Baird, Burke and Brown. The Burke name would become synonymous with Pierre National Bank and BankWest all the way to the present day.
The bank’s first home was at the Locke Hotel. A brand new building was constructed at 358 S. Pierre Street at a cost of $7,880. This served as the bank’s permanent home until 1957.
Five Generations of Leadership Began
From Charles H. Burke’s initial association with the bank in 1889, a longtime bond between the Burke family and the bank was forged. Charles H. Burke became a bank director in 1915 and served as a vice president from 1930-1944.
Charles’ son, Walter, began working at the bank in 1920. He was elected president in 1949, and became Chairman of the Board in 1968.
Walter’s son, Charles II, became a vice president at the bank in 1957. He went on to serve a 15-year term as bank president before becoming Chairman of the Board, a post he held until his death in 2009.
Today, BankWest is a thriving community bank under the management of Charles II’s son, Charles H. Burke III. “C3,” as he’s known to friends and coworkers, returned to the bank full time in 1982. He served as president of BankWest’s Pierre offices from 1987 to 1991. In 1992, he became President and CEO of the entire company and assumed the role of Chairman of the Board in 2009.
A fifth generation of the Burke family is actively involved in carrying the bank forward. BankWest’s Chief Operations Officer Bob Burke, and VP Learning and Strategic Development Becky Burke, look forward to continuing the Burke family’s longstanding commitment to excellence in community banking.
Surviving the Great Depression
Few areas suffered to the extent South Dakota did during the Great Depression. Following World War I, prices on farm products declined and land values followed suit. Then came the infamous Dirty 30s and the Great Depression when many banks across the nation failed. Thanks to the conservative practices of Pierre National Bank’s leaders, the bank survived through the tough times and even continued to grow. BankWest continues to stand the test of time through a combination of conservative management and forward thinking.
Entering the Computer Age
The bank’s first computer, an IBM 360-30, took up most of an entire room. Its purpose was to automate the process of monitoring and managing checking accounts. Customers were issued new checking account numbers and checks encoded with magnetic ink, and gone were the days when bank employees had to hand post every item on customers’ accounts.
Call us BankWest
Through the late 70s and early 80s, Pierre National Bank acquired a number of banks in communities throughout central South Dakota. These acquisitions led to a milestone in the bank’s history – the adoption of a new name, BankWest.
High Tech, High Touch
Always with an eye to providing the best service possible to customers, BankWest management got on board the World Wide Web in 1997. Before long, the bank was offering online banking services, soon to be followed by mobile banking, remote deposit and more!
Still Growing Strong
BankWest continues to grow its physical footprint and expand both its menu of services as well as how those services are delivered. With its latest addition of offices in Madison and Spearfish, BankWest locations now span the state from east to west and north to south. Much more than a bank, the company offers full-service insurance, brokerage and trust services, along with abstract, title and appraisal services.
… We’ll Be There!
Mission Statement
Since our founding in 1889, we’ve been committed to helping our customers achieve financial success, supporting our communities, empowering our employees, and ensuring our future through financial strength and adaptability.
Values
- We bring passion and positive attitude to every tasks.
- We take ownership to make ideas work.
- We embrace opportunities and encourage innovation.
- We’re accountable for exemplifying BankWest standards of excellence.
- We channel individual effort and ambition toward our team and our customers’ success.
Vendor Diversity Program
We believe banks that actively embrace diversity and consistently demonstrate their commitment to the communities they serve, establish a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. We proactively seek diverse suppliers.
To support our community, we must include the broadest range of people, ideas, products, and services possible. Our Vendor Diversity Program does just that. We do everything we can to ensure that diversity-owned businesses are afforded equal opportunity to participate in our procurement processes. To qualify for our diversity program, a business must be at least 51% owned, controlled, and managed by a minority or woman.
Our Performance Guarantee
Another BankWest difference is we do more than any other financial institution to provide friendly, error-free service. It’s called our Performance Guarantee.
If a BankWest associate or vendor fails to meet our commitment to error-free service, we will apologize and correct the problem immediately. We also will give you a $5 Performance Guarantee payment for bringing it to our attention. Rest assured that if you ever have a problem, we will make it right. Let us know.
Our Team
Get to know our dedicated team of leaders, each playing a role in guiding your financial journey with their expertise and commitment.
BankWest Scholarships
Explore our scholarship offerings, created to empower students with financial support to achieve their academic dreams.
Explore a career at BankWest.