American National Bank of Texas and its CEO Robert Hulsey are fiercely independent — and successful
By Holden Wilen – Staff Writer, Dallas Business JournalRobert Hulsey guarantees two things as he discusses the future of American National Bank of Texas:
The bank will remain independent and continue to grow.
Hulsey, who has led Terrell-based American National as president and CEO since 1989, knows the
banking industry faces several headwinds as interest rates continue to rise. Banks’ securities portfolios
are underwater, a potential commercial real estate cliff looms, and the cost of deposits continues to
increase.
Despite those challenges, Hulsey said American National had weathered the storm following the
failures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and First Republic Bank earlier this year.
The bank’s positioning in business-friendly Texas and a focus on serving small businesses across
Dallas-Fort Worth give him confidence about the 147-year-old bank’s ability to sustain growth in the
years to come.
“We have done everything we can to build this bank to last another 150 years,” Hulsey said.
He said the bank’s long-term goal is to grow its earnings by 9% annually.
“Obviously, going through a period like this, we’re not going to do that,” Hulsey said. “But in the long
run, that’s where we think we need to be in order to have sustainability of this institution to remain
independent.”
Over the past five years, American National has seen considerable growth in assets, deposits, and loans,
according to call reports filed with the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council. Assets have
increased 89% to $5.5 billion as of June 30, while deposits have grown 72% to $4.3 billion. The bank’s
loan book has increased 52% to $2.9 billion.
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