Jeffery Casten

When Senior Vice President and Director of Commercial Lending, Jeff Casten joined Manasquan Bank in 2006, he was immediately impressed with the Bank’s history, service quality, solid financial foundation, family atmosphere and commitment to the local community.

“I spent most of my career at large institutions in a corporate environment in which strict policies were in place, he says. “When I arrived here, Mark (Executive Vice President, Chief Lending Officer Mark Beriault) gave me the freedom and opportunity to grow in a responsible way and to establish a streamlined operation that would ensure the sustainability of the Bank in the future.”

That has resulted in a commercial loan department that operates in an extremely efficient and timely fashion. “Every bank promises fast decisions and approvals. But we deliver commitments, while other banks deliver term sheets. That’s a big deal to businesses waiting on financing,” he says.

Casten has been able to move many of his former clients to Manasquan Bank because of its reputation for excellent client service. “Our mobile banking and remote deposit make it easy for us to expand throughout the state,” he says.

It’s also a source for new business. “Many clients come to us after painfully waiting for a loan approval at other banks and getting nowhere. They are shocked when we give them an answer in half the time,” says Casten.

That’s where the closeness of the lending team comes in. “We are all on the same floor. So we can make things happen by walking down the hall rather than emailing. Our team also understands the special circumstances of local borrowers,” he adds.

Due to our proximity to the shore, “We support many seasonal businesses in our local market,” he explains. “These are precisely the kinds of loan requests that confuse national bank lenders and create delays,” says Casten.

Manasquan Bank’s loan portfolio is extremely diversified. “We have a very senior lending team. So while our focus is on Monmouth and Ocean Counties, the team fosters relationships from all over the state. Managing risk, establishing quality relationships and excellent service are what it’s all about,” he concludes. “Our bank attracts top loan officers because they want to protect the relationships they have forged with their customers. Our reputation for quality service assures them their customers will be well cared for. After all,” he concludes, “customer service, a solid foundation and the commitment to the community is what attracted me to Manasquan Bank fourteen years ago.”