First Bank & Trust traces its roots back to a small-town vision in 1880 when Brookings, South Dakota entrepreneur Horace Fishback identified the need for banking services in the growing community. Starting with a check-cashing station at the back counter of their general store, Horace and his uncle, Bert Olds, laid the foundation for what would become one of South Dakota’s largest privately-held companies—Fishback Financial Corporation (FFC)—the holding company for First Bank & Trust.
On November 2, 1925, Security National Bank marked the Fishback family’s first independent community bank. Today, First Bank & Trust serves 17 thriving communities in South Dakota and Minnesota, boasting 22 bank locations. The founding philosophy of meeting each local community’s needs with integrity and innovation remains central, supporting independent leadership and employee ownership.
As decision-makers empowered to take risks and guided by an entrepreneurial spirit, First Bank & Trust is committed to excellence. Across four generations of Fishbacks, the company takes pride in being family- and employee-owned, dedicated to giving back to the communities it serves.
