Wauchula State Bank has a family-owned heritage mixed with 21st century products that keep it relevant after nearly a century
Nearly 100 years ago, Wauchula State Bank opened its doors for the first time. Now, the well-established company operates 22 locations in 13 counties, including one that opened in 2021 in the historic Nathan’s Men’s Store building in downtown Lakeland. It provides Polk County with a family owned bank that embraces the community, and a full-service office ready to meet your financial needs.
After opening its downtown Winter Haven location in 2016 and garnering a following in the local market, Wauchula State Bank opened a loan office in Dixieland with sights set on making its home in Lakeland’s historic downtown.
“We believe in small business and have offices in the heart of downtown communities in Hardee County, Highlands County, and now two in Polk County: Winter Haven, and Lakeland,” says Brad Ruhmann, Marketing Director for Wauchula State Bank. “We were waiting on the perfect location, and when the opportunity came for us to step into the Historic Nathan’s Men’s Store building, arguably the best location in Lakeland, we knew it was the perfect fit.”
Being a fourth-generation business doesn’t just mean that Wauchula State bank knows and understands the needs of other family owned businesses in the community. It also sets them apart from other banks for one simple reason— everyone is treated like family. Employees, some of whom have been working for the bank for more than 30 years, work together as a team toward a common mission: to make banking easy, secure and convenient for everyone.
Wauchula State Bank is a community bank that feels like home, and their customers are the first ones to recognize that. “When you walk into our bank, you’ll see a familiar face,” says Ruhmann. “Just the other day, the Vice Chairman of the Board, Bill Crews, and I were talking to a customer in Wauchula who had come into the bank to make a deposit. He has banked with us for 80-plus years and he said, ‘I will never leave Wauchula State Bank.’ Where else could I talk to the bank president, much less the owner? That just doesn’t exist.”
221 E Main St.
Lakeland, FL 33801
wauchulastatebank.com