By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – Jerry Wiggins tells a story that reminds us all about the importance of the smallest details in life, and how they can affect a child.
Wiggins is one of the best-known bankers in Slidell, working over 30 years throughout this region as a commercial lender who is now a senior vice-president with State Bank & Trust Company, now at their new location at 1936 Gause Blvd.
When he was barely 10 years of age, Wiggins remembers growing up on the streets of Bay St. Louis and seeing the bankers of that day.
“It was in downtown Bay St. Louis, and I remembered the guys walking on the streets in suits, coming out of the bank, and I was sure they were bankers who probably made a very good living,” he said. “And I knew that banks used to close at 2, so I thought that would be a good job to have.”
That small memory never left Wiggins, especially growing up with a father who worked extremely hard as a bridge tender to support his family of three children, and a wife who would go blind from glaucoma when Wiggins was in the 10th grade.
“My dad really had a hard job, but he was such a good worker and always encouraged me to go to college so I could end up with a better job than he had,” Wiggins recalled.
That’s what Wiggins did, earning a degree in banking from Pearl River College, and starting his first job in 1982 as a collector with First National Bank of St. Tammany.
From there, Wiggins never left the banking business, advancing through the ranks before being offered a job in commercial lending in 1984—a position he has maintained with great success for First National Bank of Commerce, Hancock Bank, and now with State Bank for three years.
“I love this profession since it’s all about relationships with people and trying to make deals work to help them get what they want in business,” he said.
But for a short time after college, Wiggins almost didn’t make it to the banking business, since first-time employees in that profession had to start at lower paying jobs. Learning to work early in life since money was hard to come by as a teenager, Wiggins worked part-time for Winn-Dixie at the age of 16. He continued with that job in college, and was offered a store manager position at the age of 23.
“For a while I thought I would be with Winn-Dixie my entire life,” he said. “When I came out of college, they were offering $1,000 a month and a bank job was only $600 a month, so I stayed with Winn-Dixie for a few years.”
But he still wanted to get into banking and finally made his move in 1982 after the 60-hour weeks as a Winn-Dixie manager proved to be too much.
“I was ready to leave Winn-Dixie due to all those hours, but I was also pursued by State Farm since I have always been good with people,” he said. “I almost became an insurance agent, but I never forgot about being a banker and finally got my chance.”
His first job was a tough one—a collector for First National in Covington. But his hard work payed off again, getting recognized by the bank manager, who finally offered him a job in commercial loans. Since that time, he has earned a reputation as one of the best commercial lenders in the region, working with small and big clients to support the business community in St. Tammany.
He was sought out by State Bank in 2010 as the former Mississippi bank moved into Louisiana, now with nine state locations to go with five locations in Alabama, and over 20 locations in Mississippi.
“The thing I like with State Bank is that they are truly a community bank, meaning they allow me the flexibility to make deals that some of the bigger banks might not do,” he said. “Also, we get faster decisions here, and while some banks they can get a loan through, we have the flexibility to really do it.”
One thing that still hasn’t changed for Wiggins is the steady stream of individuals wanting to start their own business. He sees a wide variety of ideas cross his desk.
“It’s still the dream of so many people to own their own business, and be their own boss,” he said. “I see a lot of those people. But the biggest challenge for most of them is cash flow. It’s the toughest thing for almost every business out there. I look at a lot of proposals, but you’ve got to make sure you can prove what you are proposing will happen with your business.”
He sees a positive Slidell economy, slowing moving forward, and expecting to continue on that path.
“We’ve got outstanding city and parish governments and they have things on track now,” he said. “I think positive things will continue to happen for Slidell in the business world.”
Wiggins can be reached at State Bank by calling 643-5084.