LONGMONT - Employees are settling in at the new Longmont branch of Adams Bank & Trust at 10 Ken Pratt Blvd.

The family-owned bank is one of the largest agricultural lenders in the nation, said Stephen Karich, branch manager. The full-service Longmont branch focuses on small-business lending, Karich said.

Adams Bank & Trust has plans to expand in northern Colorado, although it's too early to say where, said Nathan Ewert, regional president for Colorado, who is based in Fort Collins. Along the Front Range, the bank also has locations in Fort Collins, Berthoud, Firestone and Colorado Springs.

State and federal regulators in July approved the opening of the Longmont branch. It opened on Monday, Aug. 20.

Adams Bank and Trust has $550 million in assets, including $433 million in loans. The bank was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Ogallala, Nebraska.