Bank survives big customer loss

The loss of a major customer won't bring big changes to the Carson City branch of Imperial Capital Bank, a top executive with the company said last week.

ITLA Capital Corporation, the La Jolla, Calif., parent company of the bank, said that Household International decided that Imperial Capital Bank no longer will administer two consumer loan programs for Household.

Since the Carson City branch opened in late 2002, it has handled a tax refund anticipation loan program for Household.

It also has operated a private-label credit card business for Household.

Household has won approval of a charter for its own national bank, HSBC Bank USA, and will handle the tax loans and credit card programs on its own, said George Haligowski, president and chief executive officer of ITLA Capital.

Imperial Bank will lose the work at the end of this year.

But the Carson City branch is strong even with the loss of the Household business, said Timothy Doyle, senior managing director and chief financial officer of ITLA Capital.

"We like our branch in Carson City," he said.

"We have a great operation and great customers there."

Doyle said deposit and loan growth alike have been strong for the branch, the only office operated by Imperial Capital Bank in Nevada.

In Nevada and elsewhere, the company focuses on real estate and development lending.

While the Carson City branch got a startup boost from the Household business, its parent company noted that Imperial Capital Bank had about $60 million in loans outstanding to Nevada borrowers when the branch opened.

Executives said, too, they expected retail and commercial banking services at the branch to give Imperial Capital Bank a foothold in the Nevada market, helping the company become a regional presence.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, ITLA Capital said it was involved in about $12.4 million in refund anticipation loans on March 31 close to the peak of the tax season.