Guy T. Williams
President
Gulf Coast Bank
Gulf Coast Bank is a full-service financial institution with 45 locations and 800 employees offering financial products throughout the United States. The bank is the leading lender to first-time home buyers in the metro area, as well as a major construction and development lender. Trust and wealth management services are also provided by local staff for both institutions and individuals. The bank recently renovated its historic Gretna location into a mixed-use project with retail, commercial and banking spaces, as well as residential lofts and a rooftop deck.
What is the biggest challenge facing your industry in this new normal and how are you adapting?
Low interest rates combined with a drastic slowdown of our tourist- and energy-related businesses will make growth in South Louisiana challenging.
What changes do you see in your industry in the next year?
Residential mortgage rates and deposit rates will remain low until the Federal Reserve changes its policies. The industry will focus on cost cutting and consolidation in 2020 and 2021.
