Our History

North Valley Bank was originally established in 1904 by local area businessmen in the Village of Corning, Ohio as The Bank of Corning Company. The need for a locally owned, community-oriented commercial bank arose out of the oil boom at the turn of the century. Southern Perry County thrived on the oil production industry, which in turn spawned the natural gas and coal industries in the area. The Village of Corning, along with surrounding communities, continued to thrive until the mid-1950’s.

Economic changes began to impact these industries making it increasingly more difficult to efficiently produce the natural resources. Individuals from the Village of Corning as well as other surrounding areas began to relocate to more metropolitan areas where employment opportunities were growing. The metropolitan areas continued to grow over the next couple of decades adding shopping centers and various conveniences. Unable to compete, the Village of Corning’s population and revenue continued to decrease.

The Tradition Continues

In 1997, The Bank of Corning Board of Directors created a Five Year Strategic Plan detailing goals for the future of the Bank. The first was accomplished in 1998 when The Bank of Corning Company officially became North Valley Bank. Following the change of name, North Valley Bank expanded its market area by building a new office located in South Zanesville. In June of 2000 the doors were officially opened and this new office became the Bank headquarters. The following year North Valley Bank acquired Malta National Bank which became the third banking office for North Valley Bank.

With expansion and growth becoming rapid on the north side of Zanesville, North Valley Bank saw a need for an office on Maple Avenue. In early 2013 the North Office was built and open for business.

After the success of the North Office, North Valley Bank sought an opportunity to expand into Licking County. In 2014 land was purchased on Walnut Road in the Buckeye Lake community. Soon after, the Buckeye Lake office was completed and then officially opened its doors in the summer of 2015.

As an expansion of North Valley Bank’s portfolio, an SBA lending team was formed. North Valley Bank opened an office in Columbus, Ohio to house our SBA lending operations. A few short years later, North Valley Bank opened a Business Banking Center located in the heart of Downtown Zanesville. Our Business Banking Center is home to several of our commercial bankers and serves as a link between our North and South Zanesville Offices.

In April of 2019, North Valley Bank announced its plans to purchase two additional branches in Ohio, one in Mount Sterling and one in New Holland. Acquiring these banking offices and relationships played a major role in adding resources to North Valley Bank, and it better positioned us to serve and grow all of our communities. It also complemented North Valley Bank’s strategic focus of a growing presence in Central Ohio and leveraging the existing small business lending team.

In 2023, North Valley Bank expanded its presence in Licking County with the opening of our Pataskala office. This addition reflects our continued commitment to providing local, relationship-based banking in one of Central Ohio’s fastest-growing communities. The Pataskala team extends our mission of building better communities by offering personalized service and financial expertise to families, businesses, and organizations across western Licking County.

Our growth continued in 2024 with the acquisition of Commodore Bank. This important milestone united two community-focused institutions with shared values of trust, integrity, and hometown service. The addition of Commodore Bank’s offices in Millersport, Somerset and Hebron strengthened North Valley Bank’s footprint across Central Ohio and deepened our ability to deliver the personalized banking experience our customers deserve. Together, we remain dedicated to helping every customer and community find their way to better banking.

Despite the changes and the resulting success that North Valley Bank has experienced over the past century, we remain fully committed to our mission of building better communities.