North Bay Business Journal

32-year banker Ron La Bruzzo now heads the Santa Rosa branch for Rabobank, N.A.

SANTA ROSA – Rabobank, N.A. opened a new branch and agribusiness center in downtown Santa Rosa today, marking a third branch for the bank in the North Bay.

The Roseville-based bank opened the branch to better serve existing clients in Santa Rosa and to help grow an expanding agribusiness lending team lead by Senior Vice President and Agribusiness Manager Charles Day, according to the bank.

“Rabobank has been serving the financing needs of clients in Santa Rosa for years. Opening a branch here will allow us to provide a full range of personal and business banking services and become more involved in the community,” said Dennis Pedisich, regional president, in a written release.

Leading the staff at the new branch will be Ron La Bruzzo, who assumes the role after 32 years of banking experience that includes Great Western Bank, Washington Mutual and Chase.

In the North Bay, the Rabobank Group currently has a lending portfolio of more than $500 million, following a continuing effort to expand in regions with a strong agricultural component, according to the bank.

The bank’s most recent expansion was in January 2011, with the opening of a branch in Sonoma. The now 119-branch bank entered the market through the purchase of the single-branch Napa Community Bank in May 2010.

“In addition to this branch, we will continue to look for opportunities to expand our existing network here in the Wine Country and other regions in our footprint,” said Mr. Pedisich.

Located at 90 South E Street, the new branch is open from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Rabobank ,N.A. is part of the Rabobank Group, a Netherlands-based lender with operations in 48 countries. In California, Rabobank, N.A. has approximately 1,900 employees and assets of more than $11 billion.