Mechanics Bank

The Client

In a vacant store front near the corner of 3rd and Macdonald Avenue, a small bank opened its doors in 1905. Soon after, that bank would take on a name based on its association with the workers of Richmond’s two largest employers at the time, Standard Oil and the Santa Fe Railroad. Under the leadership of local businessman and banker E.M. Downer, it would not only survive the Great Depression and two world wars, but it would also grow and prosper in step with the Bay Area, serving the needs of local businesses and families. Now, more than a century later, that bank – Mechanics Bank – continues the legacy of commitment based on one man’s principles of building lasting relationships, enriching local lives and local communities, driving local economic growth and exceeding client’s expectations every day.