January 2, 2019

Welcome to the inaugural First State Trust Company (FSTC) blog!  This is the first of what I hope are many posts to our site that will be informative, instructive, educative and interesting.  The blog is meant not only to be all of the prior, but to also showcase our knowledge base here at FSTC and let our readers see another side of our team that might otherwise go un-noticed.  What better way to start the New Year: 2019?

Since this is our first post, I’d like to share with you who we are and what we are about.  Most people don’t know that FSTC’s roots go back over 35 years as EF Hutton Trust, then Smith Barney Corporate Trust Company, next Citigroup Institutional Trust, then finally First State Trust Company in 2008.  We have several employees who have been with us for over 25 years!  Through the years we have learned quite a bit about what being a Trustee means and should be.  We have had many employees join us from other institutions, many of them larger well- known companies.  We draw upon each other’s experiences and thoughts to shape and define who we are and what type of service we wish to provide.  We consider ourselves a boutique style firm from a service perspective as we wish to avoid the bureaucracy that often plagues the larger entities.  However, as mentioned, we have the experienced staff to provide the highest quality solutions.  We are proud of the opportunities to work with our clients and provide the best service possible.  Therefore, we chose our company motto to be: Service. Re-Defined.

We partner with world class investment management firms to deliver their investment management expertise while we focus on the administration.  Unlike many larger competitors, we don’t compete with our partners in the investment management side.

Additionally, we are powered by Fi-Tek, LLC, which is an affiliated company who provides us with their Global Wealth trust accounting platform to deliver first class information and technology to our clients.

I think who we are is best summarized by our mission statement and core principles.  We use these as our guideposts and reminders to stay the course and be the best we can be:

Mission Statement

The mission of FSTC is to become the preferred choice for trust services by differentiating ourselves through responsiveness and best-in-class alliance partner and client service.

Further governing how we operate at FSTC are our Core Principles, these principles are:

• Treat and service our clients as you would wish to be treated.
• Treating everyone with respect.
• Having integrity and humility in how we operate.
• Be a problem solver and solutions provider.
• The team is always stronger than the individual.
• Proactively sharing knowledge.
• Do your part.
• Chase excellence.
• Seek to improve every day.
• Effort and Attitude must always be positive.

Our Mission Statement and Core Principles are to be lived and breathed each and every day and guide how we conduct ourselves and our business.  If we do this, we will be successful.

Also, we are happy to report that on January 2nd we opened our new office in West Palm Beach Florida at 777 South Flagler Drive, West Tower, suite 800.  We are growing and making it even easier to meet with and service our clients.  We are so excited!

Please don’t hesitate to contact me at Jokamura@FS-Trust.com or 302-573-5819 if we can be of any service to you.  Here’s to a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

James Okamura, President FSTC

The posts expressed are views of FSTC and are not intended as advice or recommendations. For informational purposes only.