Area bank, businesses partner for discounts

The First National Bank offers Family Club product

By Jim Obert

Business Today

SIKESTON -- Generations Gold can save you money. Vacations become more affordable, grocery bills take a dip, prescriptions drugs are cheaper, telephone calls are discounted and banking services cost less.

Home improvement services, hardware suppliers, florists, convenience stores, auto dealers and health-care professionals are among the 440 area businesses offering discounts to The First National Bank customers who are members of Generations Gold.

Sandy Todt, marketing coordinator at The First National Bank, said the bank recently entered into an exclusive agreement with the Florida-based company to offer bank customers memberships in the program.

Todt said anyone who has any type of checking account at The First National Bank, which has branches in Caruthersville, Miner, Chaffee, Cape Girardeau and Jackson, and six branches in St. Louis, can benefit financially.

"It is such an exciting program for the business partners as well as the customers. It's a win-win situation," said Todt. "Local businesses partner with us when they offer discounts to Generations Gold members. The businesses decide their own discounts and we do the leg work for them.

"Through this program a business can reach thousands of people without the cost of advertising. We advertise for them through a partnership book that is given to each new member."

Todt said participating businesses will enjoy increased traffic flow and customers will visit the businesses without any additional cost. Members can save on air travel, cruises, condominium rentals, car rentals, hotel accommodations and even dental care. There are many national and local programs to take advance of.

"Before launching the program, employees of The First National Bank tested the product. I saved over 30 percent on the long-distance services," said Phil Lyon, executive vice president. "Other employees were quick to find airline and motel discounts."

To access information about discounts related to this new local and national program, members can call a 1-800 number or go to generations-gold.com on the Internet.

To find out about discounts being offered by local businesses, a 40-page booklet is given to members . The booklet has a table of contents that starts with accounting services and ends with windows/glass repair. Other categories include bookstores, photography studios, real estate agencies, restaurants, sporting goods and tanning salons.

"Generations Gold can save people lots of money. That's why we call it a Family Club product," said Todt, adding that as new businesses join the program, Generations Gold members are notified via their monthly bank statements. The partnership booklet will be updated annually.