Young Arundel bank keeps it local.(County National Bank)

County National Bank president Jan W. Clark knows the value of doing business over sandwiches and a round of iced teas.

In 1996, when Clark, bank chairman Henry L. Hein and executive vice president John G. Warner were trying to secure investors for their new Glen Burnie-based bank, the trio wined and dined many people in the local business community.

"We knew people didn't have unlimited time to listen to us, but we knew it was important to meet with them face-to-face," Clark said. "We figured that even people who were busy had to stop and eat."

The meals, and more importantly the relationships that resulted from them, was a key to the bank's …