DOVER — Good old-fashioned customer service and new technology are Daniel Morrison’s secrets for success.

As the president and CEO of Optima Bank and Trust, Morrison was on hand Thursday for a ribbon cutting at the newest full-service branch at 920 Central Avenue in Dover.

He said, even though they've had a small loan office in Dover for five years they're very excited to be opening the new location.

“One thing that's very different, we don't have tellers we have private bankers,” Morrison said. “And yes they can take deposits and do what tellers do, but they can do a lot more than that. They know all about all of the different products and services we offer.”

Opening just 10 years ago, Morrison said Optima has been one of the fastest growing banks in New England with $500 million in assets and seven branches.

“In the last 10 years, we have invested over a billion dollars in our communities, investments in the form of loans for businesses to grow, expand and create jobs and loans to individuals and families to buy and build homes,” Morrison said.

Morrison said he founded Optima with his wife, Pam, drawing on their years of experience in banking in New Hampshire to fill a real need in the commercial sector.

According to Morrison, 30 years ago there were 100 local banks in New Hampshire and today, through consolidation, there are only 17.

“There are very few on the Seacoast, just Federal Savings Bank and Piscataqua Savings Bank,” Morrison said. “But we're the only local and commercial bank set on providing the kind of service that has largely disappeared. We offer all the same things as the bigger banks but with the level of service you just can't get with them.

Morrison said a lot of the larger banks don't like to help the small customers and the Optima way of doing business appeals to small business owners who feel like they need a higher level of service.

“We have great technology including debit cards that work worldwide and if you get charged a fee we give that back,” Morrison said. “We can offer greater flexibility even though we must follow all the same regulations. We take pride in being able to help customers using good old-fashioned customer service and new technology.

Banking Commissioner Jerry Little said the opening speaks volumes about both Optima and Dover.

“It’s a really strong sign of Optima and it is a great sign for the City of Dover as one of the fastest growing parts of the state and a city that everybody recognizes as a city on the move,” Little said. “I think you’ll find that a lot of people will try to join you in the coming years to take part in the growth and vitality here.”

Little said every time he comes to a branch opening he thinks about how branch means branching, but companies like Optima are also setting down roots in the community and making investments and a commitment to the people of Dover.

Mayor Karen Weston said Optima’s new branch is reflective of the economic growth in the City of Dover. “One of our main focuses of the city council is economic growth and we've been working really hard at it,” Weston said. “When a bank moves into your city, it is reflective of the reflective of the economic growth within that community and the capability and quality of where they are placing themselves.”

Dover Chamber of Commerce President Katie MacKinnon said it's a great, new chapter for Optima, but they have already been investing in the community.

MacKinnon said they have been investing in the health of Strafford County residents with donations to Goodwin Community Health, partnering with Wentworth-Douglass on giving Tuesday, supporting the expansion of Community Action Partnership’s work in housing assistance and collaborating with the Dover Chamber on community programming.