For Greg Pope, banking has always been personal.
His connection to community banking stretches back generations. His grandfather, George McGregor, served as president of Haverhill National Bank.
"My grandfather used to tell stories about looking across the desk at a customer and knowing whether they were good for it," Greg recalls. "He knew their character. He shook their hand. He knew their family. He never had a bad debt."
Over the years, Greg watched banking change. Local institutions were acquired. Decision-making moved farther away. Relationships became transactions.
"The industry has become increasingly dehumanized," he says. "Security and processes are important, but somewhere along the way a lot of banks lost the personal connection."
As founder of Entry Point USA, owner of The Righter Group, and creator of Chalkless, Greg had opportunities to work with some of the largest financial institutions in the country. But the experience often left him frustrated.
"I remember sitting in a conference room with representatives from a large commercial bank. We had millions on deposit with them, and they were offering us a line of credit at eight or nine percent while paying virtually nothing on our deposits. That was the moment I realized this wasn't the kind of banking relationship I wanted."
His CFO encouraged him to consider Pentucket Bank.
At the time, some of the digital tools his growing businesses needed weren't yet available, but Greg saw something else that mattered more - the people.
As Pentucket Bank continued to invest in commercial banking services and technology, Greg gradually moved more of his business relationships to the bank.
Today, Pentucket Bank supports multiple companies within the Pope family's portfolio, including Entry Point USA and the rapidly growing Chalkless brand.
"What keeps us here isn't just the technology or the products," Greg says. "It's knowing that when I call, somebody answers. I know who the president is. They know my family. If I need help with a wire transfer, I can call my lender directly. It's a personal business relationship."
That relationship has become especially important as Chalkless experiences remarkable growth.
The company began during the COVID pandemic when Greg started experimenting with a court-surface product in his own backyard platform tennis court. What started as a small side project quickly gained traction.
"We were packaging products in my driveway and selling out of the back of a truck," Greg laughs.
The business grew rapidly, leading to a rebrand and national expansion. In 2024, Chalkless appeared on Shark Tank, where Greg secured a deal with Kevin O'Leary and Rashaun Williams.
"Shark Tank was a launching pad. It legitimized what we were building and gave us credibility."
Now, with new product launches on the horizon and national attention continuing to grow, Greg knows access to trusted financial partners will be critical.
"As we grow, our needs grow. Pentucket Bank has been willing to grow alongside us."
For Greg, however, success still comes back to relationships.
"It's always about the people," he says. "Looking someone in the eye. Shaking their hand. Building trust."
After watching the evolution of banking for decades, he believes Pentucket Bank has managed to preserve something many institutions have lost.
"Pentucket Bank has restored my faith in banking. They've found a way to combine modern banking services with old-fashioned relationships. That's rare today."
And for Greg, that's exactly how banking should be.
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