Harrison stumbled in his goal this year, his second year ofoperations, by not opening a branch, he says. The company openedtwo branches in 1998, one at the headquarters on Main Street inClarkston. The second opening was a banking center in IndependenceTownship, where Harrison paid $154,000 for the fixed assets and$1.7 million for the deposits. Both are in leased space, hesays.

"It's a lot cheaper to buy a currently-run bank, the facility isalready there," he notes. However, this year he missed his goal ofopening a branch. He also lost $660,000 his first year ofoperations, but has brought the books back to the red with a$450,000 profit this year.

To compensate for not opening a branch this year, he's leasing anew one and building one in 2001, both with drive-throughtellers.One will open in May, where Harrison's paying $170,000 forone unit in an office condominium complex on M-59 in Waterford. Theclosing date is set in January.His fourth new bank will beconstructed in Independence Township, and a currently undisclosedlocation, he says. "We'll definitely keep going, opening one peryear, one in 2002 and one in 2003. Then we're going to sit back,take a look at the market, and do our next strategic plan,"Harrison predicts.