Chattahoochee Bank of Georgia opened the doors to its new headquarters on Monday.

The bank, which began business three weeks ago in a temporary location, is now housed in a new two-story brick building at 643 E.E. Butler Parkway.

"It's nice to be in our permanent home," said Jody Lail, president and chief executive of the bank, which was capitalized with $21 million this summer in a private stock sale.

The opening comes on a day when the financial world is topsy-turvey with a nosedive in the stock market and two suitors are fighting for ownership of a major national bank.

However, Lail said Chattahoochee opens without the baggage that many of his competitors are carrying.

"It's a great time to open a new bank," Lail said. "We don't have any of the bad loan issues that other banks are having to deal with and we have the benefit of hindsight."

He said the bank has money to lend to credit worthy customers and is ready to do business.

Chattahoochee Bank of Georgia was formed by a group of 13 directors headed by Gainesville business and civic leader James A. "Jim" Walters.