Nathan Christian

Wells Fargo employees pride themselves on being the biggest little financial institution in the country.

"We really believe, the way we view ourselves, is that we are a big community bank," said Wells Fargo regional president Nathan Christian, who heads the company's Southern California operation.

The company's approach is apparently working, especially in San Diego, where Wells Fargo's growth has exploded during the past three years. Since 2003, Wells Fargo has expanded by more than 30 percent locally, opening 34 stores to bring their total in San Diego County to 91. The company plans to add another 17 stores in 2007. Wells Fargo also has experienced a 30 percent increase in full-time employees since 2003 and now employs more than 2,500 team members.

"The thing that we believe differentiates Wells Fargo as an institution is that we succeed through our people," Christian said. "We have a fabulous distribution center; we have fabulous products; we have fabulous delivery channels, including our stores online. We're available to our customers 24/7."