Bremer’s new brand is the culmination of a two-year dive into self-reflection, said CEO Jeanne Crain. The process started as Bremer explored how to move into the future, asking, “What’s the right strategy? What’s the right focus for our team? And, how do we invest our capital wisely? [Continue]
The sign above the door clearly communicates you are about to enter a bank, yet the printing on the front door to Bremer Bank’s southwest Minneapolis branch reads, “no cash on premises.” Cue the cognitive dissonance. [Continue]
At the end of 2018, Green Bay, Wis.-based Associated Bank announced it would acquire 32 Wisconsin branches of Huntington National Bank, Columbus, Ohio. That group of offices holds $850 million in deposits and $134 million in loans, lending considerable oomph to Associated’s Wisconsin footprint. [Continue]
Community bank customers expect to be treated as individuals, not statistics. At the same time, marketing to customers “subjectively through personal stories instead of numbers clearly presents our dedication to our community,” explained Kristi Poling, marketing and creative services manager at Minnesota Lakes Bank, Delano, and its sister institution, Grand Rapids State Bank in Grand Rapids, Minn. [Continue]
Martin County, Minn., used to be all dairy 50 years ago. Now, with more than 150 hog farms, the county bills itself as Bacon Capital USA. Today, the county has three dairy farms, including that of Lori and Bob Calkins. In addition to dairy farming, Lori Calkins is a large-animal veterinarian who speaks of changes in dairy farming that have helped the industry become so much more efficient. [Continue]
In southeastern Wisconsin, residents of Racine and Kenosha can tune in to hear about a fundraiser to build a concession stand at a local school’s baseball fields. They can catch an interview with a leader from the Small Business Development Center. Or they can learn about changes at the area humane society. [Continue]
It’s been a rough go lately for the nation’s farmers, with some combination of tariffs, low prices at the farm gate and flooding all impacting their livelihoods. However, one provision in the 2018 Farm Bill offered a glimmer of light for some farmers: Hemp. [Continue]
In the last 12 months, Bob Worth has lost three Minnesota farming friends to suicide. Two of the men, aged 50 and 55, faced liquidation of their family farms. With the third, Worth said it was definitely not financial stress. He was “one of the best farmers in the area,” Worth said. “He just thought he was going downhill. As much help as he got, tried to get — medical help, psychological help — he just knew he was a failure.” [Continue]
Where many banks might present themselves with a look, tone and environment that’s as serious as the work they do, that’s simply not nbkc bank’s style. Even its name — all lowercase letters — asserts that this bank strives for a more casual image. [Continue]
The customer experience reigns supreme, but so does how a bank differentiates itself by its choices in location and design. Today’s design-build firms emphasize a full-service consultative approach to bank architecture that takes into account retail trends, community needs, and yes, bricks and mortar. [Continue]