The lending team at Mid America Bank. Sitting: Brian Berhorst and Lynne Bateman. Standing, from left: Brenda Leydens, Brian Hoskins, Tim Hagenhoff, Shelly Pierson, Kelly VanLoo, Vicki Nelson and Ski Mariea. Johnson says what impressed her most about the experience was that Schwartz-Pierson and Mid America Bank genuinely wanted to help her family. “Our best interest was at the top of Shelly’s agenda,” Johnson says. “She walked us through the process, therefore we were never intimidated by all it entailed, and in the end we had a beautiful new home that met all of our needs.” That kind of personal attention and dedication to its customers is what helps this locally owned community bank, originally chartered in 1914 as the People’s Bank of St. Thomas, not only compete with but also outservice larger global and regional banks. “We never forget that banking is a people business,” Berhorst says. “We feel that the special attention we give to the needs of our customers and to the needs of the communities we serve is directly responsible for the exciting growth that Mid America Bank has experienced over the past several years.” Mid America Bank now has five branch locations, including Wardsville, Holts Summit, Belle, Linn and Meta, that serve Cole, Osage, Maries, Gasconade and Callaway counties and is approximately a $265 million bank.
Where customers are family
In a technologically advanced world, Mid America Bank offers the products and services its competitors do: a variety of loan types, online banking, bill pay (Freedom Banking), safe deposit boxes, 24-hour ATM, cashier checks, travelers checks, notary service, night depository and good old-fashioned savings and checking accounts. However, what distinguishes Mid America Bank from other financial institutions is how it treats its customers. Mid America Bank customers come from all walks of life. They are farmers, sales people, office workers and teachers. They are
builders, laborers and business owners, and they are all treated like family; they aren’t just an account. “Sitting across the desk from Shelly was not like sitting across from a stern banker,” Johnson says. “It was like sitting and talking with a friend. It makes a difference.” MAB Executive Assistant Shawna Anderson says MAB hires friendly, experienced staff members who deliver the highest level of relationship banking and take the time to get to know their customers. Even those customers who deal with various financial institutions speak highly of a Mid America Bank experience. One title service worker recalls a recent experience when she attended four closings at the MAB Holts Summit branch then went to a closing at another institution. “When I got done I realized just how spoiled the MAB staff has made me,” she says. “Working with [MAB], I know I am working with trustworthy people. In this job, I certainly don’t get that every day.”
Adapting to changing needs
In addition to attentive, detailed customer service, Berhorst adds that consistency helps MAB provide exemplary service. “For the past two decades, the bank has been guided by the same management and ownership team, and that same team continues to lead the bank today. This continuity of leadership ensures that MAB customers and communities will enjoy the same level of service and commitment tomorrow that they do today and have in the past.” Change is inevitable, and businesses must adapt to the changing needs of their customers. Mid America Bank will continue to grow and meet the demands and needs of its customers, but some things will never change; MAB will continue to be a “hometown bank, full of hometown pride.” n
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