Issuu

AN ADDRESS TO IMPRESS

We’d like to congratulate on their awesome new digs. We love to see people-focused companies flourish and grow.

Proud to be your technology partner allowing you to be the local bank that is running ahead of the pack, creating better options for our community, for businesses, friends and neighbors.

Risk Management Group Benefits Private Client Services

2144723-01

coxbusiness.com 2145974-01

Thank You TO ALL OF THE PARTNERS WHO MADE OUR HEADQUARTERS PROJECT A SUCCESS Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture AOI Corporation Armored Knights AWS B2 Interactive Baird Holm, LLP Bergman Incentives Best Quality Countertops City Glass Company Kitchen Contour Cox Business DataShield DBSI Drake-Williams Steel E&K of Omaha

Electronic Contracting Company Emerald Lawn & Landscape encompas Enterprise Precast Concrete FAC Print & Promo Company Fager Excavating FIS Groundscapes Hutch Ideal Pure Water Investors Realty, Inc. J.R. Barger & Sons Kaydee Company KB Building Services Kidwell Kiewit Building Group, Inc.

MEMBER FDIC

Lifestyle Window Coverings McGill Brothers Mechanical, Inc. Modern Arts Midtown Money Handling Machines, Inc. Morrissey Engineering, Inc. Nebraska Furniture Mart O’Keefe Elevator Company, Inc. Olsson Associates Omaha National Title Omaha Public Power District Peterson Contractors, Inc. Prime Communications, Inc. Push Pedal Pull R.A.E. Rebar Scantron Corporation

EQUAL HOUSING LENDER

Scott Enterprises SGH Redgiaza Holdings Sheppard’s Business Interiors Signworks, Inc SilverStone Group Spin Linen Management Strategic Electric Group Summit Fire Protection TD2 Terracon Consultants, Inc. Terry McGill, Inc. Tetrad Property Group Universal Flooring Village Pointe Shopping Center Vincentini Plumbing Walentine O’Toole, LLP

Your headquarters for a remarkable new banking experience. Your tour starts here.

XNSP36000

“We’re here to serve our city. We’re investing in the community. Our commitment is to bring an exceptional banking experience to the general public.”

CONGRATULATIONS!

WE ARE PROUD TO BE A PART OF MAKING CORE BANK’S CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS A SUCCESS.

JOHN SORRELL PRESIDENT AND CEO CORE BANK

FAC Print & Promo Company

DBSI D BSI

Bergman Incentives

6998 S. 108th St, La Vista, NE 68128 402.592.7888 www.faconline.com

6950 West Morelos Place, Chandler, AZ 85226 (602) 264-7263 www.dbsi-inc.com

9411 F St, Omaha, NE 68127 (402) 661-7900 www.bergmanincentives.com

Ideal Pure Water

Money Handling Machines

B2 Interactive

7667 D St, Omaha, NE 68124 (402) 392-2600 www.idealpurewater.com

8727 Irvington Rd, Omaha, NE 68122 (402) 571-5577 www.moneyhandlingmachines.com

4223 S 143rd Cir, Omaha, NE 68137 (402) 932-9990 www.b2interactive.com

Walentine O’Toole, LLP

Omaha National Title

Village Pointe Shopping Center

Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota and Kansas www.walentineotoole.com

402-827-9100 www.omahanationaltitle.com

168th & W Dodge Rd, Omaha, NE 68118 (402) 505-9773 www.VillagePointeShopping.com

CORE BANK

SUNDAY, MARCH 3

New headquarters helps Core Bank fulfill vision Healthy work culture, right people in place for ‘exceptional customer experience’ By Tim Winters / Special for Core Bank John Sorrell has a vision for how a bank should operate. The necessities for that vision are a healthy work culture built around the right people, Sorrell says. Another key: having fun along the way. The president and CEO of Core Bank is a big step closer to fulfilling that vision as the bank settles in at its new headquarters in west Omaha. The recently completed building brings all the bank’s management team into one place for the first time since Core Bank was created in 2013 with the merger of Omaha State Bank and Centennial Bank. Sorrell said bank officers began discussing a new headquarters from the beginning. The headquarters was conceived and built as part of a 10-year plan for growth. “We had a unique opportunity to create a new alternative way of banking, a different culture,” Sorrell said. “Now the parts are in play for what we’ve been doing the past five years with our culture and recruitment of employees.” The headquarters will be a benefit for customers, Sorrell said, along with the community bank’s way of doing business. “We’re here to serve our city. We’re investing in the community. Our commitment is to bring an exceptional banking experience to the general public.” Sorrell, an Omaha native, has led the bank for 12 years, beginning with Centennial Bank. In explaining his vision on the Core Bank website, Sorrell said: “We strive to be the local bank that is running ahead of the pack, creating better options for our community, for businesses and friends and neighbors. And we’re working hard to build a strong

JEFFREY BEBEE

“We’re here to serve our city,” said Core Bank President and CEO John Sorrell.

team culture, constantly encouraging each other to think creatively on your behalf.” Now, he said, the headquarters brings the bank’s manifesto to physical life. The 60,000-square-foot headquarters near 180th and Burke Streets is a high-tech home to about 100 people who had been scattered in offices around the Omaha area. Bank employees occupy the first three floors. Fourth-floor space will be leased. “We built the headquarters with our people in mind,” Sorrell said, pointing to employee health and amenities such as a fitness room and a fresh food concept in the lunchroom. Such perks can be seen as a reward for the employees, he said, and are a top recruitment tool. “It is our customers and people who will

make us what we are in a bank and drive our growth,” Sorrell said. “We built space for the community in the headquarters. And our building location puts us in the backyard of many of the residential and commercial customers we serve.” “We hold our people accountable,” Sorrell said, “but we empower them to take actions that will mean a better day for others.” The open work environment at the new headquarters will pay dividends, he said, as more people are able to interact around their workspaces or even at the coffee bar. Employees are great at giving back to the community, Sorrell said, a trait the bank encourages and supports along with its own charity work. The bank’s technology allows employees to serve more customers without tying them

to a specific location. One example is Core Bank’s push into the Kansas City market, where Core is doing business in a large metropolitan area from one location. “There is less foot traffic today,” Sorrell said. “Technology can make us less transactional without diminishing those we serve. We are bringing solution-based banking” to the customers. Customers can still come and meet face to face with Core employees to discuss a business plan, for example. “We provide personalized service whether it’s in person or through technology,” Sorrell said. Despite all the changes coming to the industry, banks are not a dying breed, he said. Core Bank sees itself as a one-stop banking experience, offering everything a customer may need. The commercial and real estate divisions are its larger strengths, Sorrell said. Core Bank has about $485 million in deposits and about $530 million in assets, Sorrell said, putting it among the top 10 or so banks in Omaha. Core Bank is locally owned, with the family of Omaha businessman Walter Scott Jr. controlling a majority stake. David Scott, Walter’s son, serves as chairman of the board. Sorrell praised the bank’s owners and directors, who have been a large part of the bank’s success. “We’re proud to be a community bank,” he said. “We strive to be both high-touch and high-tech.” Customers are the “core” of Core Bank, he said. Sorrell puts it this way in the bank’s manifesto: “We think positive. We do the right thing. And we never pretend to be nice. We just are. Because that’s how we’d want to be treated. And that’s what truly matters.”

Midwest’s Premier Commercial Rooﬁng & Sheet Metal Contractor Locally Owned & Operated Since 1979

Green Roofs • Metal Rooﬁng & Wall Panels EPDM/TPO/PVC 402-571-2364 • 1-800-413-6398 • www.scottent.com

2146271-01

CORE BANK

SUNDAY, MARCH 3

EASY AND INVITING ‘Experience experts’ aim to build relationships with customers By Tim Winters / Special for Core Bank High-tech banking with a personal touch. A lobby that is a full-service coffee bar but is also a full-service bank minus such traditional elements as teller windows and lines – and even tellers. Customer service at the “branch bank” within Core Bank’s new headquarters is unlike any other in the Omaha area, said Bart Protzman, vice president and senior banking center manager. “We wanted to create an environment where banking is casual and inviting, and we feel we have a space that will delight and surprise our clients,” Protzman said. “Banking should be easy and seamless for our clients.” Instead of tellers, Core Bank has “experience experts.” “We did this to better align how we want our team to interact with our clients,” Protzman said. “The experience experts are asked to sit side by side with our clients, rather than across from them. Not just because we are their bankers but also because we are their friends and neighbors. “We want to build relationships and let customers know we are their partners.” Digital integration that Protzman said is unique in the Omaha market helps eliminate that “stuffy bank vibe.” To set the tone early, customers entering the headquarters lobby are greeted by an experience expert and also will notice digital stations that display information about the community as well as the many bank services. Using laptops, the experience experts can

JEFFREY BEBEE

At Core Bank headquarters, the customer experience is casual and inviting. Teller windows have been replaced with a full-service coffee bar and seating areas for interaction between experience experts and customers. “We want to build relationships and let customers know we are their partners,” said Bart Protzman, below, vice president and senior banking center manager.

roam the lobby, find comfortable spots with customers and perform all regular bank transactions, from applying for a loan to cashing a check. Customers and their experts can work at the coffee bar, tables and other more-private areas in the lobby. “We want to be the leader in tech-forward innovations,” Protzman said, “and do banking on our customers’ terms.” Work to that end began more than three years ago, with bank officers attending bank

tech conferences and re-creating Core’s customer interaction training, Protzman said. “We asked our team to create a concierge level of service,” he said. “We are very excited to see it all come together.” Headquarters staff spent several months undergoing training, initially focusing on the customer experience – what Protzman calls the most important change that came with the new location. Next came staff training on utilizing the integrated digital platform and other new

2135045-01

SUNDAY, MARCH 3

features – such as phones and software – in their day-to-day interactions. Core Bank plans to expand the customer service blueprint to its other branches in the Omaha and Kansas City areas. “This will take time and research to see how each branch can mold into this model, but we are excited to begin down that path.” Not to be lost amid the technical features are all the services the bank provides. “We are a full-service community bank with a wide variety of personal banking products and services,” Protzman said. “We have a full suite of checking and savings account products to fit the needs of every consumer. We offer highly competitive money market accounts and certificates of deposit for those looking for a higher rate of return. “We also offer online banking and a mobile app. Within that platform, our users can pay bills, transfer money and remotely deposit their checks. All of our products and services are created with our customers’ needs in mind.” Protzman adds that business banking “is our bread and butter.” The headquarters location is a one-stop shop where a business owner can open a

CORE BANK

checking or money market account, meet with a treasury services relationship manager and consult with a commercial lender. “Our treasury products are robust, and each package is designed with that unique business in mind.” Protzman said that while Core would love for customers to come and see the new space, “we also believe that banking can come to you so our business owners can focus on growth and success. Our business is their business.” Clients want options, Protzman said, and Core Bank has created answers, including a “virtual center” that allows customers to contact and speak with a live person outside of normal banking hours. (The headquarters branch is open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.) “All this adds up to a banking culture we’re looking for,” said Protzman, a Papillion native who has worked in the banking industry for 15 years. He has been at Core Bank for five months, supervising about 40 retail employees. The innovations and culture at Core Bank were a lure for him, Protzman said.“We want banking to be on our customers’ terms, not ours.”

JEFFREY BEBEE

Core Bank’s industrial modern design includes furnishings and art that play on the bank’s black-and-white circular logo. At left, an experience expert gives a customer a virtual tour of Core Bank’s products and services. State-of-the-art technology is at the forefront of the customer experience.

Congratulations to our friends and clients at Core Bank!

alleypoyner.com 2134412-01

CORE BANK

AMENITIES FOSTER COLL ABORATION, EFFICIENCY

SUNDAY, MARCH 3

When executives at Core Bank began exploring the idea of a new headquarters several years ago, they surveyed employees on amenities they would recommend. As executives worked with Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture, they toured build-

Congratulations to Core Bank on your beautiful

new building and thank you for letting Investors Realty be a part of the project. 2136445-01

SUNDAY, MARCH 3

CORE BANK

JEFFREY BEEBE

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT A public foyer adorned with art. An employee kitchen. An employee fitness room. OPPOSITE PAGE A second-floor view of the atrium and lobby. A circular light fixture plays off the Core Bank logo. “We feel we have a space that will delight and surprise our clients,” said Bart Protzman, senior banking center manager.

ings of other financial institutions and asked those officers about their experiences. The result: a Core Bank headquarters with high-tech amenities, including remote-control blinds and glass-walled meeting spaces with hidden projectors and screens. Among the

architectural highlights are exposed beams, concrete walls and a light-filled two-story atrium. There even is room for whimsy – in contemporary art and decor and meeting rooms named after coin denominations. Instead of offices, many employees work

in open workspaces with unobstructed views from the building’s windows. “It will be great for our employees,” said Staucia Dumont, senior vice president and project manager. Bank officers hope the building’s many

open spaces will foster impromptu meetings among employees, who can use laptops to tap into a secure Wi-Fi network while working with colleagues and customers. “We want to keep people up and moving, not tied to a desk,” Dumont said.

2135427-01

On Your New Headquarters! 17801 STORAGE RD OMAHA, NE 68136 402.333.4495 WWW.UNIVERSALFLOORING.NET

CORE BANK

SUNDAY, MARCH 3

‘What the customer wants and needs’ The commercial group, which has seen annual growth of 10 percent to 14 percent, offers a wide range of services. By Tim Winters / Special for Core Bank Steven Knapp has been in the banking business for nearly 40 years, but as Core Bank unveils its new headquarters, the veteran banker can’t contain his excitement and enthusiasm. “We are excited to move,” said Knapp, a native of Battle Creek, Nebraska, who has lived in Omaha for the past 10 years. “Our people will no longer be separated by physical locations.” He uses the words “pride” and “proud” often as he looks toward the bank’s future. Knapp, who came to Core Bank in September as Omaha market president, has a staff of about 20 people in the commercial group, an area that continues to grow. He said the employees are especially excited about the state-of-the-art technology at the headquarters. He likes what the headquarters offers employees. Not just the technology but also such things as badge access that helps ensure a safe workplace. And amenities that include a fitness area and healthy meal choices. Knapp also sees a “huge benefit” for the bank’s customers and the Omaha community coming from the headquarters. The workplace setting at a central headquarters will boost teamwork and collaboration among employees and their customers, he said. A community room large enough for nearly 200 people can be used by a variety of groups. Homeowner associations, nonprofit organizations and social agencies, for example, can take advantage of the room’s latest technology for presentations. “We are proud of our efforts for the Omaha community, customers and employees,” Knapp said. “We want our employees to have fun every day and be excited to go to work.”

JEFFREY BEBEE

The community room, above, can accommodate up to 200 people and is equipped with audio/visual equipment for lectures, classes and presentations. The public also has access to a gathering/reception area, bottom right. “We are proud of our efforts for the Omaha community, customers and employees,” said Steven Knapp, top right, Core Bank’s Omaha market president.

Knapp is equally proud of the wide range of services that his group offers to customers. Commercial lending, real estate loans and treasury services are just the beginning. The group is heavily involved in the TIF (tax increment financing) market. An office in Overland Park, Kansas, is the largest SBA lender by volume in the Kansas City area. Clients can access their accounts through a variety of high-tech means, and can even get help with their healthcare banking needs.

“We are strong on the idea of concierge banking,” Knapp said. “We can bring a wide range of products and deliver them in an efficient manner.” Customers at the local, state and even global levels want service that meets their individual banking needs, and “we want to be that bank,” Knapp said. “We take pride in understanding what the customer wants and needs. Every customer is important,” Knapp said. “We want them

to have the ultimate experience.” Core Bank has a bright sign on its headquarters that is visible from the Dodge Street Expressway, a signal that Knapp believes is more affirmation of the bank’s strong ties to the community. Knapp said the commercial group at Core has seen annual growth of 10 percent to 14 percent and expects that to continue.

CORE BANK

SUNDAY, MARCH 3

Trust division’s expertise, innovation bring results For bank’s investment clients, ‘it pays to be different’ By Tim Winters / Special for Core Bank Privacy is a big deal for Core Bank’s trust division. A really big deal. That’s one reason why the division has higher glass walls around its team than other divisions in Core Bank’s headquarters. John Stadsvold, vice president of trust operations, said the work done with clients merits a high degree of confidentiality. Still, he expects the headquarters to bring greater collaboration among treasury services, lending, commercial and healthcare banking and trust. The keys to continued success, Stadsvold said, are the bank’s depth in several forms. One is the trusting relationships that have been formed. Another is the amount of expertise found in a specific area of work. And along with those two factors, striving to be the best. “This is an environment that allows an individual to create something – not be the same as everyone else. We are encouraged to innovate.” He quoted American businessman Errett Lobban Cord, whose corporation built the Cord, Auburn and Duesenberg automobiles: “If you can’t be the biggest, it pays to be different.” Trust officer Ashley Peters, who specializes in financial planning, also predicts more collaboration with people from other divisions now under one roof. Stadsvold has been in the trust and investment industry for about 45 years – five at Core Bank. Peters, who started at Core Bank two years ago, has been in the industry since 2002. One focus of the trust division is investment management. Another is estate and trust administration. “The foundation for what we do is financial planning, a compass and roadmap for our

JEFFREY BEBEE

Ashley Peters, below, a financial planning trust officer with Core Bank, is glad to have all the divisions under one roof at the bank’s new headquarters, where employee workstations, above, are designed to be collaborative while still offering a high degree of privacy.

client’s future,” Stadsvold said. There is no “typical” client, Stadsvold and Peters said. “We manage their money in different ways,” Stadsvold said. “We become the customer’s chief financial officer. That can involve investing, accounting, even paying their bills.” While “paper” still matters for the bankers, Peters said, technology can help them to go to clients remotely to serve their needs. Many clients created their wealth through ownership of a business; many years of working for the same company; or perhaps through a gift or an inheritance. “Through the use of trusts and a disciplined investment management process, we help clients organize, understand, manage and preserve their wealth,” Stadsvold said.

“We also strive to attain the income and growth return needed; plan tax advantage distributions during the client’s lifetime; and distribute their wealth upon their death.” Stadsvold said a trust’s advantages include privacy, avoiding probate, discretionary distributions for those with special needs or situations involving second marriages or a blended family. Trust officers have a long list of duties, including confidentiality, impartiality, loyalty and a higher standard of skill and care. Along with estate and trust administration, asset management for individuals, endowments, foundations and charitable trusts: Stadsvold and Peters see a growing service in the area of special needs trusts, conservatorships and IRA rollovers from corporate retirement plans.

EMPOWERING

the Financial World At FIS, we provide the technology and solutions to �� TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW FIS CAN EMPOWER YOU, VISIT �� 2144428-01

CORE BANK

SUNDAY, MARCH 3

ONE-STOP SHOP Key decision-makers under one roof are a boon in real estate lending, other services By Tim Winters / Special for Core Bank For David Hartman, one of the best aspects of Core Bank’s new headquarters is proximity. The senior vice president of real estate lending now has all of his Omaha staff in one office spot that is designed to foster all types of meetings, from the scheduled to the impromptu. “It will be great with the synergies that can go on among all the groups” in the new setting. “People can run into each other at the coffee bar” and decide to have a quick meeting in one of the open-seating areas situated among employee workspaces. Hartman expects to see far more joint sales and marketing meetings with other areas of the bank that were not possible when bank employees were scattered among various office sites. Even the headquarters lunchroom can boost employee interactions, Hartman said. “We are encouraging people to use the lunchroom and not eat at their desks, as many of us do,” he said. Hartman said he believes all the employees moving to the headquarters are excited to be in one location. “Even those employees who will not be located at the new office will see the impact of the synergies that will no doubt improve the delivery of products and services to our client base across Omaha and in Kansas City.”

JEFFREY BEBEE

The headquarters’ lunchroom is designed to boost employee interaction — and mood, with lots of natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows.

(Core Bank is establishing a real estate sales team in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, Kansas.) “With most of the key decision-makers being in the same building, we’ll no doubt be more nimble and responsive to our employees and their respective clients,” Hartman said. “Everyone is excited to check out the upgrade in technology the building offers and how it is going to make us operate more efficiently.” Customers’ experiences under the bank’s vision of one-stop shopping should be enhanced by the headquarters, Hartman said. His employees can offer ideas, solutions and loans from a project’s start to comple-

tion: land development, lot loans, construction financing and permanent financing when the project is finished. With all employees now in one spot, it will be easier for one section to quickly offer clients more interaction with other groups to discuss what Core Bank can provide. Hartman, who has about 30 employees in his area, said one factor that helps set Core Bank apart is the market intelligence of his officers, who have the ability to offer common-sense products when the opportunity arises. Among the group’s many services are construction loans, mortgage loans and refinancing options. At the end of the third quarter, real estate loans totaled $336

million, an annual increase of nearly 10 percent. The site of Core Bank’s headquarters is a plus, too, Hartman said. The mortgage group, for example, now is across the street from one of Omaha’s major real estate companies. Other members of Hartman’s group who often visit building sites have quick freeway access to busy areas of west Omaha and Sarpy County. Hartman, a native of Pleasanton, Nebraska, has been in the banking business since 1983 and in Omaha since 1986. He has been with Core Bank since it was founded.

This special section was produced for Core Bank by the Omaha World-Herald

Proud furniture supplier for Core Bank

1425 Jones Street | Omaha, Nebraska 68102 402.991.7471 | www.encompas.com

2144928-01

XNSP36000

“We’re here to serve our city. We’re investing in the community. Our commitment is to bring an exceptional banking experience to the general public.”

CONGRATULATIONS!

WE ARE PROUD TO BE A PART OF MAKING CORE BANK’S CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS A SUCCESS.

JOHN SORRELL PRESIDENT AND CEO CORE BANK

FAC Print & Promo Company

DBSI D BSI

Bergman Incentives

6998 S. 108th St, La Vista, NE 68128 402.592.7888 www.faconline.com

6950 West Morelos Place, Chandler, AZ 85226 (602) 264-7263 www.dbsi-inc.com

9411 F St, Omaha, NE 68127 (402) 661-7900 www.bergmanincentives.com

Ideal Pure Water

Money Handling Machines

B2 Interactive

7667 D St, Omaha, NE 68124 (402) 392-2600 www.idealpurewater.com

8727 Irvington Rd, Omaha, NE 68122 (402) 571-5577 www.moneyhandlingmachines.com

4223 S 143rd Cir, Omaha, NE 68137 (402) 932-9990 www.b2interactive.com

Walentine O’Toole, LLP

Omaha National Title

Village Pointe Shopping Center

Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota and Kansas www.walentineotoole.com

402-827-9100 www.omahanationaltitle.com

168th & W Dodge Rd, Omaha, NE 68118 (402) 505-9773 www.VillagePointeShopping.com

AN ADDRESS TO IMPRESS

We’d like to congratulate on their awesome new digs. We love to see people-focused companies flourish and grow.

Proud to be your technology partner allowing you to be the local bank that is running ahead of the pack, creating better options for our community, for businesses, friends and neighbors.

Risk Management Group Benefits Private Client Services

2144723-01

coxbusiness.com 2145974-01

MEMBER FDIC

EQUAL HOUSING LENDER

Your headquarters for a remarkable new banking experience. Your tour starts here.