Once again, the holiday season is upon us! It seems the years go by quicker every year, and each year brings new adventures, experiences and timeless memories. Your Heartland Bank team has worked tirelessly again this year to improve your banking experience. I’d like to thank our valued customers as well as our tremendous associates at Heartland Bank for another outstanding year.
Heartland Bank was recently named one of the “Best Banks to Work For” by American Banker Magazine. We hire talented people and give them the authority to do the right thing for customers. As we grew this year, we hired 23 associates to better serve you, and we now have 125 associates at Heartland Bank! Through our associates’ dedication, we are now the 5th largest ag lender in Nebraska and the 12th largest bank in Nebraska outside of Lincoln and Omaha.
We have also been working on delivering more products and services to make banking easier. In 2021, we added digital enhancements, like TransferNow, to make it easier to transfer money to and from outside banks, and we also added the ability to transfer money to friends and family immediately - without fees - from your phone or computer with Zelle. We are committed to enhancing our technology capabilities to make your banking quick, convenient and easy.
I am very proud of how the Heartland Bank team helped numerous customers during the year through the Paycheck Protection Program. We funded 1,352 Paycheck Protection Program loans to customers and, most importantly, worked with those customers to get these loans forgiven by the Small Business Administration. Our associates spent countless hours processing and funding these loans, and in turn, helped our customers keep their businesses open during the pandemic.
As we continue to grow and offer new products and services, the most important thing we offer every day is personal service to our valued customers. Our mission is to improve the lives of our customers, associates, and communities, and that mission doesn't waiver. This year we were able to donate $400,000 to the Heartland Bank Foundation to continue the support of our communities going forward.
From our Heartland Bank family to yours, we wish you a joyous holiday season and prosperous New Year. We look forward to serving you in 2022. Thank you for trusting us with your financial future. We are honored to be your bank!
Happy Holidays and Best Wishes in the New Year!
John is the Chairman and CEO of Heartland Bank. He is the third generation of the Wilkins family to lead the bank. John has 40 years of banking experience in various lending, wealth management, and branch leadership roles. In his free time, he enjoys traveling and spending time with his family.
