Build a Bridge

Just when it looked like there would be a rocky financial path forward for Neighborhood Health of Fort Wayne to complete a major expansion project, F&M Bank found a way to make it happen.

“The conversation started about five years ago and it’s been baby steps, but we were determined to bring this to fruition,” says Andy Baker, Northern Indiana Regional President and Chief Retail Banking Officer.

Dubbed the “Neighborhood Health Oxford Project,” the community health center was looking to open a fourth clinic location at Ward and Oxford streets in southeast Fort Wayne. The area has often been described as “medically underserved.”

“This was a very complex transaction because they were using something called the New Markets Tax Credit program to fill in the funding gaps for this $20 million project, and it had to be done in a timely manner,” says Brian Ternet, SVP, Commercial Banker. “The roadblock Neighborhood Health was running into with a lot of other financial institutions was they simply didn’t understand the deal or didn’t want to take the time to understand the program. We dug in and had meaningful conversations, and we ultimately got to the point where the bank was very comfortable doing this. Not only did it require the effort on our end to get familiar with this program, it provided financing to a really important organization that’s going to put an asset in the community that didn’t exist before.”

The staff at Neighborhood Health say they are immensely grateful to the F&M team for their willingness to partner with them now and in the future.

“From the beginning, it was evident that the leadership team at F&M are not just bankers, they are stakeholders in the community that want to make a lasting and impactful difference,” says Angie Zaegel, President/CEO of Neighborhood Health. “Because of the bank’s financing, we will be able to provide a host of services, including medical, behavioral health, dental and wrap around support to an area with limited resources and access to care. Most importantly, we will be providing prenatal services for a community with one of the highest infant mortality rates in the state.”

Despite the challenges, Baker says this transaction speaks to the core values the financial team follows every day.

“This is a really good example of F&M being that go-to community bank in northeast Indiana. You need a local, community bank that understands the needs of the community, but also has the expertise to get a very complex deal across the finish line with lots of different tentacles to it. When you think of the time, energy and effort needed for this deal, it didn’t matter that it wasn’t the best deal for the bank purely from a return on assets perspective, it was the right thing to do for the community.”

Baker says they have many other examples of his team going the extra mile for their clients as they strive to build a bridge between the bank and the community it serves.

With its main headquarters in Archbold, Ohio, F&M Bank has been in business since 1897 and has 25 locations in the state. The bank’s footprint now spans well over northeast Indiana with 14 branches, including the regional headquarters office in downtown Fort Wayne that opened one year ago.

“Fort Wayne remains one of, if not the biggest growth opportunities for F&M,” says Baker. “We’ve been really strategic and thoughtful about how to best invest our time, energy and money in the Fort Wayne community to make the greatest impact, not only as a bank, but as individuals. I was blessed to be able to join the board of directors for Greater Fort Wayne Inc. All of us on the Fort Wayne team were asking ourselves, ‘How can I make sure I’m connected to the community and how can I make sure F&M plays a prominent role in the success and growth of the city?’”

For Rob Slusser, SVP, Market President, the answer was participation in a number of local, well-known organizations.

“I’m currently on the board of the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne and serve as board treasurer, and work on various committees,” says Slusser. “I also recently joined the board of Arts United and it’s exciting to be a part of an ongoing renovation project with them, which will be great for the public to enjoy once it’s finished. I’m a former board member and current committee member of PBS 39, working on ways to commemorate the station’s 50^th anniversary this coming year.”

Ternet also brought his banking experience to Arts United, along with a number of other revered nonprofits.

“I’m involved with the boards at Erin’s House for Grieving Children, Turnstone and Brightpoint. They’re all great organizations and so many people in our community are better off today because of these groups.”

“I enjoy staying active, so when my term on the board of the Community Development Corporation came to an end, I joined the board of Science Central where I started out on the finance committee, and this summer I will become a full board member,” says Curtis Metz, VP, Commercial Banker. “I’m also involved with Leadership Fort Wayne through Greater Fort Wayne Inc.”

In addition to its commitment to volunteering, Ternet says another reason F&M is a standout in the banking industry is its commitment to communicating with customers.

“Unlike a lot of other banks, we answer phone calls and reply to emails,” he says. “We’re an institution that’s actively investing in Fort Wayne, rather than pulling resources out. I work out of the downtown office, but if it’s more convenient for you to meet at our Huntertown location, I will do that. We will come to you.”

The team points out that Fort Wayne is one of the few places in the midwest that continues to see population growth year after year.

“That’s a unique position to be in,” says Baker. “It allows us to grow along with the community and more deeply invest in the people here. We have a notable reputation of delivering personalized service to our clients and developing longtime relationships with them. That’s what community banking is all about – knowing your clients’ names and needs and earning their trust. As a 127-year-old community bank, we have a nice balance of farming customers, business customers and consumer customers, and we’re doing everything we can to serve them and their communities.” 

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