A True Partnership

When Lori Berndt was trying to open a store that focused on gourmet olive oils, vinegars and other specialty products, she needed a business loan. She and her husband already used ProFed Credit Union for their personal banking needs, so she turned to ProFed for help getting The Olive Twist off the ground. 

“That was in August of 2010 when no one would give us a business loan,” she recalls. “It’s hard to believe we are now going on 15 years in business and ProFed has been there every step of the way.”

ProFed serves nine northeast Indiana counties with 13 branches, as well as convenient and secure digital banking, providing services like checking and savings accounts, credit cards and loans. 

“Our business members can take advantage of payroll direct deposit and ACH collections and origination. We have everything from conventional business loans to commercial real estate as well as SBA,” says Regina Opdycke, assistant VP, Business Services. “We offer HSAs and traditional Roth IRAs so businesses can support their employees. ProFed can host financial wellness workshops and we can provide financial planning expertise, too.”

Opdycke says ProFed has alliances with places like the Indiana Small Business Development Center and the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center to help provide access to resources that can help business owners grow. “We really want to come together as a valued partner for the business or member and I think that’s something that really makes us stand out,” she says. “We’re constantly looking for efficiencies and trying to improve our processes so that things can be as easy as possible. We live in a world where people will leave if things are too difficult, if they have to click too many buttons or if they have to jump through too many hoops, so we’re constantly looking for ways to improve.”

One distinct advantage for members, says Cara Teeple, VP, Business Services, is ProFed’s commitment to people in our region.

“Being local — whether that’s on the consumer side or the residential mortgage side or the business side — is really important,” stresses Teeple. “A lot of times people don’t realize how important it is until they have a problem. They want to know that they can talk to someone face-to-face or call and talk to the same person over and over again.”

That’s just one reason Berndt chose ProFed in the beginning, and why she still chooses them today. “At every branch we go to, the staff know us by name as we walk in. They are always very helpful and if they don’t have an answer to our question they find the answer and get back with us,” Berndt says. “I can’t thank them enough for always being there whenever we need their help.” 

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