Choice One Engineering, a local civil engineering and surveying firm, began operations in a basement in 1994. It was dubbed “The Bat Cave.” Today, they have two locations–one in Sidney and the other in Loveland, OH.

After twenty-five years of hard work, fun and uber-responsiveness, they wanted to move from larger financial institutions to a local bank. 2019 they brought their business to Minster Bank, and the relationship began.

A Relationship With a Bank?

Choice One wanted the same responsiveness from their bank as they provided to their customers. They also wanted top-notch customer service and a bank interested in their needs. They turned to Ken Goettemoeller, Sr. Commercial Loan Officer in the Minster office. Ken set them up with the best banking plan for their needs, was able to reduce fees and provided a level of service unlike other banks.

On a day-to-day basis, Cary Schmiesing, Controller for Choice One, works with Kris Kuck from Operations. No matter what, Kris provides a fast turn-around time that makes her day more manageable. That one-on-one relationship with a local, caring bank matters most in good times and not-so-good times.

Enter COVID-19

The world changed almost overnight in mid-March 2020. Uncertainty followed immediately. Will business be conducted? Will banks see a run? Cary pondered many things during that challenging time. But she knew Choice One had one benefits many companies didn’t – a bank and the people there.

Instead of an impersonal call center and waiting for someone who treated them like a number, she had Kris, Ken and the Minster Bank staff a phone call away. The help she received was immediate!

When Choice One asked about a line of credit in case things worsened, they weren’t put in a queue and given further instructions. The people at Minster who knew Cary and the folks at Choice One offered a line of credit available the same day.

Probably few others can say that about their bank. But Minster continued working with them to ensure they were ready with PPP Funds if needed. And although they never were, Cary and the others knew someone was watching out for them–by name.

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It’s All About Relationships

Cary said future growth won’t stop Choice One from sticking with Minster Bank. Even with continued growth, nothing could replace the personalized service, fast responses and friendly voices at Minster. Relationships matter most when you need them to, and Minster was there when the world was topsy-turvy. One simple phrase summed it up:

“They cared about Choice One.”

Cary said she recommends Minster Bank to anyone – you can’t replace relationships forged one at a time.

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