Whenever a neighborhood surrounding one of its thousands of branches languishes, a national bank still does just fine. They’re making a big omelet. They can afford not to worry about every egg.
It’s a different story for First Western Bank & Trust. Since their foundation in Minot in 1964, First Western has established 16 additional locations throughout North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota. Their growth over the past half-century is a testament to the power of friendly, sincere and methodical banking. But because they are still regional, First Western has every incentive to ensure that each one of their markets thrives. Their Eden Prairie branch, which has served our city for all its personal banking, business banking and mortgage needs since 2006, is no exception.
“When Eden Prairie succeeds, so do we,” said David Thompson, market president. “But our commitment to Eden Prairie’s success is not just good business. Eden Prairie is where we live. Eden Prairie is where we’re raising our families. Eden Prairie is where our friends, neighbors and family members earn their livings. The stronger we make our local economy, the better all of our lives become.
“While we consider it an honor to work alongside business owners who are already established, it is especially rewarding to partner with ones who are just starting their journeys. For a banker who is invested in their community, helping a local business grow from a few employees to several hundred couldn’t feel more satisfying.
“We don’t offer business advice in the strictest sense. The path a contractor, restaurateur or auto mechanic should follow on their way to success falls outside of a banker’s scope of expertise. That said, when one of our business clients comes to us for financing, we do help keep their focus trained on what would best benefit them. We often dissuade our clients from purchasing larger facilities than they actually need, or equipment which isn’t poised to be of much use. We’re only able to do that by taking the time to truly understand our clients’ businesses and goals.”
“First Western specializes in working with small and mid-sized businesses,” said Natalie Schultz, business banking officer. “That extends beyond taking care of their day-to-day banking needs. We additionally offer the equipment financing, vehicle financing, and commercial real estate loans they’ll require to master their markets.
“I recently met with a client whose business had grown too rapidly for them to keep up. I introduced them to my large network of professionals. Soon they had a bookkeeper and accountant to get everything in order for the loan they needed to purchase a larger location.”
“We regularly underwrite government loans and conventional loans, although we do offer far more financing options than most other banks,” said Richard Hawes, mortgage loan originator. “While many lenders shy away from loans for land, new construction, hobby farms and manufactured homes, First Western is more enthusiastic discussing options which frequently go hand in hand with unconventional loans. That’s largely because we have our own in-house lending department. When Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae can’t do it, we typically can.
“We’re also willing to invest whatever time it takes to bring our clients to the finish line. That’s of special value in the case of land loans, which often demand a great deal of back and forth between several different parties. It’s also of great help to our clients who wrongly believe their circumstances bar them from taking out loans. I recently worked with a man whose credit score had been ruined by identity theft. I laid out the steps he could take to restore it, and I am proud to say he has just qualified to buy a house.”
First Western Bank & Trust’s Eden Prairie branch is located at 100 Prairie Center Drive. Please call (952) 516-7300 or visit firstwestern.bank to learn more about what our community bank can do for you.
"For a banker who is invested in their community, helping a local business grow from a few employees to several hundred couldn’t feel more satisfying."
