If you’re a Columbus native, you probably have vivid memories of traveling downtown, noticing the gorgeous skyline, but being totally overwhelmed and enthralled by the wonderful smell of Wonder Bread baking somewhere within the confines of the city. If you’re not from Columbus, or you are of a younger generation, all you need to know is that a portion of the old Wonder Bread building on 4^th Street downtown is now home to a Heartland Bank customer, City Tavern.

 Brad Heimerl is part of the family, the tradition and the commitment. The three-generation commitment to a tradition of excellence instilled by family values, hard work and dedication to feeding the world while respecting the environment. The Heimerl Farm’s mission statement sums it all up: “To promote Agriculture through strong family values, superior animal care, sound environmental stewardship, good community relations and solid financial decisions in order to provide a future for our family farm, our team members, and our farming partners.”

According to Ray Ray’s website, “Barbecue is easy to find. Real barbecue isn’t.” Real partners in the financial world are not always easy to find either. For Ray Ray’s, a financial partner with commitment to their customer and willingness to go above-and-beyond was definitely not an easy find or quick decision. Fortunately, Heartland Bank was that perfect match and Ray Ray’s is proud to share their story.

Just over two years ago, we celebrated with our customer, Burton Metal Finishing, as they held their grand reopening after a devastating fire. Our solid relationship grew even deeper as we assisted the company from a state of destruction to a state of revival.

Recently, several Heartland employees, along with U. S. Senator Rob Portman and head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Linda McMahon, toured the relatively new facility and observed the restored operations, coming about with the help of Heartland Bank and the SBA.

Barb and Phil Watts are very proud of their farm, what they produce and what they do for the community. The commercial cattle farm in Alexandria, which they acquired in 2001, is located along State Route 161/37 between New Albany and Granville in central Ohio. They currently crop farm 2,100 acres and feed 2,000 Holsteins. According to Phil, “The first years were slower. Anybody who’s lived through the ‘80s knows that those weren’t good years to expand, and it went slower then. But we have survived that and the last 15 years have been more expansion than ever before.”