Family businesses enjoy unique dynamics. Not only are the family members able to understand underlying traits and idiosyncrasies, the balance created by familial relationships is distinctive and reliable. Lincoln Construction was built from within and shares this quality with Heartland Bank.
Kurt Schmitt built the company’s culture over his 50 years with Lincoln, and now his two children are successfully evolving the business for continued growth. Greg and Andrea Schmitt, second generation recruits to the family business, manage the day-to-day operations and acknowledge that Kurt’s planning for the future in the formative years has made a difference in the bottom line and on the front line. Lincoln is maintaining 25 to 35-year business relationships and are developing new clients with their focused business strategy and cohesive management style.
Greg and Andrea were no strangers to construction talk as evening meals and company picnics were part of their upbringing, along with actual on-the-site, part-time positions working side-by-side with skilled craftsmen and field laborers. Both went to college, ultimately exploring careers very different from the construction industry where they had first been exposed to the working world. They didn’t stay away long as they were eventually recruited by Kurt in a proper and professional style, eliciting a positive response, and soon they were onboard with his succession plan.
Growing organically and adopting a customer-centered philosophy has become Lincoln’s trademark. Greg admits, “It means developing solutions before challenges become problems, identifying cost centers before construction and developing cost effective alternatives that preserve our clients’ budgets. Clients do not simply hire us to construct a building – they understand that our strength is in collaboration, planning, guidance and providing advocacy for their needs. Our clients know that working with us means they’re getting a fully invested partner.”
“You don’t want to work backwards,” added Andrea while making the point that Lincoln prefers to be involved from the very beginning to keep the best interests of the client in mind during all stages of the construction process. “Clients fall in love with their architectural drawing and they should,” but Andrea acknowledges that budgets can mean plan alterations and if Lincoln is a partner from the beginning, they do their best to ensure that the customer’s dream becomes a reality.
Heartland has direct experience with Lincoln Construction as not only a client, but also as the company currently building the new Delaware branch location and previously contracted for the Upper Arlington branch. The bank is proud to partner with a business that embraces a family culture and builds on a foundation of actual family roots.
“While we are a second-generation family owned business, creating a family atmosphere where our team members can thrive and build a career has been our main goal. We strive every day to ensure that team members feel empowered to always do the right thing, ensure they are valued and understand their importance to achieving our shared goals, and that we are certainly stronger and can solve any problem as a team. It is something we work on every day, but we take great pride in many of our team members retiring with 20, 30 or 40 years of Lincoln experience. It is an honor for Andrea and I to lead such a thoughtful, smart and caring team,” shared Greg.
If you’d like to partner with a bank that values a foundation based on family and culture, check out any of our 19 branch locations for a home-away-from-home for all your financial needs.