Bremer Bank Roots: 90 Years and Growing; New Wahpeton Bank Branch Announced
Wahpeton, N.D. - July 9, 2009 - Bremer Bank, which celebrates its 90th anniversary in Breckenridge this year, continued its long-term investment in the area by announcing plans for a new bank in Wahpeton, slated for completion in early 2010. The new branch will be located at 1618 Commerce Street in Wahpeton which is at the intersection of 16th Ave and 210 Bypass. The bank has signed a purchase agreement for the land and is working through final details on the project. A groundbreaking ceremony will be scheduled for this fall.
When completed, the new bank will offer over 4,500 square feet and will include three drive-up lanes, including a drive-up ATM, as well as safe deposit boxes in the branch. The new bank will employ about 10 people and offer a full-range of retail and business banking, mortgage, investment, insurance, and Trust products and services.
“Bremer has a long history in this market,” said Jana Berndt, Bremer president. “We’re celebrating our 90th year in Breckenridge this fall and now we’re making a long-term investment in Wahpeton by putting down even deeper roots by building a new, free-standing branch. This additional location reflects our on-going commitment to this market and our dedication to providing added convenience to our customers. With another location, customers will now have multiple options for handling their banking transactions.”
Bremer has been in Wahpeton for almost 15 years and currently leases a branch in the local Econo Foods supermarket. That location has grown significantly and customer demand has increased dramatically at the grocery store, leading Bremer to seek ways to meet that growth.
“The new bank reflects Bremer’s on-going strength and profitability,” explained Berndt. “We’re owned by our employees and the Otto Bremer Foundation. When clients bank with Bremer, we are able to channel our profits back to the community through charitable grants provided by our Foundation. Our vision at Bremer is to build healthy communities through partnerships. We’ve been in Breck for 90 years – those are pretty deep roots! We’re complimenting that presence by digging deeper roots into Wahpeton as well; we believe these multiple locations will strengthen the partnerships we have and really make a difference in the on-going health of this area.”
Bremer Financial Corporation
Bremer Financial Corporation is a privately-held, $7.5 billion regional financial services company jointly owned by its employees and the Otto Bremer Foundation (OBF). Founded in 1943 by Otto Bremer, the company is headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota and provides a comprehensive range of banking, investment, trust and insurance services to more than 100 locations in Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin. OBF uses its share of dividends to distribute charitable grants to Bremer Bank communities. For more information, go to bremer.com.