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Saturday, January 3, 2009
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Unity Bank opens Brainerd branch BIZ BUZZ Senior Reporter Unity Bank expanded to Brainerd, opening a branch on West Washington Street on the first business day of the new year.
The bank opened for business at 9 a.m. Friday on the corner of Washington and Seventh Street Northwest in Brainerd in the former Deerwood bank building across from Burger King near the Westgate Mall.
Rick Wiersgalla, chief operating officer of Unity Bank in Brainerd, said the move to Brainerd has been planned since early 2000.
"With the economy there are people looking to getting back to the basics of banking and credit," Wiersgalla said in a phone interview. "There is a good opportunity here. This is an excellent time for us to make the move."
The full-service bank offers commercial loans, mortgage lending, Internet banking, and drive-through service.
Wiersgalla said Unity Bank has always been one to access the needs of borrowers and is not burdened with mortgage foreclosures and bad credit. The bank serves mom and pop businesses, home refinancing and any type of worthwhile credit needs, Wiersgalla said. He described the bank as one with old-fashioned values of doing business by the numbers.
"We are a very blue collar bank and we're here to service the needs of the average citizen of the community," he said.
The bank employs nine.
"The staff can't be more excited about this opportunity," Wiersgalla said. "They are truly energized and ready."
Wiersgalla said the bank has familiar faces to lakes area residents. Jim Kron is the vice president/branch manager. Staff members include Matt Castle, Jill Allord, Elyshia Stange, Bill Serra, Nic Dehning, and Kim Tuchek.
Unity Bank, with a history extending back for 125 years, is headquartered in Rush City. The bank reports its network has 15 locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin with more than $300 million in total assets.
Unity Bank has offices in Clarissa, Staples, Pillager, Motley, Crosby, Pierz-Genola, Edina, and Emily.
Job seekers in law enforcement who are interested in relocating to Alaska may benefit from being Minnesotans.
In a phone interview from Alaska, Officer Natasha Welch from the Anchorage Police Department, said the department is sending recruiters to Minneapolis with a pitch for attractive salaries and benefits.
The recruiters will be in Minneapolis Jan. 9-13 at the Embassy Suites Minneapolis Airport Hotel. More information is available online at www.joinapd.org.
Even with the cost of living in Alaska, the Anchorage Police Department reports the wages are competitive to the Midwest. A shortage of officers in Anchorage led to the recruiting trip.
"This is just the latest police department heading to Minneapolis and Ann Arbor to look for skilled officers," the Anchorage Police Department announced. "The recruiting push comes as police departments across the United States are seeing less qualified candidates applying for jobs. Unlike other companies and police agencies, the Anchorage Police Department is growing in large part to a healthy local economy."
The average starting salary with overtime for a first year officer in 2007 was $73,918 and for a 10th year officer was $103,921.
To counter potential misconceptions, the Anchorage Police Department reports there is daylight in Anchorage year-round with 19 hours of sunshine in June to nearly six hours in December. And, they said, the winters there are comparable to those in Minnesota.
So there may be a job opportunity out there for a lakes area resident willing to relocate.
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