The Heritage Difference

Our History

The Heritage Story began on July 1, 1952 in Wood River, Nebraska. On that date, our founder Charles E. “Chick” Moyer left a career with the State Department of Banking to enter the banking business. Chick & Donna (Bilon) Moyer purchased the Bank of Wood River and put down roots in Hall County. At that time the bank had three employees, loans (assets) of $348,000 and deposits (liabilities) of $811,000.

Over the years our company has grown considerably. Along the way Heritage Bank has developed a team of officers who have earned the opportunity to be shareholders as well through their hard work and dedication. This makes our officers, known as Relationship Managers, uniquely qualified as business partners to your operation – they’re facing the same challenges as you are. These Relationship Managers provide excellent leadership to the communities we serve, and build outstanding relationships with our farm, livestock, business and consumer customers.

Heritage’s strength has been built on aggressive loan growth strategies based on underlying conservative lending philosophies. One of Chick’s premises “A deal has to be fair to all parties, and good for both the customer and for the bank in order to make sense” rings true to this day. We are in this for the long haul and look forward to being your financial partner as well. If you’re looking for a bank that will serve as your business partner, adviser, sounding board, and co-visionary then Heritage Bank is for you. Please give us a call or stop into any of our Heritage Bank offices to get acquainted!

There are Millions of Reasons to Invest with Heritage Bank

The Heritage Bank Trust & Investment Services division of our company evolved from the old First National Bank & Trust Company in Aurora. In 1985, that department managed $6 million in assets (trusts, farms, investments). As of year-end 2017, our Trust & Investment Services division has grown to $228 million in managed assets. Steve Arnett and Emily Jasnowski are the Trust Officers, and Steve manages this division. He holds a B.S. degree in Finance and Economics from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, and an MBA in Finance from the University of Minnesota. Emily is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with degrees in Accounting and Finance.  Sam Moyer assists in the department’s activities as well, where his Law Degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and LLM in tax law from New York University are particularly beneficial. They are assisted by Angie Vetter. Today the Heritage Bank Trust & Investment department manages many revocable and irrevocable trusts, charitable trusts, 401(k) and personal retirement plans, farming operations and investment management accounts throughout Nebraska. Come find out why your neighbors are having their trusts and investments managed at Heritage!

Technology & Convenience with a Personal Touch

Chick and Lew Welch often told of hand posting deposits and withdrawals on ledger sheets daily back in the early years. Today, computers drive our industry, enabling great efficiencies for multi-branch banks such as ours. That technology makes it possible for our customers to conduct business at any of our banking offices at their convenience. It allows us all 24/7 access to cash anywhere in the world at ATM machines. Debit card and other electronic transactions have quickly overtaken paper checks as the primary form of payment in America. Our customers now access account information night or day via our free Mobile, Internet and Telephone Banking systems. Gone are the days of doing everything by hand in the banking business. Nonetheless, the care and personal attention that we put into every customer relationship will not waiver.

More Than Just a Bank

Today, Heritage Insurance and HGI Realty Inc. are growing divisions within the Heritage Group. HGI Realty is a full service real estate brokerage firm, with licensed realtors in three of our communities. We assist clients in buying and selling all types of real estate, from farms to homes to commercial buildings throughout Nebraska.

Heritage Insurance is an independent insurance agency, meaning that we represent many top rated insurance companies. That enables us to quote your insurance with multiple companies to ensure you’re getting a good value for your dollar while appropriately covering your unique risks. Protecting your bottom line is paramount. We write crop insurance, farm owners, commercial, home, auto, life, health and disability insurance with specialists in each of those fields. Heritage Insurance has licensed agents in nearly all of the markets where we have banks, with a team of over 15 agents group-wide today.

The Best is Yet to Come

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of all of our officers and employees since 1952, the company has grown from a single seed planted in Wood River to branches in thirteen Nebraska communities. Today we have assets in excess of $500 million, and the holding company has over $75 million in capital backing the bank, with no debt. We’re continually expanding the breadth of services we offer throughout our markets to include insurance and realty services. Jim Rennau, a 39-year team member in Wood River, stated, “What Chick started back in the 1950’s has grown into a company with unparalleled strength and expertise in our field. Despite our growth, we’re even more committed today to each of our customers as financial partners and friends.”

Heritage Bank is pleased to employ roughly 100 of the finest bankers in Nebraska, supporting local economies with these quality jobs. We continually give generously to the communities we serve. The Moyer family is proud of their 65+ year commitment to their customers and to the markets they serve. In addition to the Moyer family, the Heritage Group is comprised of many other bank officers who are also shareholders. They are therefore committed to continuing to provide top quality products and personalized service to their valued customers for many years to come. According to Rodney Peters, Co-Director of Sales, “It’s all about adding value for our customers so that we have the opportunity to grow together.”

Chick and Donna have enjoyed the many good friendships they’ve made in central Nebraska. Heritage Bank invites everyone to stop into any of our offices and meet our staff. Prior to his passing in 2014, Chick stated “We’re proud of our people and our facilities, and we look forward to serving the banking needs of consumers, businesses and Ag producers in Nebraska for many years to come.” As for the future of the Heritage Group, Chick added “Our family’s reputation for operating safe and sound banks in Nebraska opens many doors for us. I feel very sincerely that the best is yet to come!”