Recently, we completed a twenty-five year strategic plan describing our commitment to remain family owned and focused on serving the communities we currently serve as well as the communities we hope to serve in the future. Our plan is based on a few, simple core values. These values are expressed in our commitments to our communities, customers and employees.

• We are committed to helping our communities prosper and meet the challenges of an increasingly complex world.
• We are committed to providing our customers with the best community banking services and products.
• We are committed to our employees having quality jobs, education and opportunities to prosper.

We learned our values growing up on a century farm near Holstein, Iowa. The values of hard work, respecting your neighbor, and living with integrity are as true today as they were when we grew up on the farm. We both graduated from Iowa State University and made our banking careers right here at home. Community banking has been our sole career focus for over 35 years. We focus all our energies on banking and the betterment of our customers, employees, and the communities we serve. We are not people who have other business interests. Community banking is our only business and our passion!

Our Dad, 'Red' Conover, taught us a core family value and lifelong lesson. Simply put, he said, “leave it better than you found it." We were committed to honoring Dad's value when we bought First National Bank in Creston in 1984 and have renewed that commitment with each bank we acquired or started throughout Western Iowa and Eastern Nebraska. Our communities and our customers are located right here in the heart of the Midwest. Unlike other financial institutions, we have not put our resources in places like Florida or Arizona, using the reasoning or argument that these places represent 'higher growth markets.' We believe in and make our investments in our communities and the farmers, business owners, workers, professionals, students, homeowners and retirees that are our customers. We are committed to what they are today and will become tomorrow. We are committed to supporting our customers and communities by exceeding expectations while building relationships. A central tenant of our commitment will continue to be maintaining safe and strong banks with integrity of purpose. That is how we will leave it better than we found it.

Our bankers share these values. We are so very proud of them and their promise to provide you a commitment you can bank on.

If you are already a customer, thank you for your business. Please let us know how we can improve our service to you. If you are not yet a customer, we welcome the opportunity to serve your needs now and in the future. It is a "Commitment You Can Bank On".

Sincerely,
Neal & Dwight Conover