Bank Local, Bank Better

The author of this blog, Michael Guyer, joined Mid Penn Bank’s commercial lending team in the Lancaster area in early 2018. Mike shares the exciting successes of his clients with us and why he loves working as a commercial loan officer.

My career in banking began in the residential mortgage field, which afforded me the opportunity to learn a lot about lending, but it was just not the right fit for me. I found myself much more drawn to areas of banking that allowed me to establish long-term relationships with customers. That goal was finally fulfilled when I joined Mid Penn Bank.

What I enjoy most about working as a commercial loan officer is getting to know business owners and seeing the passion they have for their customers. I take pride in partnering with clients. I consider it a personal success when we help structure financing terms that ultimately support their business growth and prosperity. In my personal life, I make sure to give back to my clients, by supporting their businesses and referring friends to their services.

My territory as a commercial lender overlaps with the community I live in, and I have always been interested in supporting our local school districts and municipalities with their financing needs. Whether it’s structuring the purchase of student iPads for a local school district or financing infrastructure repairs at a township water treatment facility, I enjoy assisting in any way I can. It is incredibly rewarding to witness first-hand how happy children are when they see a new fire truck in a local parade and I know that I helped finance that vehicle for the local fire department. Being able to have a direct impact on the community I live in is a unique privilege, and not everyone is lucky enough to experience this in their professional life.

One specific project that I recently financed was the newly constructed Police Department building for the Southern Chester County Regional Police Department. The new, 11,000 square-foot headquarters supports New Garden Township and West Grove Borough. I worked with Tony Scheivert, New Garden Township Manager, to understand the scope of the project and what their short and long-term needs were.  I then worked with Mid Penn Bank’s Chief Credit Officer, Jim Ridd, to formalize a construction loan proposal to New Garden Township.  Mid Penn Bank’s ability to respond quickly is indicative of our community banking philosophy: local decisions made by local lenders. Also, being able to accommodate tax-free terms helped us stand out from several other financial institutions.  Ultimately, our proposal was accepted by the township’s Board of Supervisors.

This project began in December of 2018, which is when we broke ground on the new building. The intention behind the new building was to meet the demand for more police coverage, while also creating a more modern facility. The Township has since completed the construction of the new headquarters and has received tremendous feedback. The building features a multipurpose community room that is open to the public, which will be a great asset to the community. Not only is the law enforcement excited for the transition, but so is the community. This project was incredibly rewarding and special for many reasons, and demonstrates the bank’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the lives of our fellow community members.

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