“We didn’t have any plans staying here and here we are 35 years later still in the same location. A big part of that is our relationship with Iowa State Savings Bank and ties to the Creston Community.
When I was looking for a new commercial lender, I went and visited Iowa State Savings Bank and they took us in, took us under their wings, and taught us a lot about commercial banking. They introduced us to options like a sweep account. That was the first time we ever used one, and we’re still using the exact same account today.
The biggest thing over the last twenty plus years has been the relationship. It’s a business relationship that has a lot of personal ties to it. We’re in another expansion mode so we’ll continue to lean really heavily on our relationship and partners at Iowa State Savings Bank.
The other thing that Iowa State Savings Bank has is flexibility. When we needed a larger line of credit to take on a large distribution center project, the bank went to work with their partners. We filled out the paperwork and in no time, we had a bigger line of credit. They’re really open to finding solutions that work for us.” – Wayne Hanson
“I’ve been working with Iowa State Savings Bank quite a bit as I transition into more of the day-to-day responsibilities. I really appreciate how open everyone is to educating me and making sure I understand how it all works so we can make the right choices for the next evolution of R.E. Lewis. When we call with a tough request, we usually hear something like, ‘Yeah, that’s a challenge, give me a minute,’ and they always come back with an answer.” – Holly De Hamer
“The way we interact with our customers, vendors, and suppliers matches the way the bank interacts with us. Having shared values is immeasurable when it comes to business relationships. The same way the bank supports the community, we try to help the community too. It all lines up nicely for us.” – Seth Hanson
“When I think of ISSB, I think service with humility. When you walk in the bank, everyone has a smile on their face and asks, ‘What do you need? What can we do for you?’ That same spirit translates into our own business.” – David Marroquin
“The main reason I personally bank at Iowa State Savings Bank and keep R.E. Lewis’s business there is the relationship. I’ve known them for so long. Business is business, but peace of mind comes from the relationships we build. At the end of the day, we’re all just people.” – John Gravlin
Who is R.E. Lewis?
Based in Creston, R.E. Lewis is a family-owned business that provides innovative industrial refrigeration to a wide range of clients. They specialize in ammonia refrigeration and mechanical piping. R.E. Lewis established a reputation of being harder-working problem-solvers.
“Most people don’t realize it, but what we do touches just about every corner of the grocery store. Have you ever wondered how food makes it to your table at just the right temperature? That’s part of what we do.
We’ve built spiral freezers that handle 50,000 pounds of biscuits an hour, and ripening rooms the size of warehouses packed with bananas and avocados. It’s all about keeping food safe and fresh as it moves from the farm, to the plant, to the shelf.” – Wayne Hanson
Since 1957, R.E. Lewis has grown from two employees into a national company working in nearly every state across the United States. Today, R.E. Lewis is not only expanding across the country, with a new San Antonio office, but also developing future talent right here at home. “Engineering is tough to find locally, so we take young people and groom them into project management. It’s pretty cool to watch them grow.” – Wayne Hanson
“We see Creston as a place that we can continue to support talent. We love being part of the community, supporting things that are going on, and improving the community.” – Holly De Hamer
Learn more about R.E. Lewis.
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