Ribbon cutting at Farm Credit Mid America

Today the Rensselaer branch of Farm Credit Mid America had a ribbon cutting and open house for their new office building. Before the ribbon cutting there were some short speeches with introductions. One highlight was the announcement that Farm Credit (with an assist from the Jasper Foundation) was giving $10,000 to the Rensselaer Parks Department.

The other really interesting announcement was that Kendall Culp, on the right edge in the picture above, had just been elected to the Board of Directors of Farm Credit Mid America. Farm Credit Mid America serves four states, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Only four of its directors can be from any state, and now one is from Jasper County.

Almost all of the people in green shirts work in the Rensselaer office of Farm Credit. This office serves Jasper, Newton, part of Benton and part of Pulaski Counties.

After the ribbon cutting people were invited inside for a tour. Upon entering the building, you encounter a reception desk. To the left is an area of cubicles much like those in many other financial institutions. (For the floor plan, see here.)

Below is a closer look at a cubicle. Most of their furniture was moved from their old office.

Turning and going down the corridor to the back of the building, you pass three offices on the left and a work room on the right. The furniture in the offices looks much the same as the furniture in the cubicles. 

In the back there is another area of cubicles and six more offices. The building was built bigger than current staffing requires in anticipation of future growth.

On the south side of the building is a staff lounge or kitchen. Although meetings could be held here, there is a conference room about the same size on the southwest corner of the building on the other side of the far wall below.

Restrooms and a storage area line the corridor on the south that leads back to the reception area.

I asked to what extent that Farm Credit competed with local banks and I was told that it mostly did not. It is focused on agricultural lending and lending for rural home construction. Banks defer to it in those areas.

The building has about 6500 square feet of space and several staff members did say that they would have to walk more to get around the office, but they all were very happy with their new quarters. The building will raise awareness of the institution. Tucked in its old quarters next to Fifth Third Bank, many people were unaware that it even existed.