Scott Williams, swilliams@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader File Photo James Meyer, second from left holding ribbon, joins other dignitaries at a September 2015 ribbon-cutting ceremony outside the newly constructed ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano.
A bank extending services into Shawano County is arriving as a new name with a familiar face.
Denmark State Bank, based in a rural community south of Green Bay, has announced plans to branch out with a loan production office in the Shawano area.
The location for the new office has not been announced.
To make its presence known in Shawano County, Denmark State Bank has enlisted a local business veteran with deep roots and a high profile in the community.
James Meyer, who spent nearly 30 years with BMO Harris Bank and its predecessors in Shawano, has joined Denmark State Bank to oversee the newcomer’s entrance into the Shawano market.
Meyer, a Shawano native, is also chairman of the board at ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano and has held leadership positions with the Shawano Country Chamber of Commerce, the Shawano Area Community Foundation and other organizations.
Denmark State Bank CEO Scot Thompson said he is pleased to have Meyer on board, effective Aug. 29, with his connections and knowledge of the Shawano market.
“It was a perfect fit,” Thompson said.
Meyer, who will work in the bank’s new Shawano office, said it was a significant change for him professionally to leave BMO Harris, formerly known as M&I Bank. But he expressed excitement about joining Denmark State Bank and working on its mission as a community bank in growth mode.
“It just felt right,” he said.
Denmark State Bank has about $450 million in assets, compared with BMO Harris’ parent company and its nearly $700 billion in assets. Based in the village of Denmark, the bank currently has four locations serving Brown County, Outagamie County and other areas.
At its new Shawano County office, scheduled to open later this year, Denmark State will offer a range of business banking services and will make a special effort to reach the agricultural community with new lending options. The office will include Jeff Wilke, formerly of Premier Community Bank in Marion, as a specialist in agribusiness banking.
Thompson said he has high hopes for making an impact through the new Shawano outlet.
“It gives us a good footprint,” he said. “It really complements what we have and what we’ve done for many years — great experience with great people.
Meyer said he will remain as board chairman at the ThedaCare hospital and will continue in other civic activities. He has served on the City of Shawano Revolving Loan Fund committee and the Shawano County Economic Progress Inc. board and as a member of the Shawano Rotary Club and Shawano Optimist Club.
ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano CEO Dorothy Erdmann had high praise for Meyer as a civic leader.
“Jim has volunteered countless hours in serving our community,” she said. “Jim has a special interest in the economic development of the community, supporting our youth, and is very active in his church.”
Meyer said he hopes his personal contacts in the community will help him succeed at Denmark State Bank. He added: “People do business with people.”