First Federal History

First Federal Expanded & Renovated Building in 2021

First Federal was first organized on January 9th, 1893 as the Fraternal Building and Savings Company. The bank was initially located in downtown Van Wert at the J.H. Kaulke's Hardware store. It was in 1936 when the bank changed its name to First Federal Savings & Loan of Van Wert. After many years of being located next to the courthouse, First Federal moved to its current location at 679 Fox Road in September of 1997. The building received an interior remodel as well as new and improved drive thru equipment in 2017. 

First Federal of Van Wert, OH celebrated its 125th Anniversary during 2018. "We are very proud of our history of being a strong community bank. We emphasize customer service and community involvement and it's because of those attributes that we've been a successful organization for these 125 years," says Brian Renner, President/CEO at First Federal. "We take great pride in our community involvement and we understand for this company to be successful, we need Van Wert to be successful." 

On March 30th, 2021 community members gathered at First Federal of Van Wert to celebrate a groundbreaking ceremony for a construction project that added several new offices and a larger meeting room while also renovating the existing building..  The renovation included modernizing the bank’s lobby, existing offices, and teller area.  "We are excited for what this growth means for our employees, our customers, and our community. This project is a collaboration of growth and looking toward the future," said Brian Renner. "The growth we've experienced is a result of the success of the Van Wert community and the confidence our customers have in First Federal."

"We listened to our customers, we reviewed our goals, and we reviewed the efficiencies of our business. It was clear that we needed to make some improvements to the facility to make banking better for our customers and the Van Wert community. With this plan in place, we are improving the banking experience for our customers for years to come," Renner explained. By early 2022, First Federal completed the building expansion.

First Federal is locally owned and operated. The bank has seven local board of directors and 22 local employees. While there is only one location, First Federal serves customers from all over Van Wert county and surrounding communities. "We want every customer interaction to be a great banking experience at First Federal. With a knowledgeable, friendly staff, we strive to make that happen with every customer." Renner commented. 

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