In the small town of Hart, Michigan, you’ll find a GreenStone team with a whole lot of heart for the community they serve. Although there may be only five members of our GreenStone team based in our Hart branch, it’s clear each of them has a real passion for supporting the livelihoods of those in their rural community.
The remote town of Hart, Michigan has a population of just over 2,000 people and is nestled on the west side of the state along the shores of Hart Lake, and just miles from Lake Michigan. Home of the National Asparagus Festival, Hart is located within Oceana County, which is the Asparagus Capital of the World. Crops such as corn, soybeans, cherries, vegetables, and hay are also predominant in the area.
Despite what you may consider a smaller team; the Hart branch has achieved a large feat when it comes to the relationships they have with their customers. Every year, GreenStone sends out an annual customer satisfaction survey to its members asking for feedback on their experience working with GreenStone as a whole and its individual branches. In 2024, the Hart branch demonstrated resilience in the face of challenges by achieving a 100% customer satisfaction score three years in a row.
The team’s values are reflected in this score as all five members of the team were adamant the customers they serve on a regular basis were the reason why they loved their job so much.
“We’re very familiar with the people we serve and look forward to seeing them regularly,” says Loan Processor Charity Neinhuis. “Growing up in this community, and as someone who has family in agriculture, I know how important the services we are providing are, and how much local farmers rely on us. It’s something that’s close to my heart, and we treat our customers like family, because that’s what they are to us.”
Kayla Beckholt, who is also a Loan Processor at the Hart branch, shared her reason for why they’ve been able to establish strong relationships with their members. “The atmosphere at the Hart branch is why we’re able to establish such great connections with our customers and really get to know them. A lot of our customers prefer to come into the branch to make their payments or have a conversation with one of us, and I think that in-person interaction is a big part of why we’ve achieved 100% customer satisfaction.”
Senior Financial Services Officer Devon Feldpausch also shared his thoughts on why the branch has maintained a high rating of customer satisfaction. “The unique part of working in a smaller branch is the support we provide for each other in addition to our customers. There are times when we lean on each other and help each other in order to make something happen. We all have learned a lot that way, and I think it just goes to show what we’ll do to go the extra mile for our customers.”
Devon has led by example time and time again when it comes to going above and beyond for our customers. Check out the story here learn more about the relationship he’s built with GreenStone customer Kol Gjokaj throughout his recent home construction project.
Another testament to what makes the Hart branch special? Just ask Senior Financial Services Officer Kimberly Sadler, who has worked there for the past 17 years. “Throughout my time here I have really gotten to know our customers, what their goals are and what they’re working towards. They are resilient and continually meet challenges head on. Being able to support them and play a small role in helping them achieve their goals is very fulfilling to me.”
The Hart team demonstrates GreenStone’s CoreFour Values of putting customers first and getting involved in their rural community in everything they do. One thing is for certain, what they may lack in the size of their team, they make up for tenfold times in heart.
