Wells County Chamber of Commerce Monthly Newsletter
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November Member of the Month:

Archbold & Lewis Insurance

Archbold & Lewis is Recognized as November Member of the Month


“After moving into the Ossian location, I had a five-year plan to open another location somewhere else,” said Mike. “It took six years until we found the Bluffton location in 2017. We continued to grow adding Alyssa Sponseller to the team in 2018 and now works primarily in Bluffton. Christina King has been with us for two and a half years as a full-time agent in Ossian. Amber McNally was just hired and is now a licensed agent working to assist Alyssa and Joe while writing her own business.”


Mike stated that the future goals of the company is to concentrate on growing within the community and hiring additional agents. “The next hire will be in Ossian and everybody on the team seems to be growing in the right direction. My goal is to coach our agents to brand themselves to grow professionally. Once that takes place, it does not matter if they work for me or for someone else, I am on their side no matter what. Should they choose to take that knowledge and go somewhere else, I am all for that because I want people to be the best you, you can be.”


Archbold & Lewis Insurance specializes in personal lines of insurance such as auto, home, life, property, motorcycle, boat, and golf carts. There are over 17 different companies Archbold & Lewis writes with giving customers options and offering prices to save money. “The number one thing we want to do here is to be an advisor to people,” stated Mike. “Maybe we are the best choice and maybe we are not, but it’s important to give everyone options and not assume we know what is best for the customer. We guide them with our education, what we have learned, and give options for them to choose what is best for them.”


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Honegger, Ringger & Co

Dash 90 Wines

Bruce and Zane Herr

6750 W 900 S -90, Warre

765.348.9160

zane@dash90wines.com


LifeWise Academy-Wells County

Susan Clouser

260.273.3618

northernwellsin@lifewiseacademy.org


Parlor City Oil Shop

Eric Bucher

1309 S Main St, Bluffton

260.353.1610


Wells County Council on Aging

Betsy Collier

225 W Water St, Bluffton

260.824.1070


Zesto Ice Cream

Brooke Ealing

2180 Commerce Dr., Bluffton

260.565.2663

American Mortgage Powered by Thrive Mortgage

CHAMBER CHRISTMAS QUARTERLY LUNCHEON

RSVP TODAY!

Tuesday, December 13th

12pm to 1pm

$15 Per Person


We are excited to bring the talented mixed group show choir, Knight Moves from Norwell High School, to entertain and delight our guests with good cheer for the holidays.


Also joining us will be our Indiana Teacher of the Year, Tara Cocanower with Bluffton High School, to share her experience and what the honor means to her.

CLICK HERE TO RSVP

Hit the Jackpot in Wells County

Annual Dinner Chamber Sponsorship Opportunities

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE FLYER
CLICK HERE FOR A LISTING OF PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES

CHAMBER BUCKS MAKE GREAT GIFTS!

Andrews & Crell Andrews & Crell Attorneys at Law

Downtown DIY

PARLOR CITY OIL SHOP

BROWN SUGA BEAUTY

ABOVE & BEYOND VEHICLE RECONDITIONING

Briner Building

Ihave found the Chamber to be excellent in all areas and how they are measured. The Chamber is highly effective in business retention, improvement, growth, events, and bringing people together. They provide a wide range of resources and help for all businesses and organizations. Exciting enthusiasm flows in abundance. I have discussed with many business owners all over the nation about their chambers and have not found community support even close to how they support and encourage us. If you are in business in Wells County and want to be successful, involved, informed and valued – plug in to the Chamber. Truth is, good people make a positive difference in life. I believe any community can have a chamber, but only Wells County has you." —Todd Reimschisel, Family Ford of Bluffton

The News-Banner

First Bank of Berne Arms Area Businesses with Actionable Insights on Cybersecurity and Fraud


First Bank of Berne recently hosted a Cybersecurity and Fraud Symposium for area businesses in order to help them better prepare for and protect their customers, employees and organizations from the reputational and financial aftermath caused by cybercrimes. According to the latest global Cyberthreat Defense Report, “Last year, 89 percent of U.S. organizations were compromised by a cyber attack and 78 percent dealt with a ransomware attack.” Pete Schmidt, the Chief Risk Officer for First Bank of Berne said, “Despite the growing threat cybercrime presents, there are a number of steps businesses can take to protect their customers and data from becoming the next victim, and that’s our goal with this symposium. Knowledge is power, and we want business leaders to walk away feeling informed and empowered.”


The well-attended event featured a panel of experts who covered several topics critical to business owners operating in the modern marketplace. Subjects included how to identify in-house vulnerabilities, understanding online threats, and how to plan for and implement processes that keep confidential business and customer information safe from hackers, ransomware, malware, identity theft, and more. First Bank of Berne’s panel of banking and cybersecurity experts represent the institution’s most knowledgeable leaders with regard to ransomware, data encryption, and anti-hacking technology, and featured:

·        Pete Schmidt, Chief Risk Officer

·        Rick Gorrell, Information Security Officer

·        Jeremy Vance, Electronic Banking Manager


Attendees of the symposium were given real-world examples of best practices leading financial institutions use to secure and protect their systems, processes, financial data, and profits. Schmidt shared that another goal of the symposium was to help business owners learn how they can partner with their financial institutions to enhance the security of customer and vendor transactions. Jenilee Bransteter, Business Banking Manager who helped organize the event, said, “Trust is an essential component of any successful customer relationship, and we want area businesses to know that by working together, we can better protect their business and customers from the ever-increasing threat of cybercrimes.”


In addition to enjoying interactive presentations, symposium attendees engaged in lively discussions with panel experts regarding different approaches to mitigating online risks and preventing data breaches. Vance, who fielded several audience questions, said, “First Bank of Berne is committed to educating businesses on how to defend themselves against the latest threats to their operation. Being vigilant about cybersecurity is critical to the productivity and profitability of daily business operations and must play a key role in an organization’s everyday practices.”    


To learn more about how First Bank of Berne can help your business enhance cyber security and prevent fraud, contact our Business Banking Manager, Jenilee Bransteter via email at: Jenilee.Bransteter@firstbankofberne.com.

Metropolitan Title

December 9: Stag Bar Trivia Night

December 10: Nutcracker Excerpts with Creative Arts

December 10: Annual Cookie Walk Fundraiser - Benefiting Grace & Mercy Home

December 10: Perfect Pet Free Pictures with Grinch

December 17: Dear Santa Cookie Decorating Class

December 22: Timber Ridge Candle Light Dinner

January 13: Timber Ridge Progressive Euchre & Dinner


Visit Wells County

Wells County Public Library News & Events Calendar

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City and Parks Department Calendar of Events

MidWest America Federal Credit Union

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