Thank you for considering Country Banker - Nearly 30 years ago, after sitting on the Farm Financial Standards Council and grasping the value of quality financial analysis, I realized that our bank could do better by our customers. We could all benefit together if we had a tool to propel customers to a new, higher level of thinking about their own operation. They deserved a more accurate picture of their current finances; a better way to evaluate risk, potential borrowing decisions and expansion choices; and improved understanding about their profitability. Our bank needed a tool to simplify this higher level analysis and give us a deeper understanding of our loan portfolio.
We couldn't find a system that did what we wanted that was also straightforward, so we decided our customers were worth it and we created one from the ground up. We built it so that customer education is fundamental. Crafting a software system with no flexibility might deliver more numbers, but would not have been tailored to our lending philosophy and the unique aspects of our portfolio. Our customers needed to be engaged so they understood and appreciated this approach. The system had to be customer friendly and provide information in a format the customer could grasp and apply to their operation.
As a starting point, we knew the system had to emphasize a double-column balance sheet and allow for accrual adjusted as well as cash basis analysis. Fundamental aspects of the system include Balance Sheets; Income Statements; Ratio Analysis; Trend Analysis; Credit Quality Risk Rating; Loan Pricing; Cash Flow Projections; Pro Forma Balance Sheets, Income Statements and Ratios; and Loan Presentations.
Country Banker was born seven years ago when we decided to offer our proven system to other lenders who wanted to benefit their customers and portfolio. Country Banker customers have a heart for elevating their relationship with their borrowers and the quality of their analysis.
We hope you’ll join us.
Tim Ohlde, Founder and CEO