Episode 56
Some banks chase profits; Horicon Bank builds legacies.
Erik Waisanen and Becki Schimpf sit down with Horicon Bank’s Chairman & CEO Fred F. Schwertfeger, President Fred C. Schwertfeger, and Strategic Financial Analyst Solanki for a deep dive into 130 years of community banking, resilience, and forward-thinking leadership. Fred shares powerful family anecdotes, pivotal milestones, and timeless values that continue to shape both the bank and the region it serves.
From surviving industry upheavals and economic downturns to expanding into the Milwaukee area, Horicon Bank’s story is one of adaptability, visionary risk-taking, and authentic local engagement. The team also explores how fun—yes, inspired by river otters—drives innovation and purpose at Horicon.
Connect with Fred F. Schwertfeger
Connect with Fred C. Schwertfeger
Episode Highlights:
01:17 - Fred F. Schwertfeger: “I'm here with my son and my daughter, and we're really blessed to be part of Horicon Horicon Bank over these years. I've been with Horicon Bank coming on 50 years. Can you imagine that? And my son's been with us since the turn of the century, more or less. Once he did a parade with us and had to follow the horses through the parade as a Horicon Bank representative. So we've all kind of grown in our own way at Horicon Bank.”
17:41 - Fred C. Schwertfeger: "I think being in this one in Wauwatosa crossing into Milwaukee County was possibly one of the bravest things we've done. A lot more obligations to the community, a lot more competition. So that, that one is still fresh. Recency bias is affecting that answer there. But we've started a trust division and that was a new, new thing for us and, you know, over 130 years never having trust powers, but getting into that business was another milestone moment, I would say. Acquiring a fintech was another."
21:16 - Alex Solanki: "And that branch in particular involved a few extra risks that we took, including we built it to be geothermal, and this was a new idea for us to use geothermal heat to power the heat, to heat the building. And that was kind of went in line with our theme of being a natural bank centered on the marsh with enjoying nature and such things. And in addition to that, we also built the branch to include our very own coffee shop, which we called the Blue Goose. You know, our logo is a blue goose. And so we branded our own coffee and trained baristas for a while. And that was a fun way to enter that community and get some excitement and foot traffic coming into the branch to get their coffee."
The Banking on Business podcast is aimed at helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses with practical strategies they can start using today. Hosted by Erik Waisanen and Becki Schimpf, each episode features an expert guest and explores ways to innovate the way you do business.