Careers in Agriculture: Working with farmers beyond banker hours

LADD, Ill. — Focusing on customer service means Deb Schultz works with her clients during times that far exceed traditional banker hours.

“I’m mobile, I have customers that have never been to the bank in 16 years,” said Schultz, vice president of North Central Bank. “I see customers before I come into the office or on the way home, so my hours are not 9 to 5 and they can always contact me.”

Schultz is from a farm near Sublette, Illinois, where her family raised corn, soybeans and livestock. About a year after high school, she applied for a teller’s position at a Sublette bank.

“I was there for 15 years and worked in every area of the bank and became an ag lender,” she recalled.

After spending several years raising kids with her husband, Kevin, Schultz began working at the North Central Bank as an ag lender.

“It was a natural gravitation because I grew up on a farm and I knew farmers in the area,” she said. “I handle our entire ag portfolio here and at our Hennepin office.”

Many of Schultz’s customers followed her to the North Central Bank where she has worked for 16 years.

“I cover five counties — Lee, La Salle, Bureau, Marshall and Putnam,” she said.

Communication is vital, Schultz said, and she contacts her customers through texting, calling, emailing or meeting them in person.

“We communicate as much or as little as they want,” said Schultz, who became vice president of the bank about five years ago. “Different customers have different needs so it’s customized to what they want and how they want to communicate.”

The ag leader is currently involved with farm visits that she does every year.

“I go out and see what they have going on,” she said. “I ride in combines, tractors and semis because I want lots of open communication.”

Farmers meet with Schultz to bounce around ideas.

“If they’re interested in putting up a grain bin, buying a piece of equipment or land, we get together and talk about it,” Schultz said.

“Communication with customers builds the relationship and great customer service makes them feel like they are part of something,” she said. “When they come into the bank, we know who they are and you don’t get that from a lot of banks anymore as banks have gotten bigger.”

Working with customers is Schultz’s favorite part of her job.

“I love helping them be better and watching them be successful,” she said. “I’ve had customers come to me that were not and through working together, they are now and that’s awesome to watch.”

That’s why it is so important to keep the lines of communication open especially when there is a problem, Schultz said.

“There’s always a way to work through it, but the customer can’t see it when they’re in a black hole,” she said. “When I find out there’s a problem, my mind starts working on solutions or options on how to solve it.”

There are a lot logistics that people don’t realize in banking.

“I’m involved with management, staffing, financial stability of the organization and down to the equipment,” Schultz said.

The bank employs 25 people at its two locations.

“You don’t have to have a college degree to work at a bank and we train you depending on your role,” Schultz said. “We’re big advocates of education here. We’re constantly training, doing webinars or seminars.”

Schultz is a 2012 graduate of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation and past president of the Illinois Agri-Women.

“This bank is very supportive and encourages us to do those types of activities,” she said.

The ag lender has seen many regulation changes in the banking industry during her career.

“In the end, it’s good for the customer, like fraud protection,” she said. “There are so many scams and we work really hard to protect our customers because the scammers are very good at what they do.”

For Schultz, her biggest struggle is not enough hours in a day.

“I like to enjoy my yard and our oasis we’ve created at home,” she said. “My husband works a lot of hours, as well, as the director of buildings and grounds for the Dixon School District, so we struggle with the ability to relax.”

Rising interests rates are challenging for farmers along with increasing input costs.

“The grain market is up which helps, but it’s a vicious cycle for farmers,” Schultz said. “A farmer wears many hats in their every day job including accounting, marketing, planning, planting the crops and harvesting the crops.”

Therefore, farmers need to be good businessmen to make it all work together.

“It takes a lot of strategy, it’s not for the faint of heart and weather is a big factor,” Schultz said. “A lot goes into it, but we figure out a way.”