The Dream Team

F&M Bank puts down roots to anchor a supporting role in the Fort Wayne market with a regional headquarters team.
Aug 7, 2023
Jennifer Blomquist
Tim Brumbeloe

“F&M Bank has been around for 125 years and has been the go-to community bank in northwest Ohio,” says Andy Baker, Northern Indiana Regional President for F&M Bank. “There’s an opportunity to be that go-to community bank in Fort Wayne. We are a bank that really knows its customers and are there for them.”

With 28 years of experience in the banking industry, Baker has seen a plethora of institutions come and go. He says everyone on his team lives, works and plays in Fort Wayne, and has a genuine interest in serving the community and growing with it.

“By September, we will be opening a 3,000-square-foot branch in downtown Fort Wayne at the corner of Wayne and Harrison Streets, along with a 3,000-square-foot regional headquarters office, a drive-up ATM and plenty of parking. It will be a full-service branch including access to an investment advisor and mortgage lender, plus our team that focuses on commercial banking.”

Once the downtown branch is up and running, it will be the 13th F&M branch in Indiana. There are 25 Ohio branches. The F&M headquarters is in Archbold, Ohio, where it’s been since its inception over a century ago.

“People in this community do business with people,” says Rob Slusser, Fort Wayne Market President for F&M. “This is my 35th year in banking in Fort Wayne, and I’ve long thought that something like this was needed. I remember when there was Fort Wayne National Bank, Summit Bank and Lincoln Bank — they all sold out to big banks, creating a void in the market. This is an opportunity for a bank to step up and be that community bank. I believe F&M has the right people and the drive to do it, and they’re putting the resources behind that opportunity to get it done.”

“One of the reasons I left my previous employer was because of its lack of investment in the market,” says Brian Ternet, Commercial Banker for F&M. “I wanted to be a part of something that was going to grow to be an asset not just to the community, but to the larger northeast Indiana quadrant. What tipped the scale for me to come join F&M was the distinct capital investment it has made to make this market function conveniently for customers.”

The members of the Fort Wayne team point out that investment is a partnership with the community that revolves around not only their customers, but also nonprofits and charities, to which they are dedicated to assisting.

“This is a relationship business and that’s one of the things we pride ourselves on,” says Curtis Metz, Commercial Banker for F&M. “One of the things that has me really excited about our Fort Wayne team is the relationships they have with the community and the focus our team is putting on Fort Wayne. There are many ways to do banking today. Some prefer to do everything online, but community banking is different. It’s all about the relationships and connections you make with people.”

Dana Snyder has 16 years of banking experience and joined F&M seven months ago to support the business owners in the community.

“I chose to come to F&M because, although there is no shortage of banks operating in Fort Wayne, I believe business owners remain underserved,” she says. “F&M has assembled a strong team of commercial bankers dedicated to truly partnering with local businesses to strengthen Fort Wayne. It’s not transactional for us; it’s truly relationship banking.”

“I have always maintained that we are in the trust business,” says Ternet. “From the outside looking in, you might think that a banker’s job is to collect deposits or make loans. I like to say that I am 100% in the business of building trust and earning trust, and it just so happens that I make loans and collect deposits.”

Team members also share the sentiment that they can consider themselves to be a dream team, of sorts.

“Along with being in the trust business, I think we’re in the dream-fulfillment business,” says Slusser. “Whether you’re a high school student getting your first job and are in need of opening your first account, or a young family starting to save for a college education, we want to know what your dreams are and how we can help you fulfill them. For business owners, it could be a dream of starting a new business or expanding a current one. Our partnership with our customers and the community will result in those dreams coming to fruition.” 

F&M Bank

Phone: (260) 222-6701

Website: fm.bank

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