Mid-States Services, BTC Bank Selected For Chamber Honor

The Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce will honor two businesses during its annual meeting on Friday, March 18 at the Ketcham Community Center.
Mid-States Services LLC and BTC Bank will be recognized for their contributions to the community, receiving the 2022 “Business of the Year” award. Also being recognized are Pat Hauck McWilliams and Ed Holt as the “Pillars of the Community” and the Green Hills Animal Shelter as the “Organization of the Year.”
Mid-States Services
The need for reliable Internet service has never been greater and Mid-States Services LLC is providing both residential and business customers with the tools needed for effective electronic communication.
Established in 1999 as a subsidiary of Grundy Electric Cooperative, Mid-States began as an appliance store and also offered computer repair, the company’s initial foray into the communication business. An Internet business was later purchased and Mid-States now offers both fixed wireless and fiber broadband Internet service to its customers. While residents of Galt, Gilman City, Mercer, Princeton, Bethany, Eagleville, Jameson, Lake Viking, Milan, Pattonsburg, Ridgeway and Clio, IA enjoy the benefits of the fixed wireless services, it is the company’s fiber broadband Internet project that has made a large impact on Trenton and the surrounding area and for which the company is being honored.
According to GEC IT Manager Troy Slagle, the project began on Nov. 13, 2017 when Mid-States announced construction plans for a fiber broadband project within the city limits of Trenton. At that time, only fixed wireless Internet was being offered which, Slagle noted, limited the number of customers that could be connected.
“Trenton residents, businesses and schools needed to have faster Internet service,” Slagle said, adding there were surrounding communities already getting fiber through other sources. “We knew that Trenton, being one of the largest communities in our service area, needed to have good, reliable Internet service.”
The first fiber broadband customers in Trenton were connected in July of 2018, with the company offering speeds of 50, 100 and 250 megabits and 1 gigabit per second. Fiber broadband is now the only internet service Mid-States offers in Trenton.
The fiber project was expanded in January of 2019 to include customers in the rural area surrounding Trenton and in July 2020, Mid-States began a new fiber broadband project that includes the city of Gallatin, with customers being connected beginning in August 2021.
In addition to the fixed wireless and fiber broadband Internet access, Mid-States also offers Voice Over Internet Protocol phone service as well as a managed ONT/router service.
BTC Bank
“Community Minded…Just Like You” is the perfect tagline for BTC Bank, which has made its presence felt through its commitment to the communities it serves.
BTC is a community bank founded in 1919 and currently has 18 locations, including the Trenton branch which opened in November 2018. According to its website, BTC is “agriculturally minded, service oriented and driven to strengthen the communities it serves.”
Laura Kimble, who is vice president at the Trenton facility, said BTC chooses to be involved in the communities it services because of the benefits seen by both the bank and community.
“We want the communities where we are located to support our business, so we know that it is important for us to give back to those communities we serve,” said Mrs. Kimble.
It is not unusual when a local event is being held to see at least one individual representing BTC involved in whatever may be going on. Chris Hoffman, who is the business development officer, said that while BTC tries to help in all aspects of the community, education has become a primary focus.
“We do a lot of events that focus on education as we think it is a very important part of every community we serve,” Hoffman said.
BTC Bank established the Youth Benefit Corporation in 2012 as a method to raise funds for activities involving youth within the bank’s system. The main fundraising event is a golf tournament, which this year will be held in Trenton. Employees also contribute to the fund as do banking customers and those interested in the bank’s educational mission. As a result, over $120,000 has been given to support various youth activities and organizations throughout the BTC service area, including scholarships awarded to students who complete the bank’s personal finance curriculum, EveryFi. Three Trenton students have been the recipients of the financial assistance to help continue their education following graduation.
The bank has helped purchase books for a new reading program at the middle school as well as contributed funding to help establish the “Sensor Wall” at Rissler Elementary School. Just recently, the branches at Trenton and Bethany established the “Bulldog Challenge,” preparing and selling food at the football game held every other year at the respective community’s school. BTC then matches up to $1,000 raised, with all proceeds going to either the Quarterback Club and/or band to help with expenses they may have. The 2022 event will be held at Trenton.
The bank’s nine employees are also involved in other activities throughout the community and it is not unusual to see them as board members and event volunteers for various organizations and events during the year.
“Our president encourages employee involvement,” Trenton Market President/Chief Lending Officer Tom Witten said, noting that President/CEO Doug Fish is a regular presence at the bank’s “Customer Appreciation Day” events held throughout the system.
And when BTC Bank or its personnel can’t personally participate in a community event, the bank is quick to step up with financial support. In 2021 alone, BTC’s Trenton facility has donated to the Grundy County Food Pantry, the Grundy County Senior Center’s Meals on Wheels program, the Chamber, the Green Hills Women’s Shelter, the Dream Factory, Leadership Northwest Missouri, the Wright Memorial Hospital Foundation, the NCMC Foundation, NCMC Holiday Hoops, Green Hills Recreation Association, Life Options Green Hills, the Grundy County-Jewett Norris Library, the Black Silo Foundation, the Mid-America Music Festival, the Trenton Blue Jays, the Northern Lights softball team, the Trenton Senior Celebration Committee, the Trenton FFA, the Trenton Quarterback Club, the THS Alumni Association, the Boy Scouts of American, the Salvation Army Tree and the Kirksville Area Home School Association. BTC has also adopted families at Christmas, providing gifts and food, as well as donating to families and schools throughout the year.