Mid Penn Bank Brings in Ag Lender

Mid Penn Bank, formerly Riverview, had a Customer Appreciation Day on Jan. 19.

The merger between Riverview and Mid Penn happened on Dec. 1, 2021, and will be official on March 4, 2022. The purpose of this event was to have people stop in and meet the Mid Penn staff. The bank also offered many giveaways on this day, including hats, t-shirts, bags and cookies.

Part of Mid Penn's offerings is an agricultural lender. Riverview did not have an ag lender for four years.

After 21 years in real estate, with a concentration on farm and land realty, John Mattilio was hired as Mid Penn's senior agricultural lender.

According to Mattilio, Riverview didn't understand the ag lender position and didn't want to grow it. It wasn't – as Mattilio calls Mid Penn – an "ag bank."

Sheila Charlton, the branch's new manager, also comes from farming. She grew up on a dairy farm.

According to Mattilio, Mid Penn was founded in 1886. The bank is headquartered in Millersburg in Dauphin County.

"They gave out farm loans," said Mattilio. "That's about all there was to do."

This branch covers Bedford and Blair counties. Mattilio will cover these counties and Huntingdon and Mifflin counties. According to Mattilio, a mid-sized bank like Mid Penn can offer larger loans, but it's easy to get in contact with those higher up in the company.

"It's small enough that you can talk to the president," said Mattilio.

Here in the Cove, Mid Penn wants to get to know customers, and they believe customers want to get to know them.

"With technology, banks don't have to do brick-and-mortar anymore," said Charlton. "But, rural areas miss knowing people in a bank."

Mattilio and Charlton said the bank will have a winter luncheon, geared toward agricultural citizens, in February at Morrisons Cove Memorial Park.

"This is such a wonderful farming area," Mattilio said. "There's a mix of farms and ag businesses."

Both Mattilio and Charlton noted that loaning to farmers isn't like loaning to other people because farming is a farmer's entire life, not just their business.

"Every farmer has a story," said Mattilio. "We want to help them. How can we help you be successful and pass the farm down?"