BROKEN BOW – The Broken Bow Chamber of Commerce tapped three businesses with a GROW Award on Thursday afternoon, all unique in what they offer Broken Bow, and unique in how they’ve grown.
Joel Fisher, realtor with kwELITE out of Kearney, has recently opened up operations in Bow under his new umbrella; Fisher and his agents were formerly with Berkshire Hathaway. The move opens up not just a larger real estate market for Custer County, but also a broader range of services, including property management and mortgage and insurance services.
Fisher says that the change in affiliation has helped him reach not only a professional goal, but one closer to home. “I had grandparents that had a place south of Bow; it was my favorite place growing up. I’ve been working for years and years to get here, and now I’m finally here. This is my home base, and I can now be that local person.”
Fisher and his team can be reached over the phone at (308) 414-1151 or online.
First Interstate Bank, formerly a branch of Great Western until as recently as May, accepted a GROW Award for its impressive growth and impact on Broken Bow in a short amount of time. The bank first arrived in the city in just the past year and has since helped the community blossom in all facets of their personal and financial lives.
Lieutenant Governor Mike Foley was on hand to emphasize the importance of banking in keeping Broken Bow thriving.
“This is a very, very vibrant community. And the backbone of any community is the banking system. You need good bankers to keep the economy humming. First Interstate Bank is a very reputable name in the world of banking; this is a big plus for Broken Bow.”
First Interstate Bank offers all manner of commercial and consumer banking solutions, as well as CDs, an index money market, and personal savings and checking account options. They can be contacted either in person at their branch office at 901 South D Street in Broken Bow, over the phone at (308) 872-6808, or online.
The Custer Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) received a GROW Award as well. The award comes on the heels of the multitude of redevelopment projects undertaken by the group, particularly in regard to affordable housing.
Most recently, the CEDC purchased the Custer School building from Broken Bow Public Schools with the intent of converting the site into about 6 single-family homes. The CEDC will also break ground on an affordable housing endeavor on December 6 in Callaway.
CEDC Executive Director Keith Ellis highlighted the importance of the award in the broader mission of his organization.
“It’s important because economic development is really about growth. At the CEDC, we do many different things: workforce and leadership development, improvements, those kinds of things. It’s not just housing, it’s a lot of different things that we do.”
The CEDC has recently moved its headquarters to downtown Broken Bow and can be found at 805 South F Street, or reached by phone at (308) 870-5012.
