June 15, 2026

This piece is sponsored by Central Bank.

By the end of this summer, the team at Gil Haugan Construction will be over 80 members.

Their days will be filled with everything from expanding an elementary school and high school in southwest Minnesota to building a headquarters for an area commercial plumbing, heating and HVAC company and launching a mixed-use development in southeast Sioux Falls.

But beyond the commercial construction sites, the leadership team is working to ensure that the second-generation family business provides solid employee benefits and the education necessary to optimize them.

“One of the first things I heard when I stepped into this role was how much our team trusted Nancy and Mataya when it came to employee benefits,” said Tina Heeren, chief marketing and sales officer.

“They’ve taken great care of Gil Haugan Construction over the years, and what stands out is how personal their service feels. They know our team, they listen, and they work closely with us one-on-one. After hearing such great feedback from our team, I was genuinely excited to work with them myself.”

Nancy VandenBerge and her daughter Mataya Naber grew their own employee benefits firm for years, working closely with Gil Haugan. When they became part of Central Insure in 2025, the relationship broadened.

“I look at employee benefits through both a financial and people-focused lens,” said Kevin Eigenberg, chief financial officer. “Nancy and Mataya have been valuable partners because they understand both sides of that equation. They help us make smart decisions for the company while making sure our employees feel supported, informed and cared for.”

Gil Haugan holds an annual meeting with Central Insure to prepare the team for upcoming health insurance decisions. After a group presentation, Central Insure meets one-on-one or in small groups to address individual situations and answer questions.

“In our world, white-glove service is what sets us apart,” Naber said. “That’s how we approach our business, and it’s how we’ve built relationships with clients. It’s the kind of personalized experience you don’t see as often anymore.”

Central Insure can work with businesses to help offer employees health, dental and vision insurance, as well as life, disability and supplemental insurance.

“I have employees tell me no one has taken the time to sit down and explain benefits like this,” Naber said. “And when employees understand their benefits, they value them more.”

With Gil Haugan, “you can really tell it’s a family business and how much they care about their employees and the communities they serve,” she added.

“We can relate because that sense of family was important to us when we joined Central Bank in their family business.”

Because of the broader relationship with Central Bank, Gil Haugan also has been connected with other products that benefit the business.

“Our teams were at a golf tournament together, and we were joking about how we were going to lose a receipt,” and they said, ‘We have a solution for that,’” Heeren said. “Pretty soon, we had a training and new Central Bank credit cards.”

Central Bank’s card connects to a smartphone app, making it easy to upload receipts right away.

“It has made our documentation process much more efficient,” said Renea Green, administration manager. “Our team can take a picture of a receipt or upload a screenshot while they are on the go, which helps us keep better records and reduces the amount of follow-up needed later. It gives us a clearer digital trail, and that has been very helpful from an administrative standpoint.”

For Central, “it’s just a continued effort to provide more solutions for our clients,” Naber said.

“It’s not only insurance but also banking solutions and treasury management as with the credit cards. Being part of Central Bank has benefits – a one-stop shop for clients combined with local service and family ownership that is community-driven.”

Those common values shine through, Eigenberg agreed.

“It’s very apparent, even in a short time – this is teamwork, collaboration, friendship and relationships all around,” he said.

 To learn more about Central Insure, contact Mataya Naber at 605-607-6152, mnaber@centralinsure.com or click here.

Central Insure: Not a Deposit. Not FDIC Insured. Not insured by any Federal Government Agency. Not guaranteed by the bank. May go down in value.

Central Bank | Member FDIC.