Dec. 18, 2024

This paid piece is sponsored by The First National Bank in Sioux Falls.

Shelley Schipper was 29 years old when her dad, Dave Koch, passed away. Suddenly, she was thrust to the helm of the family business: K&J Trucking.

“Here I am, a 29-year-old girl working in the business but not overly visible in the business,” Schipper, president of K&J, recalls. “At the time, we had new trucks coming in. I had actually worked with a different company to finance them.”

About a week after her dad’s passing, someone from that company walked through the doors and told Schipper it no longer would be financing the trucks.

“They said, ‘If you’re here in a year, then we’ll talk to you again,’” Schipper said. “And I said to them, ‘Listen, buddy, If I’m here in a year, don’t bother coming back.’ And so we went to First National and asked Russ to help, and he did.”

Russ Robers was seven years into his career with The First National Bank in Sioux Falls at the time. He had been in transportation banking for about only two of those years.

“Shelley was young, just like I was,” Robers said. “When they went through that, most of the people they worked with backed away from them.”

Robers had developed a close relationship with Koch, whom he valued as a mentor in the trucking industry.

“I only got to spend a few years with him, but it was amazing,” Robers said. “I would probably call Dave two times a week early on in my time working with the transportation industry.”

He remembers sitting in the First National Bank boardroom as the future of K&J Trucking hung in the balance.

“We talked long and hard about it and came to the conclusion of we’re going to work with Shelley and (her mom) Sharon and get them through this,” Robers said. “It’s just a great example — to see that the bank said that when everybody else backed away.”

For Robers, now a business banking team lead who recently celebrated his 40-year anniversary with First National Bank, that moment remains a career highlight.

“You build those strong relationships not only during good times but when times are a little tough,” he said. “If you’ve been doing the same thing for 40 years, you’re going to have some of those tough times. What you do to help customers through is what strengthens or solidifies those relationships.”

On Schipper’s side, it was the defining moment in a banking relationship that has since lasted more than 30 years.

“It’s really blossomed into this rare relationship that companies have with their bank,” Schipper said. “When we make a decision to do an expansion or to buy a company, we wouldn’t dream of making it without bringing Russ into the picture. His input is that valuable to us.”

The right fit

A native of Kenosha, Wisconsin, Robers first came to Sioux Falls when Augustana College — now Augustana University — offered him a full-ride football scholarship.

“They recruited me to play offensive line,” Robers said, “but I played defensive line. I just liked tackling people better than blocking them.”

In January of his senior year, Robers interned with Orrin Anderson at First National Bank’s Western Mall branch.

“I actually thought I might like banking back in junior high,” he said, “and that internship really piqued my interest.”

But as graduation neared, there were no permanent job openings at First National Bank.

Although Robers interviewed at other banks in town, he couldn’t seem to find the right fit.

“I just picked up a few part-time jobs, kept applying, and one day Orrin called me up and said: ‘Hey, all of a sudden we have an opening. Put on your best suit and go down to the main office,’” Robers recalls. “I said to Orrin, ‘It’ll be easy to put on my best suit because I only have one!’”

A job offer came the same week Robers was to marry his now-wife, Jami.

“I asked if I could give them an answer when I got back, and they said yes,” Robers said. “But I couldn’t wait, so I called them the week right after and told them I would take it.”

His first day was July 9, 1984.

Not surprisingly, he has received other job offers over the years. One in particular, he admits, was pretty enticing, but none compared to the family atmosphere and community-mindedness he has found at First National Bank.

A young Russ Robers in the parking lot of First National Bank’s downtown Sioux Falls office

“I’ve been fortunate to work with three generations of Bakers,” Robers said. “I’ve always appreciated how approachable and generous the family ownership has been and their outlook on the role of the bank as a community supporter. You don’t see it very often, and that’s another reason I enjoyed working here for all these years.”

Russ Robers and former president and CEO Bill Baker (center) cut the ribbon at First National Bank’s Benson Road branch.

“Russ is an incredible banker who truly cares about his customers; his goal is always to become a trusted partner and help them succeed,” said Chris Ekstrum, president and CEO of First National Bank. “For 40 years, he has embodied the values of First National Bank by building trust, fostering lasting relationships and supporting the businesses that drive our community. We are so fortunate to have Russ as part of our First National family.”

The transportation thing

“I knew what a truck was and what a trailer was, but I didn’t know how it all worked together,” Robers said.

The first 2 1/2 years of his career were spent working for Anderson at the Western Mall branch.

The next 2 1/2 were spent at First National Bank’s downtown Sioux Falls office, where he worked in the credit department.

Five years into his career, “they came to me and asked, ‘What do you think about trucks and transportation?’ I said, ‘I don’t know anything about it.’”

Lee Viborg, who spearheaded the bank’s involvement in transportation banking, was soon retiring; the bank wanted someone to transition into that role.

“It was an opportunity to advance my career,” Robers said. “Of course, I said yes.”

He joined Viborg at the bank’s Industrial Branch, which was operational from 1973 to 2007 and served as the transportation banking hub at that time.

“I started to learn about the trucking industry, attended events for it and got to know more and more people,” he said. “That’s kind of how I cut my teeth with the transportation thing.”

The present-day transportation banking lenders: Derek Simonsen, Justin Zandstra, Russ Robers and Mitch Janssen

He also relied on prominent mentors in the trucking industry, two of whom were Koch at K&J Trucking and Reno Peterson, an owner-operator of multiple trucks.

“They and other folks in the industry became not only longtime customers but also great family friends,” Robers said. “Some of them, I’ve been working with their families for three generations.”

K&J Trucking remains a prime example of this longevity — from Robers’ close bond with Koch, to his lasting relationship with Schipper, to now mentoring Schipper’s two sons as they prepare to take over the family business.

“It’s kind of amazing to me that Russ looked at my dad and said, ‘OK, here was one of my mentors,’” Schipper said, “and as we progressed through our relationship, Russ became a mentor to me.”

She added: “My husband and I have two boys in the business that want to take over. Russ has sat down with them, visited with them and helped them get a good understanding of where we’re at, how we look and how the bank does financing. I felt like that was just invaluable.”

Rolling for 40 years

“I banked at two other places in town before I met Russ, and I’ve never had the confidence that I have with Russ,” said Tim Schenk, owner of Dakota Carriers. “He’s always on top of what equipment should cost and what used values are, and he helps you make decisions on whether to buy new or keep the old stuff.”

Robers and Schenk first met more than three decades ago, when Schenk was working for Reno Peterson.

In 2013, Schenk began banking with Robers. In 2015, Robers helped him purchase Dakota Carriers and merge it with his previous business, Schenk Trucking.

“I have the utmost respect for his decisions, and he helped me think through a lot of the financial aspects of my business,” Schenk said.

Robers also worked with Schenk through the process of building Dakota Carriers’ facility in Foundation Park 4 1/2 years ago.

“We were able to streamline our business from running out of two locations in Sioux Falls to one,” Schenk said. “Russ helped me design it to have room for expansion also.”

And for good reason: Dakota Carriers has almost doubled in size from where it was a decade ago.

“My partnership with Russ has been awesome,” Schenk said. “We’ve turned into good friends. He takes the time to listen to me, and he comes out and checks on my operation. It seems like he takes pride in if I’m doing well, and then he feels like he’s doing well too.”

Over on the northeast side of town, just down the road from Robers’ office at the bank’s Benson Road branch, is Builders Supply Co.

There, another longtime customer has similar sentiments to share.

“As our city has grown, so has Builders Supply,” said Rick Gray, a partner at the local business, “and so has our reliance on good partners. First National — and Russ, specifically — has been vital to our growth.”

Gray has known Robers since the late 1990s, when Robers helped him buy into Builders Supply.

“Russ has been our banker since before I came into this business,” Gray said. “Because he’s been so good at what he does, we’ve maintained that relationship for 30-plus years, probably going on almost 40.”

They’ve also done several pheasant hunts together, which have helped foster personal relationships that go far beyond the balance sheets — but also build trust for when it comes time to look at the balance sheets.

Robers (second from left) on a customer pheasant hunt

“Russ is a genuine person,” Gray said. “He’s been there for us with sound advice, with where the market’s at, with what to expect. You can take him for his word and believe what he’s going to tell you.”

According to Robers, it’s those long-term relationships that have driven his career and kept him rolling for 40 years.

“Someone saying, ‘You can’t retire until I’m ready to quit’ — when a customer tells you that, it kind of solidifies in a few words that you were a good partner to them over the years,” Robers said.

There’s no retirement date set yet, in case you were wondering.

There’s still plenty of time to work with Russ Robers for your business banking needs, so don’t miss out on the opportunity. You can reach out to him at 605-782-5801; he’d be happy to put you on the right track!