Pictured from left to right/Top Row: Christy Grafton, Dave Shores, Sandy Witzke, Katie Hayes
Second Row: Tammy DiMercurio, Tammy Nunziante, Donn Hackmann, Nita Cariffe, Greg Smith, Joe ArmourThird Row: Trudi Peters, Jill Starkey, Seth Shasserre, Vicki Szarwinski, Vicki Thomas, Karen Mee
WINTER2014
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
• Message from the President
• Favazza Specialty Foods
• Send Some Holiday Cheer to Our Military Overseas
SUMMER 2013
• Customer Profile - Therapeutic Horsemanship
• Shred It Day Save The Date
• Message from the President
Coming this Fall…Mobile Banking
Credit ConfidentialThe Secret to Good Credit is 5 Steps Away
Turn your smartphone into your very own mobile banking center!
• Check account balances and transfer money
• Make loan payments• Deposit checks from your
smartphone• And more!
More details to come!
Loans and credit cards can help you achieve important milestones faster than if you had to save up for them. Using credit the right way is actually quite easy when you follow these “five steps of credit.”
• Know the rules. Making a late payment or spending more than your credit limit can result in expensive fees and increased interest.
• Make payments on time — this shows that you are responsible with credit.
• When considering a loan, use an online calculator to estimate your monthly payment to make sure it won’t put a strain on your budget.
• Review your credit reports annually from one of the three major credit reporting agencies, visit www.annualcreditreport.com.
• Find the lowest interest rate. Lower interest rates will decrease your monthly payment and the interest charges you will ultimately pay.
The five steps of credit can help you avoid costly credit mistakes while building good credit.
Use your phone to scan this code and learn more about the products and services offered at
1st Advantage Bank!
Advantage PointThe
240 Salt Lick Rd. St. Peters, Missouri 63376
636.970.0440www.1stadvantagebank.com
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
RIGHTattitude… TIMELYdecisions… Right Now!
240 Salt Lick Rd.St. Peters, MO 63376
636.970.0440www.1stadvantagebank.com
Old Fashioned One-Pan ChiliEvery year, everybody wants to know who the winner of our Chili Cook-off was and what their “secret recipe” is. The winner of this year’s 2014 Annual Employee Chili Cook-Off was Tammy Nunziante (Chili #7) and here is her recipe that she is willing to share!
3 cans mild chili beans1 can black beans
(drained and rinsed)1-2 pounds lean ground beef 1 small onion chopped 2 large cans crushed tomatoes1 can diced tomatoes½ cup ketchup3 Tablespoons white vinegar
1 Tablespoon yellow mustard¼ cup loosely packed brown sugar2 Tablespoons chili powder (or to taste)Garlic powderSaltPepperCuminPaprika
In large pot, add chopped onion and crumbled hamburger meat. Season well with salt, pepper, garlic salt & paprika and cook until done. Strain away any fat/grease that remains on meat. Add cooked meat back to pot. Add chili beans, rinsed black beans, crushed tomatoes, and diced tomatoes. Mix and begin to heat. When hot, add ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar and seasonings to taste. Simmer at least 45 minutes on medium-low, stirring occasionally to keep from burning/sticking to pan.
~Cook’s Notes~For convenience: one package/envelope of McCormick chili seasoning can be used and adjust seasoning to your specific taste with cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. For spicy chili: add cayenne pepper for heat. For a thinner chili: add more crushed tomatoes or one can tomato sauce. Top with cheese, chopped green onions, Fritos.
Christmas Eve(December 24th)
8:30 a.m. to Noon
Christmas Day (December 25th)
Closed
New Years’ Eve(December 31st)
8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
New Years’ Day (January 1st)
Closed
Holiday Hours
Annual Holiday Open House
Friday, December 19th
10am to 3pm
Please join us for our Employee Bake-Off
From your friendsat 1st Advantage Bank!
Merry Christmas
Crockpot Candy Peanut ClustersRecipe courtesy of Christy GraftonAssistant Vice PresidentMarketing and Cash Management Officer
2 cups honey roasted peanuts1 cup dry roasted peanuts1 (24 ounce) package chocolate-
flavored almond bark4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon vegetable shortening1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine everything except vanilla in a 3½ – 4 quart slow cooker in the order listed. Cover and let cook on low (see note) for 1½ to 2 hours, or until chocolate has melted. To avoid burning the nuts and/or the chocolate, stir first after about 15-20 minutes, and then several times after, about every 20 to 30 minutes. When chocolate has fully melted, stir in the vanilla extract until well blended. Drop candy by heaping tablespoons on parchment, wax paper, or into mini foil cups, allowing to cool for a full 2 hours until firm. Makes about 60 Candy Peanut Clusters.
~Cook’s Notes~Important: New slow cookers cook much hotter than older models, even on low. If you are using a new model, you may want to try cooking this on warm and for a longer time to avoid burning.
New Employee Profile
Message from the President
Karen MeeKaren Mee joined 1st Advantage Bank this summer as a Retail Banking Specialist. Karen started her banking career in the late 1970s as a commercial teller while attending evening classes at UMSL. She enjoyed the varied tasks and the work atmosphere so much that she continued to seek new learning opportunities in other departments, such as brokerage administration and annuity sales. “My satisfaction was derived from knowing that I could really help my customers make the best
decisions for their unique individual needs. Let me say that I am delighted to be a part of the community banking team at 1st Advantage Bank. It is exciting to be on board with an experienced staff delivering quality customer care,” adds Karen.
Outside of work she enjoys anything that takes her outdoors. She especially enjoys spending time with her son and new daughter-in-law. Karen has no grandchildren yet but she does have a wonderful grand dog that she gets to babysit. More traveling is on her bucket list. She has been through most of the United States except for Hawaii and Alaska and she looks forward to planning an Alaskan cruise someday.
Your 1stAdvantage Bank Team
Board of DirectorsSCOTT ANGELL
Angell Capital Management, LLC
TIM HUFFNiedner, Bodeux, Carmichael, Huff,
Lenox, Pashos & Simpson, LLP
JEFF KOLBDave Kolb Grading, Inc.
MIKE MARGIOTTAPriority Properties
KURT ODLEOutdoor Sports Marketing
JOE RIVETGold Star Paving
PAT WESSELSKIENSTRA ENTERPRISES, INC
TED KIENSTRAKIENSTRA ENTERPRISES, INC
(Bank Holding Company Director)
GREGORY A. SMITH1st Advantage Bank
Advisory DirectorsKevin Beckerle SuperValuKen Bennett C. Bennet Building SupplyJeff Blanton Blanton ConstructionDon Collier III Triad DevelopmentKathy Darst Kohrs Truck & Auto Repair IncJennifer Dumstorff Beckerle Preferred PropertiesDan Felsch ADF CapitalSteve Heying St. Charles InsurancePhil Kaiser The Kaiser Law Firm, P.C.Peggy McGrath Tramar Contracting Inc.Doug Mueller MPP&W P.C.Dean Orf Didion-Orf RecyclingJohn Pisa The Pisa Group, IncGreg Semmel Omega Steel CompanyJack Schroeder Specialized Collision CenterMike Story Money Concepts
Executive Team & StaffJoe Armour Senior Vice PresidentNita Cariffe Loan AdministratorTammy DiMercurio Loan AdministratorChristy Grafton Assistant Vice President
-Retail BankingDonn Hackmann Vice PresidentKatie Hayes Assistant Vice President
-Compliance Officer/ Retail Banking
Karen Mee Retail Banking SpecialistTammy Nunziante Operations/BSA CoordinatorTrudi Peters Bookkeeping-AdministratorSeth Shasserre Loan OfficerDave Shores Vice President /Operations/
Risk Management OfficerGregory A. Smith President/CEOJill Starkey Senior Vice President /CFOVicki Szarwinski Vice PresidentVicki Thomas Retail BankerSandra Witzke Administrative Assistant/
Loan Administrator
Send Some Holiday Cheer To Our Military OverseasDuring the holiday season, a large number of soldiers – especially those stationed overseas – are often unable to truly enjoy the holidays due to work and participation in special missions. In some cases, soldiers are unable to contact their families, friends and other loved ones during the holiday season. However, there are many ways you can support the troops during the holidays to convey your appreciation and let them know that you care.
Here are a few ways you can show your support:
7 Make a care package filled with snacks, toiletries, disposable cameras, personal letters of appreciation, books and magazines. Many websites will help you arrange getting your package overseas including Operation Gratitude, Operation Homefront Hugs, Operation Troop Aid and Operation USO Care Package.
7 You can send emails, letters and holiday cards through the A Million Thanks campaign. Blue Star Families recently launched Operation Appreciation, a letter-writing campaign to military families.
7 Donate money to go towards prepaid calling cards and free call days through the VFW Operation Uplink. You can also donate your old cell phones to Cell Phones for Soldiers; the equipment is turned into millions of minutes on pre-paid calling cards for U.S. troops stationed overseas.
7 Volunteering at a local military hospital or veterans’ facility costs nothing, but yields rich rewards.
7 Help stuff Christmas stockings for deployed troops overseas with Operation Santa, which accepts donations of funds as well as volunteers’ time. You can also donate a Christmas tree to American military units overseas.
7 Home of the Brave Quilts provides quilters a way to sew their own blanket of gratitude to families of soldiers killed in action.
7 Service members preparing for deployment are sometimes desperate to find new homes for their pets. The Military Pets Foster Project helps connect these service members with families willing to house, nurture and care for a variety of animals.
Favazza Specialty FoodsFavazza Specialty Foods is a family owned operation started by Perry and Dottie Favazza in 2008. Their company provides the development and production of wrapped and breaded appetizers and small plate offerings. Favazza Specialty Foods is centrally located in St. Louis, Missouri and produces and ships to wholesale distributors and large restaurant and foodservice operations throughout the United States. The 20,000 square foot facility has the capacity to produce cases of custom-made product every month. Their company has even been featured on The Food Network.
The process begins with flat sheets of dough which are then hand filled with selected filling options. Each unit is then individually hand folded and sealed. After quality control checks for weight and accuracy of folds, the product is then chilled and par fried. The next step is the freezing process after which the product is boxed in preparation for shipping.
Their innovative and exciting product line includes Mia’s Crab Rangoon, Guacitos, Nachos Locos, Buffalo Typhoons and breaded artichoke hearts. For clients desiring a custom recipe, Favazza Specialty Foods operates as a contract service provider preparing product to customer specifications at any stage in the production process. This flexibility allows quick production changes and rapid order fulfillment for many operations coast to coast.
Perry and Dottie are pleased to be new customers of 1st Advantage Bank. Perry adds, “After being a business owner for many years, 1st Advantage Bank is truly the “1st” bank that understands our business and treats us like family.”
Favazza Specialty Foods products are free from preservatives, additive free and they use fresh locally sourced ingredients when possible. If you would like to try one of Favazza’s creations, visit Sybergs’s Restaurant and order the Sygoons. They are delicious!
RIGHTattitude… TIMELYdecisions… Right Now!
Save the date!SHRED-IT DAY
at 1st Advantage Bank
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Nacho LocoMia's Crab Rangoon
Dear Valued Customers and Friends:
It seems I echo the same sentiment each year at this time expressing how fast the current year has flown by. This year is no exception. I am sure many of you are feeling the same way with Thanksgiving and Christmas upon us.
This season, I want to take a different approach to our newsletter and just say thank you.
Thank you to our customers first and foremost, because without you there would be no 1st Advantage Bank.
Thank you to our shareholders who continue to support your community bank.
Thank you to our great staff who provides the service you deserve with the attitude of thankfulness.
Thank you to our Boards of Directors who have supported and strengthened your community bank.
Thank you to all our families for supporting us in our jobs that we do each day regardless of the work we do.
Thank you for our community which is vibrant and diverse in its activities and opportunities.
Finally, thank you for our country which provides opportunities for all of us and allows us the freedom to choose our own course.
From all the 1st Advantage Bank “family” we wish all of you a safe and wonderful Holiday season.
Come home to 1st Advantage Bank. Our front door is open.
Sincerely,
Gregory A. Smith President/CEO
