BankFirst

What BankFirst does

BankFirst is a privately held community bank headquartered at 100 North 13th Street, Norfolk, Nebraska, serving consumers, small and mid-sized businesses, and agricultural operations across a tri-state corridor covering Northeast Nebraska, Western Iowa (including two Sioux City locations), and Yankton, South Dakota. Founded circa 1970 per firmographic records and FDIC insured, the bank operates 13 branch locations and employs 101-250 staff under the leadership of CEO/President Clark Froehlich, with Jill Hildebrand serving as Human Resources Director.

The bank's product set spans personal banking (1st-Rate Checking, savings, certificates of deposit, personal credit and debit cards, mortgages and refinancing, home equity lines of credit, and student banking), business banking (commercial checking and savings, business credit cards, term loans and lines of credit, treasury and business services), and a dedicated agriculture vertical (agricultural checking/savings and farm lending for equipment, land, and operating capital). Distribution combines physical branches with an in-house multi-channel digital platform: an online banking portal, an iOS/Android mobile app supporting check deposit, card management, alerts, and card on/off controls, and DriveThru+Plus Interactive Teller Machines that route customers to live tellers during extended weekday and Saturday hours.

Revenue is generated through traditional community-banking mechanics: net interest margin on the lending book (mortgages, HELOCs, personal, business, and agriculture loans) funded by deposits, plus transactional and recurring fee streams from checking, debit and credit cards (interchange), overdraft and account maintenance charges, and CD products. Marketing leverages Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, the bank-website content hub, and email outreach, and the bank maintains a partner relationship with an external check-ordering vendor. There is no disclosed parent company, institutional investor, or capital-raising activity in the source material.

Name

BankFirst

Legal name

BankFirst

Website

https://bankfirstonline.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

BankFirst is a privately held, FDIC-insured community bank serving consumers, small and mid-sized businesses, and agricultural operations across Northeast Nebraska, Western Iowa, and Yankton, South Dakota through 13 branches and online, mobile, and DriveThru+Plus ITM channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (52211), Depository Credit Intermediation (5221)

SIC

National Commercial Banks (6021)

akta.pro primary industry

Mass-Market Consumer Deposit Banking (Checking/Savings) (FSABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bank & Credit Union Personal Loans (Unsecured Installment) (FSAKAAAL), Credit & Overdraft Enablement (Credit Lines, Underwriting Integrations) (FSAGAAAJ), Student & Youth Banking (FSABAAAH)

Keywords

• Community banking services
• Personal banking products
• Agricultural lending
• Business banking services
• Deposit and loan products

Headquarters

HQ city

South Sioux City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Interest Income: Traditional banking interest income from lending products including mortgages, personal loans, home equity lines of credit, business loans, and agricultural loans. Generates revenue through interest rate spreads on deposits versus loans.
2. Banking Fees and Service Charges: Fees from checking accounts, debit cards, credit cards, and other banking services. Includes overdraft fees, ATM fees, and account maintenance charges.
3. Certificate of Deposit Products: Interest-bearing deposit products that provide stable funding and generate fee income.
4. Credit Card Services: Personal and business credit card programs generating interchange fees and interest revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BankFirst is a privately owned community bank offering a full suite of personal and business banking products and services across Northeast Nebraska, Western Iowa, and Yankton, South Dakota. Core offerings include deposit products (checking, savings, CDs), lending products (mortgages, HELOCs, personal, business, and agricultural loans), debit and credit cards, and digital banking services accessible through branches, online and mobile platforms, and DriveThru+Plus Interactive Teller Machines.

Product overview

BankFirst is a regional community bank offering a comprehensive suite of financial products and services through a multi-channel delivery model. The product portfolio includes personal banking products (checking, savings, CDs, credit cards, debit cards, mortgages, HELOCs, and student banking) and business banking products (agriculture-focused accounts and loans, commercial checking/savings, business credit cards, and business loans). The bank also provides digital banking services including online and mobile banking with check deposit, fund transfers, bill pay, and card management features, as well as DriveThru +Plus Interactive Teller Machines offering extended hours and live teller support. All products are accessible through the bank's branch network across Northeast Nebraska, Western Iowa, and Yankton, South Dakota.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DriveThru +Plus: Interactive Teller Machines (ITMs) offering live teller services for drive-up banking with extended hours including Saturday service.

Products and services

• 1st-Rate Checking Personal checking account offering with standard banking features for individual customers.
• Personal Savings Savings account product for individual customers to deposit and grow funds.
• Certificate of Deposit (CD) Time deposit account with fixed term and interest rate for savers seeking guaranteed returns.
• Personal Credit Cards Credit card products for personal use with various rewards and benefits.
• Personal Debit Cards Debit card services for personal account holders with card management features including tracking, alerts, and card On/Off controls.
• Mortgages & Refinance Home loan products including purchase mortgages and refinance options for residential property.
• Loans & Lines of Credit (HELOC) Home equity lines of credit and loan products using home equity as collateral.
• Student Banking Banking products tailored for students including checking and savings accounts.
• Agriculture Checking & Savings Business checking and savings accounts designed for agricultural operations and farms.
• Agriculture Loans Loan products specifically designed for agricultural operations including farm equipment, land, and operating capital.
• Business Checking & Savings Commercial checking and savings accounts for businesses of various sizes.
• Business Credit Cards Credit card products designed for business use with expense management features.
• Business Loans Commercial lending products including term loans and lines of credit for business needs.
• Business Services Additional business banking services including treasury management and other operational banking solutions.
• Online and Mobile Banking Digital banking platform enabling customers to transfer funds, set alerts, pay bills, deposit checks via mobile app, and manage cards in one place.
• Business Online & Mobile Services Digital banking services tailored for business customers including online and mobile access.
• DriveThru +Plus (ITMs) Interactive Teller Machines with LiveTeller support enabling extended hours banking for deposits, cash withdrawals, and payments with personalized service.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heartland Bank: Nebraska-based community bank serving rural and small-town markets with deposit and ag lending products. Comparable in geographic focus and customer base.
• Five Points Bank: Nebraska community bank with branches in the central/eastern part of the state serving consumer, business, and agricultural customers. Direct comparable on geography, scale, and product set.
• Pinnacle Bank: Nebraska-headquartered community bank with a multi-state Midwest branch network and full personal, business, and agricultural banking offerings. Highly comparable to BankFirst in geographic footprint, product mix, and customer segments.
• Adams Bank & Trust: Family-owned Nebraska community bank with personal, business, and agricultural banking across western Nebraska and eastern Colorado. Comparable community-bank model and ag lending emphasis.
• Cornerstone Bank: York, Nebraska-based community bank offering consumer and ag lending across the state. Comparable size, regional focus, and product breadth to BankFirst.
• Midwest Bank: Nebraska-headquartered community bank operating a multi-branch network with consumer, business, and farm lending products. Directly comparable on footprint, product mix, and operating model.

Emerging players

• Bell Bank: Employee-owned Upper Midwest community bank that has grown aggressively through acquisitions. Comparable community-bank positioning with a modern digital platform, offering a relevant growth-template comparison for BankFirst.

Broad incumbents

• First Interstate Bank: Large multi-state regional bank with significant presence across Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota. Overlaps BankFirst's geographic footprint and competes for similar deposit and ag lending customers at greater scale.
• Great Western Bank: Multi-state regional bank with a large Midwest branch network including Iowa and South Dakota, overlapping BankFirst's territory. Broader scale and product set, but serves the same personal/business/ag customer segments.

Others

• Farm Credit Services of America: Farm Credit System lender providing specialized agricultural loans across Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Directly competes for BankFirst's ag lending customers but operates under a different cooperative/government-sponsored structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BankFirstNE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bankfirstne
• Instagraminstagram.com/BankFirstNE
• Xx.com/BankFirst_NE

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BankFirst