Community Builders is a group that supports local communities and businesses by sharing ideas and resources. Partners are Central Community College, Cornhusker Public Power District, and Loup Power District. Tours are open to the public. Tour information is posted on social media and in local newspapers.
The Community Builders group toured Petersburg on Wednesday, May 1. Tour stops included True Blue Electric, Rae Valley Street Rods, Petersburg Ag Supply Center, and Cedar Rapids State Bank, followed by dinner at 3C’s Knotty Pine.
TRUE BLUE ELECTRIC
Build it and they will come.
That’s sort of how it went for Jordan Anderson, owner of True Blue Electric.
The Newman Grove native went off to Lincoln for 10 years after graduating. That was long enough in the city and so he moved back home and began commuting to Norfolk for work. Things were going well, but he felt there was something missing.
“I really had a desire to own a business,” he said.
An acquaintance put him in touch with the Petersburg Industrial Development Corporation. The group was planning a new building in the downtown area and was looking for an occupant.
Anderson said after a few meetings, he knew the group’s members would support a new business and decided that it was time to pursue his goal in 2017.
“It’s been a great opportunity for me,” he said.
Today, the newly rebranded True Blue Electric has plenty of business in Boone County and the surrounding area. Anderson purchased his building and has three employees.
The business has a strong focus on commercial projects but also does residential work.
Anderson said he is thankful that Petersburg and Albion residents have welcomed him to their communities. He also credits his wife, Kristi, for his success. She works as a part-time bookkeeper.
“I couldn’t do it without her,” he said. “She’s been extremely supportive and she’s incredibly talented.”
Anderson said the company is emphasizing leadership and development opportunities for employees as he begins to transition from working in the field at least four days a week to being in the office more. This will free up time to enhance customer relations, complete estimates, and handle other office and managerial tasks.
“We’re really striving to be a premier company here in Boone County,” he said.
Anderson said he is thankful that he has always had plenty of business. That, however, creates its own problems.
“The biggest challenge is recruiting and keeping key talent,” he said.
He’s committed to creating a positive atmosphere for his employees and a developing a great reputation among the public. He hopes that will ensure continued success going forward and allow him to attract that talent that is definitely out there.
“I know there is a segment of people who want to get out of Omaha and Lincoln and experience small-town life,” he said. “There’s a lot that rural America has to offer.”
LEARN MORE: trueblue-electric.com
RAE VALLEY STREET RODS & FABRICATION
As a kid growing up in Humphrey, Chase Preister would often peek in the windows of Boesch Auto to check out the hot rods inside.
“You always wanted to see what was in there,” he said.
He was inspired by those glances to get into auto body work himself. And today, kids can peek in Rae Valley Street Rods to see what he’s working on.
“It was always a dream of mine to own a restoration shop,” Preister said.
He moved to Petersburg with his family in 2004 before going off to college in Lincoln to learn the trade. After college he worked for a few shops and really enjoyed the work and the mentorship he found there.
But after a few years, he knew he wasn’t where he wanted to be.
“I just wanted to come back home,” he said. “I didn’t like the city.”
He moved home and worked for his father, Scott, for about a year. In 2020, he built his shop with Scott’s help. It features exposed well casing pipe trusses and large front windows so people can check out the cars inside.
It took about a year to finish the building and he marked his third year on business the same day as the Community Builders tour.
In addition to a large work area, the building also has a paint booth.
“Metalwork is probably my favorite thing to do,” he said.
If you go by his shop, you’ll likely see a 1955 Dodge Coronet and a 1972 GMC Jimmy inside in various stages of restoration.
Preister said projects can take months and up to a year to complete. He does some collision work but prefers the classic restorations. He has not advertised and business comes his way by word of mouth.
He had a part-time employee for a time who eventually moved on to another job.
Preister said he’s very particular about the quality of his work and these days he enjoys working alone.
“It’s hard to find someone who knows how to do this stuff,” he said.
LEARN MORE: Rae Valley Street Rods & Fabrication on Facebook
PETERSBURG AG SUPPLY CENTER
Doug Koch’s father stepped away from his job in the fertilizer industry in 1987 and bought a run-down building in downtown Petersburg.
Windows were broken, it had a bad roof, and needed brick work.
But soon Marv Koch had it all fixed up and opened a store selling sporting goods and guns.
“He always loved those kinds of things,” Koch said.
He said his father spent a lot of time fishing and hunting and wasn’t always at the store.
One day in the summer of 2017, the pair were sitting together at the store when Marv asked Doug if he wanted to take over the business.
“I looked him right in the eyes and I said, ‘Can I make a living doing it?’ and he said ‘absolutely not’ and here I am,” Koch said with a laugh.
Today, he sells guns, ammo, and other hunting and sporting goods from the small store that is open mainly by appointment. He describes the business as a small Scheels or Cabela’s.
The store also features a taxidermy collection including a wolf, fish, deer, birds, and a lynx.
Koch joked that he wanted to be a taxidermist in the eighth grade and even dabbled in the trade.
“It was terrible,” he said. “These were not even close to what a fish should look like.”
Koch said the Internet and social media has really helped small-town businesses grow and attract customers. Even so, he doesn’t focus much on that.
“I’ve hit that age where I really don’t want to be that busy,” he said.
LEARN MORE: petersburgagsupply.com and on Facebook
CEDAR RAPIDS STATE BANK
Cedar Rapids State Bank (CRSB) President John Morrow was a little surprised when Petersburg resident Ross Knott approached him about opening a branch in Petersburg.
The small bank had two other locations in Cedar Rapids and Spalding.
Knott explained that there was a unique opportunity to open a branch on a well-traveled highway in a progressive town. Before long, Morrow was sold on the idea.
The bank built a new office and has been in business for a little more than two years.
Knott serves as Vice President and Senior Loan Officer.
Morrow said he’s a Lincoln native who worked as a financial advisor in Omaha before coming to CRSB. Since then, he has worked hard to diversify the bank’s portfolio.
To do that, CRSB hired a team to help originate mortgages as well as a commercial lender.
Seven years ago, the bank had assets of about $30 million. Today, that number is about $150 million.
Morrow said while CRSB is “an ag bank at heart,” it made sense to add services to better serve customers and improve stability. “It’s helped with the long-term safety of the bank,” he said.
He also said that “community banking” doesn’t mean what it once did.
“Community is not just about a map,” he said.
Knott agreed, saying technology has helped service customers all over the country.
“When you call here, you’re still going to talk to a live human who can help you,” he said. “But we can help anybody anywhere. We do business from coast to coast, from North to South.”
Still, Knott said there are some things that haven’t changed since he started in the industry in 1986.
“The brick and mortar doesn’t mean much,” he said. “And to me it never did.”
Instead, it’s the people and service that matter.
“That’s what our goal is — to be the people that you want to do business with,” he said.
LEARN MORE: cedarrapidsstatebank.com and Facebook
3C’S KNOTTY PINE
Owners Patrick and Hannah Cleveland purchased Knotty Pine in 2019. They serve daily food and drink specials. The bar and restaurant features two bars and hosts events featuring shuffleboard, pool, cards and more.
The couple also own a cafe and catering business in Albion.
LEARN MORE: 3C’s Knotty Pine on Facebook and 3C’s Cleveland’s Cafe and Catering on Facebook