Tag Archives: Jackson Ohio

Amanda Crabtree Joins VCNB Family in Jackson

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Vinton County National Bank and Jackson County Banking Center are pleased to welcome Amanda Crabtree to the bank family. Crabtree is a veteran community banker and active volunteer in Jackson County.

Many area residents will remember her working in local community banking for sixteen years prior to being named General Manager at Total Media where she helped consolidate offices and improve efficiencies while rebranding and adding new services for customers. She recently joined the VCNB Financial Family to work from the Jackson County Banking Center as a Senior Business Banker.

Amanda Crabtree

“I’m excited to be part of the VCNB team. The people you work with are everything and VCNB has the best of the best. Jackson County Banking Center has really made me feel at home and it has been an easy transition as I have worked with most of my teammates while in my previous jobs at other banks,” she explained.  “You won’t find a friendlier group or one that’s more dedicated to customer service than the folks at VCNB and I feel fortunate to be able to work with them every day.” 

The Jackson resident is an active community volunteer. She is President Elect of Jackson Rotary Club, Treasurer of Support Our Soccer, Secretary of Apple City Players, Vice President of Southern Hills Arts Council and Vice President of Lillian Jones Museum. She is also a board member of Jackson County Airport Authority, Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce and Jackson County Economic Development Partnership.

She is a graduate of Jackson High School and Ohio Northern University where she majored in Public Relations and graduated with honors. Crabtree and her husband HD have four sons, two of whom are grown and living in Bexley. Their younger sons are teenagers who reside at home. In their free time, she and HD enjoy hiking, golf and travel.

Crabtree said her passion for local involvement stems from her desire to see her community and the entire region succeed.  “I’m a true believer that when one of us succeeds we all succeed. This truth is evident in our communities. When our local businesses are successful, it helps our local economy flourish. I love Southern Ohio and I love working with new and established businesses in the area to help them achieve their goals for success.”

Senior Business Banker Amanda Crabtree can be found at Jackson County Banking Center at 471 McCarty Lane in Jackson. Call 740.577.3562 to speak with her or to make an appointment.

Small Business Spotlight: Downtown Treatery

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Being a small business owner is a tough job! That’s why we feature a different small business in our Small Business Spotlight every month! Today we visit Downtown Treatery, a bright and happy donut shop in Jackson where the owners hope to make you smile.

There aren’t many times in life that you will be encouraged to play with your food but that’s exactly what happens at Downtown Treatery. The Jackson donut shop opened just before the pandemic began and has provided much needed smiles for a growing legion of customers.

That’s partly because this isn’t just any ordinary donut shop. Step inside the brightly decorated storefront and you will be greeted by friendly staff, a delicious aroma and uplifting messages on the wall. The positive messages and whimsical décor including a bicycle table are designed to make every customer want to linger.

“Our donuts are great but we want you to come for the experience too,” Nicole Brennen said. She and her husband Brandon developed their unique format that allows customers to customize their orders with an array of icings, glazes and toppings. Essentially, customers can make their donut unique as fun to create as they are to eat.

Customers can also try the Downtown Treatery’s signature donuts with names like Oreo that’s topped with crushed Oreo cookies, the Piglet which features bacon and Extreme Butter Cup which is a chocolate and peanut butter lover’s dream. Their Michael’s Bubble is modeled off a popular treat from another Jackson area business – Michael’s Ice Cream where their daily fresh roasted peanuts top off their signature bubble sundae. These nuts are a prominent part of the Michael’s donut.

Other popular toppings include sprinkles, toasted coconut, Fruity Pebbles and chocolate chips. Icings include flavors like maple, strawberry, cream cheese and lemon while the assorted drizzles include marshmallow, peanut butter, raspberry and classic chocolate.

They also have other menu items like cream horns, brownies, cinnamon rolls, mini pies and beverages.

Another huge piece of the business is custom orders. “We do custom orders for any event you can imagine. We do weddings, birthday parties, bridal showers, retirement parties, gender reveal parties. You name it and we’ve done it,” she said.

“We chose bright, happy colors that kids like because we want to be family friendly and we want to people to smile when they come in. Everyone says just coming in brings a smile and we want them to be happy, to enjoy some donuts and to remember that life is pretty good. It’s not so bad. There’s a lot to smile about,” Nicole said.

Nicole and Brandon sweetly tag teamed the telling of the story that led them to want to open this shop. “It was all her idea. She had talked about it for a while. We had visited something similar on vacation years ago and one day she started talking to me about buildings,” he laughed.

“I knew it was something we should do and I just kept waiting for the right time. Everyone loves donuts, they make people happy. I believe that God has brought us to here to help others, to bring joy to others. I’m grateful to Him for that,” Nicole explained as she discussed how special and decorated donuts have become all the rage for celebrations in the area. “Everyone loves it and it’s another way we can bring a smile!”

When they found the building that would become Downtown Treatery, it had been stripped down to the studs, providing a blank canvas to create the space they need. They hung curtains over the front window during the renovation, waiting until opening day for the big reveal to the community.  “When I took down the curtains on the first day, there was a line stretched down the street,” she recalled. “It was incredible the way people showed up for us. I couldn’t believe it!”

That was January 25, 2020. Just six weeks later, the pandemic changed the face of life in Ohio and forced the couple to adjust their business model. “We had to adapt if we wanted to survive and we wanted to survive. Failure wasn’t an option so we started offering curbside pickup. You could order and we would bring your donuts right out to the car. If you’re a small business, you have to get creative.”

Nicole knows something about creativity. As a sports mom, wife, dental practitioner and small business owner she’s always had to balance, juggle and hustle but has done so more than ever this last year. “If it were easy, everyone would do it. I’m no stranger to hard work and I really love the challenge of making things work, finding ways around obstacles and reaching for my dreams,” she said.

Their dining room is open and there’s plenty of room for guests to social distance. Prior to the pandemic, they had welcomed parties of kids in to decorate their own donuts. “We loved doing that and can’t wait to do it again someday,” she said.

While Downtown Treatery is a special place for locals to enjoy, they also have a number of out-of-town guests including some who stop in while visiting town. “Jackson is such a wonderful place. Whether you live here or are just visiting, we welcome everyone to stop by for a donut and smile.”

Downtown Treatery is located at 229 Broadway Street in Jackson. Find hours, menu and more at their Facebook page!  

VCNB Opens New Jackson Branch Monday

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Jackson coming soonMonday will be a banner day for our staff in Jackson as this will mark our first day of operation in a newly constructed branch. The new office is located at 471 McCarty Lane, just around the corner from the current Jackson branch.

VCNB President Mark Erslan said that he looks forward to opening the new branch to the public. “We are really excited about the completion of our new office in Jackson. The growth we’ve experienced in the limited time we’ve been in Jackson has exceeded our expectations,” he said.

The bank opened a loan office in a small space on Veterans Drive in 2016. It quickly became clear that there was a demand in Jackson for VCNB to have a full service bank and the Jackson County Banking Center opened in 2017. That space was quickly outgrown and ground was broken last year for this new facility.

Customers will appreciate the state-of-the art drive-thru system and drive-up ATM. The Intelligent Deposit ATM uses no envelopes, accepting deposits of cash and checks and giving customers same-day credit for up to $500 daily. Inside, personal bankers are trained to help customers with nearly any loan or deposit need. A kid’s corner will help keep little ones occupied while their parents do business, and a digital learning area will allow customers who prefer self-service to log into their VCNB online accounts, read account literature and do more on iPads.

Most of all, there is plenty of room in the 6,000 square foot facility for bankers to spread out and help their customers with respect to customer privacy and safety in socially distanced times. “We just can’t wait to service our Jackson County customers with a brand new office that features modern amenities and plenty of room. We’re very pleased with the outcome of the planning, design and construction and looking forward to the chance for everyone to see and experience the new facility,” Erslan said.

The current branch will be open through Friday. This location will be closed on Saturday morning so they can move into the new facility. Visit us in Jackson at 471 McCarty Lane beginning Monday, July 27. We look forward to serving you in our new branch!

 

Meet Your Banker: Callie Duhl

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In our Meet Your Banker Series, we visit with Callie Duhl. Callie is the Branch Manager of our Jackson County Banking Center in Jackson.

Callie Duhl

Callie Duhl is the Branch Manager of our Jackson County Banking Center in Jackson.

Chat with Callie about her life and career and one thing is clear. She is devoted to her community, family and bank customers. The Jackson native has spent her entire life in Jackson, graduating from Jackson High School and building a long banking career before joining the VCNB Financial Family last year.

Like many VCNB Branch Managers, she started her career as a teller, working her way through a variety of positions including head teller, assistant manager and lender, seeing the banking business from a variety of angles. “I’ve done lending for most of my career and that’s what I like the best. It’s fun helping people get the things they need or want, the things that improve their lives,” she said.

Yet, this isn’t the life path Callie had envisioned for herself. As a lover of the outdoors, she has always enjoyed spending time caring for flowers, mowing and doing other outdoor work. “I never gave a thought to sitting behind a desk eight to ten hours a day. However, this is the path that God lead me down. My Grandpa always told me that God has a big sense of humor,” she exclaimed. “I’m right where I’m supposed to be and I’m glad to be here.”

Callie and her husband Alan have a fifty acre farm that keeps them busy. They have been married for 35 years and have one son. Their son works for the sheriff’s office and his wife is an RN. They have four young children who Callie adores.

She also is active as a founding member and treasurer of the Jackson Area Kiwanis. “Up until Covid hit we were staying busy in the community. It’s been different this summer but everything has been different,” she said.

Callie praised her customers for being so patient with lobby limitations during the early months of the pandemic. “Our customers have been just wonderful. So patient and kind to wait their turn. We couldn’t ask for better,” she said.

She takes customer service very seriously. “It’s important to me that we know our customers and that we do as much for them as we can,” she said. “Most of the time, when someone comes in, at least one of us knows their name and I think that’s important for people to feel comfortable coming in and doing business with us. We have all the technology anyone could want and we have the products they’re looking for but most people are really looking to make a connection with their banker.”

Small Business Spotlight: Tim’s Wood Shop

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Small businesses are important to communities and running a business is tough work. That’s why we feature a small business in one of our communities every month!

Tim's wood shop exterior

Look around America’s small towns and it’s sometimes hard to find skilled craftsmen making quality goods. That’s why Jackson is fortunate to have Tim’s Wood Shop, a small business in the community for more than thirty years.

One key to success has been their ability to change with the times and with customer demand, according to owner Tim Crabtree. The Oak Hill native actually started the business as a furniture shop in 1977. Tim said it had long been his dream to make furniture professionally but soon realized that making a living in this field would be challenging in southern Ohio. At the same time, he saw a demand for high quality custom doors and wood trims so he left furniture making for this more secure business model in 1987.

Growing the business over time, Tim has earned a reputation for quality products and service.

But the business has continued to evolve in recent years as the demand for custom wood flooring has increased so much that it is now the focus of the business.  “There is a lot of competition but our niche is that we do have a quality product. It’s better than what you will find elsewhere,” he said.

Most of their flooring is made with rift quarter sawn white oak but he noted they are happy to make flooring from any Appalachian hardwood that they can acquire including red oak and walnut.

While engineered flooring now comprises about half of the wood flooring market, Tim said there are different advantages and disadvantages to both engineered and hardwood flooring. For example, the price of flooring found in big box stores is lower but the veneer is often easily ruined by moisture. On the other hand, hardwood floors can be repeatedly repaired with sanding and refinishing. “What we do is more durable, the millwork is better and honestly, it’s a better long term investment,” he said.

The business is a family affair with help from Tim’s brother as well as Tim’s wife Lois who helps run the shop. An experienced woodworker in her own right, Lois helps with creating the chevron and herringbone floors. She said that most customers choose traditional plank flooring but there is a good market for these specialty floors.

flooringShe also explained that they offer two grades of wood – “Select grade” which typically is without flaws and has consistent color as well as “Character grade” which may have knots, variation in color and other small flaws. “It just depends on your taste and what you’re looking for,” she said, explaining that most customers choose the better grade while some still prefer the character that comes with flaws.

They sell their products locally as well as to distributors across Ohio and in other states.

In addition to themselves, Tim’s Wood Shop currently employs six people but they are looking for workers who have experience as well as those who are interested in learning. “We’re as busy as we’ve ever been so we do need help,” he said.  “We’re better than a big company on quality and sometimes we’re even more efficient but we do need good workers to make that work.”

Tim said they are always looking for ways to improve efficiency. One way they have done this is by transforming sawdust into firewood. The sawdust is turned into two pound bricks that are pure wood. Virtually ash free and creosote free, they have no additives or bugs and are a popular firewood source in the area. It sells for $175 a ton. Tim credits the Jackson County Economic Development Partnership for a $20,000 grant that helped fund the $92,000 machine used to create this product.

Tim’s Wood Shop is located on Athens Street, near Osco in Jackson. The large blue building has served many purposes over the years and was once a King Edward Cigar factory. Look closely at one side of the building to see a King Edward ad.

Want to know more? Tim’s Wood Shop is located at 117 Athens Street and is open 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Click here to visit their website or call 740.286.4535.