Business Notebook

__Waller joins First Midwest Bank as vice president, lending officer__

SIKESTON, Mo. – Gordon Waller has joined First Midwest Bank in Sikeston as a vice president and lending officer.

With over 45 years of experience in community bank management, commercial lending and agricultural lending, Waller brings extensive knowledge to the bank group.

“I’m thrilled to be part of this team,” Waller said of First Midwest. “And I’m looking forward to being back in a role that allows me to contribute to our community’s growth and success.”

Waller has a history of community and economic development, serving as chairman and member of the Board for the Missouri Innovation Corporation and as well as the board of the S & B Business Finance Corporation.

“We are very pleased to have Gordon join us,” said Steve Millington, Sikeston Community Bank President. “He is a wealth of knowledge and a welcomed addition to our group. I hope the addition of Gordon and other recent expansions we’ve made, including opening our second branch in town, show our continued commitment to our customers and to Sikeston.”

First Midwest Bank has more than $325 million in assets and has had a location in Sikeston for over 28 years with the newest branch location in Sikeston opening in January. Additional branches are located in Dexter, Dudley, Jackson, and Cape Girardeau. For more information, visit www.onemidwest.com. First Midwest Bank is a member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender.

__CENTURY 21 Premiere Realty receives award__

SIKESTON — Century 21 Real Estate LLC recently announced that it has honored CENTURY 21 Premiere Realty in Missouri with the “2019 State Award” for being #1 Company by Closings.

CENTURY 21 Premiere Realty was honored during the One21 Experience, the annual gathering of global CENTURY 21(r) brokers and affiliated agents in Los Angeles February 23-26 for being #relentless in delivering extraordinary experiences to homebuyers and sellers in Missouri. 

In its inaugural year, the CENTURY 21 “State Award” recognizes relentless sales professionals and C21(r) offices that have gone ‘above and beyond’ providing personalized, unique moments to consumers throughout the real estate relationship.

“The award was created to honor our System members who are changing the way consumers and industry professionals interact as together, as a brand, we move this business from strictly transactional to experiential,” said Mike Miedler, president and chief executive officer, Century 21 Real Estate LLC. “Their accomplishments show that our mission to defy mediocrity and deliver extraordinary experiences is resonating with homebuyers and sellers who deserve, and demand, more from their real estate agent and company of choice.”

CENTURY 21 Premiere Realty is a full-service brokerage located at 1101 East Malone Avenue in Sikeston.

__Chaffee farmer wins first place in national corn yield contest__

Chaffee farmer Charles Hinkebein earned a first-place state award in the 2019 National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) National Corn Yield Contest. Hinkebein is honored as one of the highest corn yield producers in the nation with DEKALB DKC68-69RIB Brand Blend corn, yielding an outstanding 280.33 bushels per acre in the Strip-Till, Minimum-Till, Mulch-Till, Ridge-Till Irrigated category.

“It’s truly an honor Charles chooses to partner with the DEKALB brand in the quest for high yields,” said Pete Uitenbroek, DEKALB Asgrow Deltapine Brand Marketing Lead. “It was a tough year, but farmers can choose to have the best foundation possible by planting products with exclusive genetics and consistent performance.”

The NCGA contest, currently in its 55th year, challenges farmers to achieve record-setting yields as part of its search for management practies that can help farmers everywhere. It’s NCGA’s most popular program with this year’s event producing 7,454 entries.

Hinkebein was among DEKALB winners recently recognized at the 2020 Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas, Feb. 27-29 with an awards banquet and private concert featuring Drake White.

In the 2019 NCGA yield contest, DEKALB farmers captured eight of the 27 national awards and 182 first through third place awards at the state level, 31 of which yielded 300 bushels per acre or higher.