Farm Credit Services of Illinois held a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, April 8, 2009, at a construction site for a new facility in Red Bud’s East Industrial Park.

Farm Credit currently leases an office in Red Bud’s Park Plaza with a five-person staff team. The new facility will be a two-color brick one-story building with keystone features over doors and windows and a geothermal heating and cooling system. The building will provide 5,500 square feet of office space which could accommodate up to 17 office staff in the future. The facility’s architecture is uniquely designed for all new Farm Credit Services of Illinois buildings. The general contractor for the construction project is AKRA Builders, Inc. in Effingham.

Over the past four years, Farm Credit’s Red Bud branch office has experienced 33% growth in its overall loan portfolio which was at $74 million as of February 28, 2009. Crop insurance premiums in the Red Bud branch totaled more than $3 million in 2008. The Red Bud branch office serves farmers, rural landowners, and agribusinesses in Randolph and Monroe Counties.

“The Randolph County area has a rich tradition for highly productive and progressive agriculture. We expect the Red Bud branch to provide nearly $150 million of loan volume within the next five years,” says Dave Owens, president and CEO of Farm Credit Services of Illinois. “We are pleased to make a significant investment in the Red Bud community and look forward to owning a first-class facility that will serve future generations of our cooperative’s members in southwestern Illinois.”

The following individuals participated in the groundbreaking ceremony:

FARM CREDIT SERVICES CORPORATE

RED BUD & RANDOLPH COUNTY LEADERS

• Dave Owens President & C.E.O., Mahomet
• Jack Hastings, Chairman of the Board, Louisville
• Karen Neff, Board Member, Belleville
• Loren Leskis, Senior Vice President, Mahomet
• Terry Leitschuh, Regional Lending Manager, Highland

• Ken Mueller, Red Bud Mayor
• Rodney Nevois, Red Bud Chamber of Commerce
• Terry Liefer, Monroe County Commissioner

FARM CREDIT SERVICES RED BUD STAFF

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

• Craig Yoch, Vice President
• Eric Brammeier
• Laura DuFrenne
• Cheri Lange
• Carol Stoll
• Lois Stayton, widow of Brent Stayton (a 26-year Farm Credit loan officer based in Red Bud who lost a two-year battle with cancer on May 5, 2008)

• Chad Armstrong, AKRA Builders, Effingham
• Brian Blumer, AKRA Builders, Effingham