120-year-old bank continues to serve, renovates sole branch

Matthew Day

Staff

July 13, 2026

LITTLE CHUTE – When an independent bank decides to renovate its one, single branch – thereby disrupting lobby service for several months – the decision carries significance. 

When BLC (Bank of Little Chute) Community Bank committed to remodeling its sole location, President/Chief Lending Officer Adam Lange said he knew it would cause a minor, temporary inconvenience for customers, while also signaling the 120-year-old bank’s ongoing dedication. 

Even so, Lange and Vice President, Marketing & Business Development Heather Calnin said it was tough to inform customers that BLC’s lobby would be available by appointment only from Memorial Day through Labor Day. 

“We went back and forth for quite a while [on the decision to renovate],” Lange said. “Thankfully, we have really good construction partners that have been great to work with.” 

Between Keller, Inc. and a number of area subcontractors, Lange said BLC has been fortunate to forge relationships and trust with the various commercial construction companies handling the work. 

“We made sure we prepared as best as possible to allow people to still have access to the bank, even if our lobby wasn’t open,” he said.

Calnin – who Lange said coordinated all the “tricky” aspects of maintaining service throughout – said the community bank is more appreciative than ever of its loyal customers as BLC has asked customers to “pardon our dust.” 

“We are always so grateful and appreciative of our customer support – for continuing to choose to bank with us and for their patience as we go through this remodel,” she said. 

The vision 

Operating entirely from a single building is an aspect Lange said strengthens and differentiates BLC.

The remodel, he said, reinforces these strengths and supports BLC’s longer-term vision. 

“It not only gives us additional capacity to continue to grow our team, but it also allows us to remain as a single-location bank that gives us the culture and efficiencies we want here,” he said. “It’s kind of the best of both worlds.” 

By foregoing “the complexity of multiple locations,” Lange said the project symbolically assures customers that BLC will be able to better maintain its culture while it adds staff and expands services to clients. 

In a practical sense, Calnin said the remodel is a matter of “enhancing” the building and upgrading its efficiencies for both its thousands of customers and 40-plus employees. 

“We have a new, improved teller area that should provide a little more functionality and a little more space to provide privacy for our customers when they’re dealing with our tellers,” she said. 

Aesthetically, Calnin said the project will deliver a “refresh” that makes the space feel more modern and comfortable while preserving the familiar BLC character, rather than a complete “overly modern” redesign.

As the work progresses over the summer, she said customers and staff have all required “a little while to adapt.” 

“We’ve been here for a very, very long time, so people are used to routine,” she said. “It’s a little bit of a change from the norm, but we’re happy to say it’s really short-lived.” 

The brief inconveniences are all the more endurable, Calnin said, since the summer weather makes the bank’s drive-thru all the more amenable. 

She also said BLC’s customers can rest assured the work will be worth the wait. 

“We’re getting into a regular routine here as well now, and we look forward to inviting everyone back in once all the changes are done,” she said. “I think everyone will be really impressed, and they’ll see the vision once they can get in here and it’s all updated.” 

‘A cool story’ 

Lange said the changes to the BLC building represent the latest chapter in the bank’s legacy. 

“The company has a cool story, because we’ve been in downtown Little Chute since 1906 and we’re essentially in the same location where we originally started,” he said. 

The bank’s original, 120-year-old building, Lange said, is still standing. 

“We built our [current] building in 1953, did several expansions over the years and then purchased back the original building about 10 years ago and reconnected the two,” he said, “so we’ve essentially been in the same spot for 120 years now.” 

Lange said he describes BLC’s ownership group as “really passionate,” with the majority of shareholders having descended from its original founders. 

The bank’s roots, he said, in addition to its unique, one-branch operation, make for especially strong ties to the Little Chute area. 

Having the single location, Lange said, is a point of pride for both the bank and the community. 

Above all, he said the approach is highly conducive to building relationships and trust. 

“We have such an advantage having all of our people under one roof,” he said. “It creates a lot of efficiencies, a lot of synergies, really helps us maintain culture, and it’s a huge benefit for our clients, because we can respond to things very quickly.” 

Not only is it easier for BLC clients and staff to develop relationships on a first-name basis, but Lange said solutions are provided much faster. 

“[Customers] know specifically who they’re going to for things, because we don’t have separate call centers and things like that where you’re kind of getting bounced around to different locations or different groups,” he said. “We’ve got everybody right here, so it creates much more of a relationship-based experience.” 

Compared to a national bank, Lange said a community bank like BLC can serve “clients of all sizes.” 

Calnin said the investment priorities of community banks are another key differentiator. 

“When people bring their dollars and deposits here, we invest those locally, so those deposits aren’t going out to businesses all over the country – they really stay here, and they help improve businesses and help people purchase homes right within our community,” she said. 

BLC’s communal ties, Calnin said, are further reinforced by the bank’s belief in giving back. 

“Our team likes to volunteer and support organizations that are not only important to our customers but are important to our team members as well,” she said. “We hear that a lot coming from people – they see us everywhere.” 

Beyond its direct community involvement, Calnin said the bank further differentiates itself from national banks in its ability to be flexible, crediting BLC’s long-term perseverance to its adaptability. 

“We really like to avoid the ‘that’s the way we’ve always done it’ mindset,” she said. “When things in the past have been successful, we also need to continue to be adaptive and re-evaluate how we improve and make things more efficient.” 

Trust in the future 

Lange said BLC’s success – particularly its growth over the last 10 years – is a testament to the solid “groundwork” from past generations of leadership. 

“[The challenge] is trying to make sure we honor all the things that made BLC what it is today, but then also make sure we’re not getting complacent, and that we’re always looking for ways to improve and get better,” he said. 

Calnin and Lange said the renovations to the long-serving bank reflect that balance, as BLC works to continuously earn clients’ trust rather than simply get by as the only community bank in town. 

Lange said proactive growth is vital to the bank’s future, particularly as it retains its independence.

Amid any economic uncertainty, he and Calnin said the trust that can be provided by an independent community bank is invaluable, and the remodeling project should offer a sign of security to BLC’s clientele. 

“I think we offer a lot of stability for our customers,” Calnin said, noting the bank continues to offer “legacy services” like coin-counting. 

After the renovations are complete, she said BLC will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony, potentially in November. 

Before this, Calnin said the bank’s most recent remodel – not nearly as major a project – was in 2017. 

“This is really the biggest disruption, but we’re thankful not only for our customers being patient with us but for our team as well,” she said. 

Lange said he is “super grateful” for BLC’s clients’ continued patronage as well as the opportunity to oversee this important step for the bank. 

“We’re very proud of our history, but we’re also very excited about the future, so this should give us the capacity to continue to do what we’ve done for the last 120 years and hopefully keep it going,” he said. “Definitely big times ahead.” 

Visit blccb.com for more information.