Merrillville-based Centier Bank is celebrating the new and improved Dyer branch following a complete interior renovation.
In recent years, Centier Bank has renovated a number of its branches. The Dyer branch’s exterior has been refreshed. The new interior features a lobby adorned with a gradient of blue hues, modern fixtures and a feature wall. Furnishings have also been updated.
Mike Schrage is Centier Bank’s chairman and CEO. His journey with the bank is tied to the Dyer branch. Schrage started with the bank in September 1972, when it was still known as the First Bank of Whiting.
Expansion was important to Schrage. The Dyer branch was the bank’s third location and the first of which he oversaw development.
The Dyer branch celebrated its opening in 1973. Giveaway prizes included free tankard mugs and balloons. Attendees could enter a raffle to win “One Day’s Interest On A Million Dollars,” a “French Mercier 10-Speed Bicycle,” a “Weber BAR-B-Q Kettle with Utensils” or a “Live Money Tree.” There were free rides in a “Bell JetRanger Helicopter,” a clown for entertainment and a vendor serving peanuts and popcorn.
“I am extremely proud of the growth we’ve seen these past 52 years,” Schrage said in a press release. “Moreso, I’m proud that we never lost the spirit from the bank’s early marketing campaign: ‘We’re people you can talk to.’ That remains as true today as it was in the early 1970s.”
The Dyer branch is located at 1121 Sheffield Ave. The branch serves customers in Dyer, Hartsdale, Schererville and western Lake County.
Centier Bank is a private, family-owned bank. Founded in 1895, the bank currently has more than 60 offices. Centier Bank serves 35 communities across 11 counties in Indiana.
