First Bank of Montana's brand celebration was a 'sizzling' success

Each year, usually sometime during the summer months, the First Bank of Montana in Chinook hosts a community event to thank existing customers and invite new accounts. This year the First Bank division, which includes Glacier Bank's facilities in Chinook and Lewistown, held a 'brand celebration.' Per Craig Lowham, Chinook Branch Manager, "The brand celebration was a chance for the community to display and showcase their brands while we shared First Bank's brand of banking."

Lowham said, "At our corporate managers' meetings we review the annual celebrarions the 14 divisions of Glacier Bank held during the past year. Last summer a division in southern Wyoming did the branding event and it went well. We liked the idea of the event for our area since we are mainly agricultural."

A week or so before the event Lowham said he hoped there would be at least 50 brands imprinted on to wooden 'plaques' that would then be made into a permanent display inside the bank. He added, "How we actually do the final display will depend on the number of brands we are able to showcase. Among the bank employees we're thinking we can use the area behind the tellers' stations for the display."

I was curious how many brands are actually registered in Blaine County. Mark Simenson's been with the Montana Livestock Department and doing brand inspections for more than 15 years. He currently is the District Inspector for Blaine, Hill and Phillips County. I posed the 'how many brands registered in Blaine County?' question by phone to Mark. He got the Helena office to run a report and called back with the answer-1,842 brands are registered in Blaine County, that's for cattle and horses. He explained, "Not all the owners of those brands necessarily live in Blaine County, that's where at the time they registered the brand the cattle were planned to be ranged."

Brand celebration enjoys a break in the weather

Part of the news about First Bank's celebration included a nice break from the lengthy hot spell. Early on the day of the celebration bank employees sat up tables for the luncheon inside thinking it would be too uncomfortable to eat outside. Turns out the temperature dropped a bit and most guests took lunch outside to tables in the closed off street. Lunch consisted of pulled pork sandwiches, slaw, chips, cookies and assorted drinks. There were also games for the kids out in the closed street on the south side of the bank.

The main draw, a chance for local brand owners to imprint and display their brands, was a big hit. An area at the exit to the drive thru banking facility was set up with equipment to heat the brands, by fire or electricity. Brand owners then burned their brand on to the wood plaques. At times during lunch there was a line of people waiting to heat and burn brands.

Shortly after lunch there were 80 imprinted plaques laid out along the south outside wall of the bank. Lowham said, "The response was so good we had to make a 'lumber run' for more squares of wood. The idea of displaying their brands definitely resonated with folks." And it wasn't just current ranchers, several people brought brands that had been kept by their families.

Bank employee Jessica Aberg was helping move the kiddie activities back in to the bank by mid-afternoon. Earlier she helped identify the owners of the brands as they were imprinted on the wooden squares. She said, "Several people came during the day but didn't have their brands with them. Some took wooden plaques home with the idea they will bring back an imprint of their brands." Lowham said he had phone calls from people who couldn't make the event but wanted to have their brands displayed in the final exhibit. He estimates there will be more than 100 brands when they are all collected-twice the number of brands he hoped for.

Asked how he thought the brand event went, Branch Manager Lowham said, "It was excellent, our customers are happy and had a good time. The bank and its employees enjoyed putting on the event. The community response was way beyond my expectations." He also mentioned that the break in the weather likely helped attendance as well.

The branding event was a nice break in the routine of summer and, obviously from the number of brands, something folks found enjoyable. Watch for a follow up story, and photos, of the final brand display.