Our History
Chartered on August 1, 1919, our bank began its history as First National Bank at our current location on the NE corner of Knowles Ave. (formerly Main Street) and 2nd Street in New Richmond.
Henning Soderberg started in the banking industry at Manufacturer’s Bank (which eventually merged with the Bank of New Richmond in 1920) shortly after graduating in 1916 from New Richmond High School. His duties at the bank included sweeping sidewalks, stoking the furnace, working on collections, handling grain drafts, and later moving to bookkeeper, teller and eventually assistant cashier. Thus began the Soderberg family banking history.
His love for the banking trade continued to grow and on January 5, 1926, Henning became the cashier at the First National Bank, which had relocated across 2nd Street into the old Manufacturer’s bank in approximately 1923.
During Henning’s early years, the bank weathered the stock market crash in 1929 and the banking crisis of 1933, during which banks across the country were unable to meet the cash withdrawal demands from customers. Following a ten-day “bank holiday” that began on March 4, 1933, only a small number of banks that were considered “okay” were allowed to re-open. First National Bank was one of those few and paid 100 cents on the dollar for every customer request.
Ownership of First National Bank was held by stockholders with no controlling member, except the Board of Directors. Henning was elected President of the bank in 1944. In 1964, the bank moved back to its original (and current) location after an extensive remodeling of the Masonic Building. The project included the addition of a new basement for the vault and parking spaces after removal of the Johnson building just to the north of the original building.
On June 1, 1964, Henning’s son John Soderberg began his career at the bank and did a little bit of everything required including filing, working the front line, and selling the bank’s services. John continued to advance and was eventually named to the bank’s board, later becoming Vice President. He went on to form a holding company in 1976 called One Corporation which purchased the stock held by the original board of directors. At this time, John became President of the bank and Henning remained involved as Chairman of the Board until his retirement in the 1980s. After a stellar career of almost 70 years in banking, Henning passed away on January 21, 1987 at the age of 90.
John bought the bank to avoid having it be purchased by a larger banking entity. This move solidified the legacy of First National Bank as a hometown bank. Through the years, FNC Bank has seen many changes including a major expansion in 1988 at our New Richmond branch. With the desire to offer community banking to others throughout the area, the bank opened a second branch in Somerset, WI on June 12, 1995, and a third location in Hudson, WI on June 1, 1999. The bank expanded further in 2004 with the addition of new space to the north to accommodate the Mortgage Department. In 2007, John modified the name of the bank to First National Community Bank, a move which sought to leave no doubt about our core identity and who we serve. A fourth bank was added in Dresser, WI on October 29, 2014.
In 1996, the City of New Richmond asked John to represent the city as an advocate for the proposed St. Croix River Crossing between Stillwater, MN and Houlton, WI. The proposed bridge would close the gap between the states and greatly enhance the connection between the Twin Cities metro area and Western Wisconsin. John was named Chairman of the River Crossing Coalition and the legacy of John Soderberg continued to grow.
Following years of discussion, committees, lawsuits, legislation and visits to Washington D.C., the St. Croix River Bridge Crossing project was passed and ground was broken for the project in the spring of 2013.
The St. Croix River Crossing became a reality when it opened in August of 2017. This tremendously important and successful project will serve the region for decades to come, and is a fitting tribute to the tireless effort put forth over many years by John and many others.
John’s son Scott and daughter Libby joined the board of directors in 2012. Thereafter, Scott came on to the bank staff in 2018, moving into the CEO role in 2020. In 2023, Scott’s son Grant became a board member.
In 2020 (while retaining the legal name “First National Community Bank”), we rebranded to a more concise “FNC Bank”, with a logo that includes a feathered nod to our longstanding owl mascot who for decades has reminded the community to ‘Be Wise, First Nationalize”.
In 2024, the New Richmond branch underwent a major remodel, which modernized the space and brought access to all products and services into the lobby area for a better in-person customer experience. At the same time, the online banking platform and all digital services were significantly upgraded, along with the addition of a brand-new website.
After an incredible 56 years with the bank and countless contributions to the citizens, families, and businesses of Western Wisconsin, John retired in 2020. John passed away on March 13, 2023 at the age of 88.
Through the years, our commitment to community banking and putting people first are the fundamental principles that drive everything we do, every day. Our ownership and staff of 60+ employees are deeply connected to the communities that we serve, giving back through our charitable grant program (focusing on basic needs and promotion of literacy), sponsorships, and hundreds of volunteer hours for many organizations that make Western Wisconsin a better place to live.
As a community bank, we actively participate in the responsible planning and growth of our community. We are diligent partners with local government, business, industry, consumer, civic and educational organizations. We encourage our directors, officers, and employees to develop relationships through service clubs, professional associations and community activities that will facilitate our commitment to the financial needs of our community. The Soderberg family, and our family of employees at FNC Bank, are committed to putting our customers first in the finest tradition of community banking.
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