Ixonia Bank will open its Milwaukee headquarters, a first-floor 4,000-square-foot space, in the Foxconn building at 611 E. Wisconsin Ave. in early January 2020.
The full-service location will focus on commercial banking and be led by bankers with deep experience. The location will feature a more private banking atmosphere instead of traditional teller windows typically found in bank offices.
“We have been making loans and doing business in Milwaukee for years. It is time to establish a physical presence to demonstrate the importance of our commitment to the city and area businesses. We specifically wanted a high-visibility downtown location where our name would be seen daily by thousands of Milwaukeeans,” says Dan Westrope, Chairman and CEO of Ixonia Bank. “When working with area companies, we emphasize our local ownership by the Lubar family and local decision-making. Being in Milwaukee underscores that important message of being local.”
Westrope has overseen the addition of personnel and internal promotions in preparation for the bank’s Milwaukee location. Doug Ortyn, Karla Lauersdorf and Patrick Lubar are leading the commercial banking business in Milwaukee. Ortyn is Senior Vice President and Milwaukee Market Manager and joined Ixonia Bank in 2017 from a large regional bank. Lauersdorf is Assistant Vice President and Client Experience Manager and has more than 20 years of banking experience. Lubar joined the bank two years ago and is a Commercial Banking Officer.
Ixonia Bank is owned by Ixonia Bancshares, Inc. of which Sheldon Lubar is Chairman. Ownership by the Lubar family has elevated the bank’s profile and delivered connections that it’s successfully built on throughout the area.
“Since 2012, we’ve applied the Professional Ownership® approach of Lubar & Co. and have taken steps to position Ixonia Bank to become an industry-leading banking institution in southeastern Wisconsin,” says Sheldon Lubar, Founder and Chairman of Lubar & Co. “During the past seven years, we’ve assembled a talented management team and invested in the infrastructure that’s necessary for expansion and growth. We’re now ready to capitalize on those investments.”
Serving Women-owned Businesses
As part of its expanded presence in Milwaukee, Ixonia Bank is looking to increase the number of women-owned businesses it serves. The bank believes it has the best experience to help all small and mid-sized business customers.
“It’s widely recognized that women and women-owned businesses have traditionally been underserved by the banking industry,” says Carrie Rosenau, Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer. “We’re focused on increasing our engagement with women because we believe they’re a target group that’s key to our long-term growth.”
Since 2017, the bank has hosted a “Women in Business” speaker series. One of its most recent events focused on access to capital and connected attendees with a number capital resources, including WWBIC (Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation), Waukesha County Center for Growth, SBA, WHEDA, SCORE SE Wisconsin, as well as loan officers from Ixonia Bank.
Other speakers at “Women in Business” events have featured well-respected Milwaukee-area businesswomen such as: Jennifer Bartolotta, Founder of Train-2-Gain and Director with Care-a-lotta; Peggy Coakley, CEO & President of Coakley Brothers; Cynthia LaConte, CEO of Dohmen; Tina Chang, CEO of Syslogic; Wendy Baumann, CEO & Chief Visionary Officer of WWBIC; and Susan Marshall, Founder & Owner of The Backbone Institute.
“We currently work with women-owned businesses throughout Waukesha and Jefferson Counties and are looking forward to further leveraging our expertise in the Milwaukee market,” says Susan Lubar Solvang, a member of the Ixonia Bancshares Board of Directors.
About Ixonia Bank
For 100-plus years, Ixonia Bank has been offering a full suite of business banking products and an array of financial services, including personal checking, savings, loans, and wealth management services. Ixonia Bank was established in 1918 in Ixonia, Wisconsin. Since then, the Bank has grown to offer services at seven locations throughout Waukesha and Jefferson Counties and downtown Milwaukee. To learn more about Ixonia Bank, please visit the Bank’s website at ixoniabank.com/.
