Client Feature: Cooper Farms creates more than a workplace
WORKlife® and Financial Wellness creates significant benefits for employees at every level
Cooper Farms is a family-owned and operated business that prides itself on being “farm to fork.” As a purveyor of high-quality egg, chicken, turkey, and pork products, they strive to be more than a workplace — they want people to come to work knowing that they matter. The company’s participation in the First Financial Bank WORKlife and Financial Wellness program has created significant benefits for employees at every level in the organization.
The Problem
A little less than ten years ago, Cooper Farms experienced an increase in team members hired through visas. They brought immense value to the workforce, but the paperwork was creating a complication: Cooper Farms requires direct deposit for payment, and yet few of the employees had American bank accounts by their first day. How could they ensure that new hires were set up for their first paycheck?
Kacy Wagner, HR Manager for the Van Wert location, remembered hearing there were banks that could work with this situation. As she searched, she received rejection after rejection. “When I called First Financial Bank,” she recalls, “it was the first bank that said, ‘You know what? We might be able to help.’”
Financial Wellness with First
The result has been a collaborative relationship that has expanded to other Cooper Farms locations and continues to benefit everyone.
The immediate appeal is ease and efficiency — the close collaboration between Cooper Farms and First Financial means that bankers are present for new employee orientation and accounts can be set up on that very first day. Even better, though, is how the relationship extends into supporting employees’ holistic financial wellness.
“There are Banking Days now when First Financial comes on site and sets up in the break rooms,” describes Everhart. “They offer specials, they help with budgeting. It’s a great service for our team members.”
Brad Harsha is the First Financial Bank Financial Wellness Specialist who works with Cooper Farms. As he explains it, “The goal is end-to-end banking. We want to bank with your team members, even if they have struggled financially in the past, we can help them.”
Regular financial education workshops are offered at no cost to employees. These “Your Money, Learn to Own It” sessions cover budgeting basics, credit scores, debt management, tips for reaching homeownership, and more. The HR representatives at Cooper Farms agree that they’ve seen an increase in confidence among employees who participate in these sessions. It has brought the company together as they celebrate financial milestones together.
Across Cooper Farms locations, active participation in these classes has relieved anxiety over major financial processes. Over the past few years, many team members have qualified for vehicle loans, home equity lines of credit, and even mortgages.
Another feature is the annual charity bonus. First Financial Bank makes a point of celebrating companies with highly engaged WORKlife participants by making a charitable donation in their name to a local nonprofit of their choice. In 2024, Cooper Farms selected their local food pantry to receive the gift — supporting an important service in the very community where team members live and raise their families.
“It’s clear that First Financial cares about our team members,” says Tonya Huber, Senior HR Business Partner at the St. Henry location. The HR team shares the belief that this high-morale environment leads to improved productivity and talent retention.
“For our team members to feel good about where they’re coming to work is huge for Cooper Farms,” declares Wagner. “First Financial has embodied the “more than a workplace” culture and helped us expand on that.”