Borgers International Company Chooses Local with Croghan

Started in 1866, Borgers Group is a 150-year-old German-based company known for producing interior and exterior components for the automotive industry. The company has operations in 25 sites in Europe, China, and the U.S. with 7,000 employees.

In 2015, the competition to bring a new, state-of-the-art Borgers plant to the U.S. was intense, spanning four states and more than 120 initial choices. The selection of Norwalk is credited in part to its location and its exceptional workforce. Ultimately, it was the community's passion that won over the company.

"There was a huge collective effort to bring Borgers to Norwalk," said Jochen Harmeling, President & CEO of Borgers U.S. Holding LP. "Members of the community brought six separate parcels of land together so that Borgers could purchase it to build the new facility. The community leaders' support and willingness to partner with us, we just knew Norwalk was the best choice for us."

Borgers opened its new facility in October 2015 and has expanded twice. Norwalk is now the headquarters of the U.S. operations and counts BMW, General Motors, Volvo, and others as customers. The plant employs 360 with plans to hire more.

"We have such confidence in our employees and the workforce here that we want to help bring more business and jobs to this area. We want to show our gratitude to this community for allowing us the opportunity to build and grow here," Holger Wissel, CFO, Borgers U.S. Holding LP, said.

Given how well Borgers and the community worked together when it came time for a new loan, Borgers decided to look local.

"We were looking to refinance a loan on a new, larger piece of equipment. We looked at bigger financial companies, but they didn't understand our business. We felt like just another customer to them," said Wissel. "When I spoke with Derek at Croghan Colonial Bank, though, I felt like an immediate connection. Since they're local, they know who Borgers is and what we do. They understood what we needed and were willing to work quickly to help us."

With the help of Derek Newell, Vice President and Commercial Loan Officer, and his team, a significant deal was put together in a short time.

Croghan's small-town approach and ability to meet face-to-face were huge differences from the larger financial institutions that Borgers had previously worked with.

"Everything is very anonymous today, so for me, there's such a value in being able to connect with a real person," said Wissel. "I can meet Derek or his team for lunch or they can stop by the office."

Partnering with Croghan is just another way Borgers hopes to engage with the community that has given the company so much.

"By working with Croghan, that's more money that we can put back into the local community. Working with a local business has meant a much more personalized experience for us, which is so rare in this day and age."

Learn more about Borgers here.

Started in 1866, Borgers Group is a 150-year-old German-based company known for producing interior and exterior components for the automotive industry. The company has operations in 25 sites in Europe, China, and the U.S. with 7,000 employees.

In 2015, the competition to bring a new, state-of-the-art Borgers plant to the U.S. was intense, spanning four states and more than 120 initial choices. The selection of Norwalk is credited in part to its location and its exceptional workforce. Ultimately, it was the community's passion that won over the company.

"There was a huge collective effort to bring Borgers to Norwalk," said Jochen Harmeling, President & CEO of Borgers U.S. Holding LP. "Members of the community brought six separate parcels of land together so that Borgers could purchase it to build the new facility. The community leaders' support and willingness to partner with us, we just knew Norwalk was the best choice for us."

Borgers opened its new facility in October 2015 and has expanded twice. Norwalk is now the headquarters of the U.S. operations and counts BMW, General Motors, Volvo, and others as customers. The plant employs 360 with plans to hire more.

"We have such confidence in our employees and the workforce here that we want to help bring more business and jobs to this area. We want to show our gratitude to this community for allowing us the opportunity to build and grow here," Holger Wissel, CFO, Borgers U.S. Holding LP, said.

Given how well Borgers and the community worked together when it came time for a new loan, Borgers decided to look local.

"We were looking to refinance a loan on a new, larger piece of equipment. We looked at bigger financial companies, but they didn't understand our business. We felt like just another customer to them," said Wissel. "When I spoke with Derek at Croghan Colonial Bank, though, I felt like an immediate connection. Since they're local, they know who Borgers is and what we do. They understood what we needed and were willing to work quickly to help us."

With the help of Derek Newell, Vice President and Commercial Loan Officer, and his team, a significant deal was put together in a short time.

Croghan's small-town approach and ability to meet face-to-face were huge differences from the larger financial institutions that Borgers had previously worked with.

"Everything is very anonymous today, so for me, there's such a value in being able to connect with a real person," said Wissel. "I can meet Derek or his team for lunch or they can stop by the office."

Partnering with Croghan is just another way Borgers hopes to engage with the community that has given the company so much.

"By working with Croghan, that's more money that we can put back into the local community. Working with a local business has meant a much more personalized experience for us, which is so rare in this day and age."

Learn more about Borgers here.