When Disaster Struck Central Wisconsin, IncredibleBank Was Already There

 

 

When severe weather moved through central Wisconsin in April, the impact was immediate — and personal.

On April 17, 2026, a series of tornadoes cut through parts of the Upper Midwest. In Marathon County, the Ringle area saw widespread damage. Local reports estimated roughly 75 homes affected. Thankfully, there were no reported deaths or major injuries — but for the people living there, life was suddenly on hold.

In moments like these, recovery does not start with paperwork.
It starts with real needs.

A roof that needs repair.
A car that needs replacing.
A family trying to figure out what comes next.

And often, a call to a bank.

For community banks, this is where the work becomes deeply human.

At R/SE 2026, Mackenzie Heckendorf, Senior Vice President of Loan Operations and Servicing at IncredibleBank, shared how her team responded as customers in their community began dealing with tornado damage.

The tornado hit on Friday. By the weekend, IncredibleBank was already adapting. By Monday morning, customers had access to an online loan application that flowed directly into Baker Hill’s UN/FY platform, where decision rules helped automate credit pulls and approvals. That allowed the lending team to respond faster — especially for customers navigating insurance claims, disaster assistance, or temporary housing decisions, that speed made an immediate difference.

 

Mackenzie Heckendorf
Mackenzie Heckendorf, Senior Vice President of Loan Operations and Servicing at IncredibleBank

“That was really cool. We were able to move much faster for our clients — and help them feel like we were there for them.”

 

Mackenzie Heckendorf, Senior Vice President of Loan Operations and Servicing at IncredibleBank

“That was really cool,” Heckendorf said. “We were able to move much faster for our clients — and help them feel like we were there for them.”

That sense of being there is what many customers expect from a community bank. Not perfection. Not instant solutions. But responsiveness, understanding, and a willingness to help them take the next step.

IncredibleBank, headquartered in Wausau, Wisconsin, has been part of that fabric for decades. Founded in 1967 as River Valley Bank, the institution has grown steadily while staying rooted in the communities it serves across central Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and now Florida.

That local presence shapes how the bank approaches lending every day.

Because lending is not just about speed.
It is about context.

About recognizing the customer behind the application.
About understanding how a disruption affects a household, not just a balance sheet.

For Heckendorf and her team, modernizing the lending process has helped in moments of crisis—and in everyday operations. She shared that IncredibleBank once calculated nearly five weeks a year spent on manual data entry related to adverse action notices alone. By moving to a more connected lending platform, the team reduced rework, improved tracking, and created more capacity to focus on customers.

Those gains matter in normal circumstances.

When a community is recovering from disruption, they matter even more.

Because when someone is trying to rebuild, waiting on a process is not just inconvenient — it can slow recovery altogether.

At Baker Hill, we are proud to partner with banks like IncredibleBank that combine relationship‑driven banking with the tools needed to respond when circumstances change.

Not to replace the human connection.

But to support it — especially when customers need clarity, speed, and reassurance the most.

These are the moments that matter.

Not because systems work perfectly.
But because people show up — ready to help their communities move forward.