When the bank was sold to the organizers of the State Chartered Trivoli State Bank, the first president was Charles Fremont Opie, the great-grandfather of the current president, M. Scott Hedden. The bank survived through the Great Depression while many of the neighboring banks failed.

Upon Charles Fremont Opie’s death in 1939, his son, Fremont Opie, Jr., succeeded him as president. Fremont Opie, who began working at the bank in June 1921, was president from 1939 until his retirement in 1986. His daughter, Shirley Hedden, joined the bank in 1945, retired in 1992, and still serves as Director of Emeritus on the Board of Directors.

In June of 1968, the bank moved to its present location at the corner of Route 116 and Trivoli Avenue. In 1994, Trivoli Bancorp, Inc., parent company of Trivoli State Bank, acquired the Hanna City State Bank and merged it with Trivoli State Bank and changed the name to Heritage Bank of Central Illinois.

With the bank since 1973, Scott Hedden became president in 1986. Under his leadership, the bank continues to succeed and grow, which he attributes to several factors. “Heritage has a strong set of corporate values that demands customers be treated fairly, courteously and competently,” he says. “We also care about our customers and community and believe in treating people the way we like to be treated. In addition, we have the pride and leadership of our management group and the commitment and dedication of our officers and employees.”

The bank opened its first Peoria location on Willow Knolls Road in 1997, in response to the increasing business and residential growth on Peoria’s north side. This branch was followed by the Prospect Road building in 1998, which moved in 2005 to become the anchor tenant of the new Heritage Square development in Peoria Heights.

In 1999, Heritage purchased Norwest and took occupancy of the building on Harmon Highway. In order to serve its customer base in Tazewell County, Heritage was involved with GEM Terrace from the development’s very beginning. The staff occupies the entire first floor of this unique building with a “glass wall curtain” on the bluffs of East Peoria.

Offering traditional products and services for both Personal and Business Banking, we also strive to utilize the latest technologies available in order to streamline services for customers, making banking easier and more convenient than ever before. In addition, state-of-the-art technology and advanced security measures keep you and your money safe.

“Heritage Bank of Central Illinois is committed to remaining an independent community bank with local ownership and management. Our one-on-one service, coupled with our extensive banking options,” explains Hedden, “is what separates Heritage Bank from all the rest.”

While Heritage is focused on the personal service of a hometown bank, our technology rivals that of the much larger financial institutions. The first generation of our website was launched in the mid-1990’s with a site that was much more sophisticated than many others. Since then, Heritage has kept pace with the latest banking technologies, adding services such as Online Banking in 2004, and moving forward with Mobile Banking in 2008. Our security features such as Enhanced Online Security help protect our customers against fraud and identity theft, and our Watchdog notification alert service keeps you in the loop with your accounts.

Over the years, the bank has continued to prosper by maintaining its dedication to community reinvestment and its emphasis on personal service. This commitment is why Heritage is such a big proponent of the Community Reinvestment Act. The CRA provides a framework for depository institutions and community organizations to work together to promote the availability of credit and other banking services to underserved communities.

“The bank’s board of directors has always placed a priority on serving the banking needs of its local community by making available a wide range of services, and delivering those services with a personal touch,” says Hedden.

Despite the present trend of consolidation in the banking and financial services industries, Heritage Bank of Central Illinois is committed to remaining an independent community bank with local ownership and management. “While we don’t expect that to change, we do intend to continue to look for growth opportunities in the tri-county area,” Hedden says. “We expect to remain in the forefront of technology, and continue to expand our product and service offerings.”