A community built on care
For twenty years, Minnwest Bank has called Rochester home. Rochester is a city known around the world for the Mayo Clinic, but defined locally by something quieter and deeper: people who take care of one another. In Rochester, care isn’t just a value. It’s the operating system of the entire community. And for two decades, Minnwest has tried to reflect that same spirit in the way we show up for our customers, our neighborhoods and each other.
Minnwest may be celebrating 20 years in Rochester, but our roots run even deeper. We’ve been Minnesota‑made since the 1980s, growing from a small, family‑owned bank into a statewide partner for families, farmers and businesses.
And because we’re a community bank, the dollars entrusted to us here stay here. Local dollars fund local projects: new small businesses, new construction, new jobs and new opportunities. Local dollars are helping build the Rochester our neighbors imagine, plan and work toward every day. In a city with one of the highest numbers of nonprofits per capita, that local cycle of investment matters.
A team that reflects the community it serves
Rochester isn’t one story. It’s many. People who were born here. People who chose to build their lives here. People who are just arriving and discovering what makes this place special. That blend of perspectives and paths is exactly what makes the city strong.
And it’s exactly what makes the Minnwest Bank team in Rochester team strong, too.
This year, as we celebrate two decades in the city, we’re lifting up team members whose journeys represent the spirit of Rochester itself.
The ones who were born and raised here
Minnwest Bank employees, Nick Splinter and Kim Woodruff grew up in Rochester.
Woodruff remembers a much smaller Rochester. “I remember it being a community of about 30,000 people. Today, it’s more than 130,000,” said Woodruff. Splinter watched the city expand in real time. “The whole West Circle Drive area, where our second location is now, was farmland until about 12–15 years ago,” he said.
“Even as Rochester grows, it still feels like a small town. People go above and beyond for each other, small and big businesses alike. It’s a place where people know each other, support each other and take pride in their shared future,” Splinter said.
The ones who came here and built a life
Not everyone on the Minnwest Bank Rochester team grew up here, but many chose Rochester and made it home. Christian Mancilla and Lance Resner are two of those people, each arriving at different moments in their lives and discovering a community that welcomed them, supported them and ultimately shaped their futures.
Mancilla arrived at sixteen, moving from Mexico when his dad took a job in town. The winters were harsh, and the transition wasn’t easy, but Rochester opened its doors.
“There was a great high‑school program to help people learn English. I felt welcomed, and that made all the difference,” Mancilla said.
Resner first came to Rochester for college. He is originally from Mankato and he said, “I came here for opportunity. Rochester felt more advanced, more diverse. It’s a place where like‑minded people from smaller towns can come together because there’s room to grow.”
Minnwest became part of Mancilla and Resner’s long‑term story because the bank reflects the values of the city they chose.
The one who just got here
Some members of the Rochester team have been here for decades. Others chose Rochester and built a life. And then there are those just beginning their story, like Cecilia Vasquez, who arrived only a month ago and relocated when her husband accepted a job in town.
Cecilia is eager to contribute to the community, bringing experience from previous banking roles, building relationships with customers and getting involved in the community she’s just beginning to call home.
20 years behind us, and everything ahead
Together, these stories paint a picture of a community that is always evolving, but rooted in care. Rochester is a place where people arrive at different moments in their lives, from different backgrounds and with different dreams, yet still find belonging.
At Minnwest Bank, we see our role as an extension of that same spirit. Whether someone is opening their first account, expanding their business or navigating a major life change, our job is simple: to help build a strong and vibrant community. That’s what our team members do every day. And that’s what this community deserves.
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