Blue Sky Bank Prevents Fraud for Local Feed Manufacturer

Agriculture is in the Ahrberg family DNA.

“I grew up in the business sweeping floors,” said Rick Ahrberg, who’s now president of the family business, Ahrberg Milling. “It was just kind of around my whole life and I would listen to my father at the dinner table talk about the day.”

Ahrberg Milling built its first mill in Cushing, Oklahoma, in 1967. The company has been manufacturing livestock feed and distributing to stores and ranchers across the state for more than 50 years. They specialize in forming certified organic pellets that vary in protein, fiber, fat, moisture to feed horses, cattle, pigs, and chickens.  

The Ahrbergs first partnered with Bank of Cushing when the business was first founded, staying with them until Bank of Cushing was acquired by Blue Sky Bank a few years ago. 

Rick, who took over the company from his father Bill in 2002, says not only was it a smooth transition from Bank of Cushing to Blue Sky Bank, he was now able to enjoy more advanced features the bank had to offer. 

‘We collect our accounts faster and so the cash flow is better.’

Many people believe the myth that small banks don’t have the technology that big banks do, but that’s not the case for Blue Sky Bank. 

Rick says, with Blue Sky Bank’s services and features like online banking and ACH, the business has been able to speed up its accounts payable and receivable processes. 

“We turn our cash faster and we collect our accounts faster and so the cash flow is better,” Rick says. “And we like cashflow.”

‘It's just nice to be with somebody that's progressive in modern technology’

Not only do Blue Sky Bank’s advanced features help Ahrberg Milling run more smoothly — it has caught and saved the business from check fraud. 

After detecting an instance of check fraud on their business account, Blue Sky Bank jumped into action and taught Ahrberg Milling how to use the Check Positive Pay feature. This service allows Ahrberg Milling to continue printing its own checks in the office, but now the checks are equipped with a unique QR code that Blue Sky Bank scans to reconcile each check and prevent any further fraud on their account. 

This isn’t the first time Ahrberg Milling has dealt with fraud, but now, it works with a bank that actively prevents fraud from happening.

“We had a similar incident before Blue Sky and they didn't have that solution,” Rick explains. “It's just nice to be with somebody that's progressive in modern technology.”

A family legacy

Rick knew from his time observing his father run Ahrberg Milling how much an effective banking partner can improve business operations. Now, he’s seen it first-hand.

It’s one of many lessons he’ll be passing down to his two sons as they continue their grandfather’s legacy and start to work in the family business.

“If everything does work out, there's no other experience like it, working with some of my family,” Rick says. “That would be an awesome thing.”

If you’re interested in learning more about the unique features Blue Sky Bank offers for partners, get in touch with us today.

• We will pick up the phone and answer all of your banking services questions, no strings attached.
• We’ll work quickly to understand your financial situation before ever suggesting ideas and solutions.
• We’ll devise a range of solutions, from bank loans to credit profiles, that make sense for you and make sure you clearly understand the advantages and disadvantages of each option.
• We will be straightforward with you about whether we are able to compete with other solutions you’ve shopped.
• Even if you’ve eliminated Blue Sky Bank from your set of possibilities, we’ll offer our expert opinion on your other options.
• Contact Blue Sky Bank by phone or email and one of our experts will get back to you within the next business day, if not sooner.

‍