Bissell Maple Farm

Bissell Maple Farm

In the 1830’s, Peter Bissell relocated his family to Ohio from Connecticut and helped settle the Western Reserve. The original family farm included dairy cows, an apple orchard and a sugar shack to produce maple syrup for family and friends.

Turn the clock ahead more than 100 years to Nate Bissell who rediscovered his six-generation maple farming roots and now oversees the operations of the Bissell Maple Farm which produces syrup, candies, sauces and other maple products through its Bissell Maple Farm and Brock Creek Sugarworks brands.

Bissell Maple Farm’s recent growth came with some challenges – finding the right location for a new production facility and the capital needed to spur that growth.

Bissell Maple Farm moved its production into a 40,000-square-foot former General Electric factory in Jefferson, Ohio in 2016.

First Commonwealth Bank’s Jerry Krieg worked diligently with Nate and the entire Bissell team to learn more about their business and long-range needs.

It was a long process of Jerry stopping in and getting to know us. He was helpful and truly wanted to see us succeed. That was clear,” noted Nate. “Jerry engaged his partners; wanting the entire First Commonwealth team to see and experience our business…the team sales approach has been powerful.”  

Krieg worked with Kevin Culp to present a full relationship opportunity to Bissell.

Our company is progressing and learning,” continued Bissell. “I think we have already experienced (First Commonwealth’s) patience and experience. Their background and knowledge have helped us navigate and prevent mistakes before they happen.”