SHERMAN, Texas — For James Fuchs, summers call up memories of his family’s farm in Texas Coastal Bend cotton country. Growing up in agriculture had a lot to do with the work ethic and sense of community he has today.
Now, as vice president and branch manager of Lone Star Ag Credit’s credit office in Sherman, he helps people whose dream is to own property in the country.
“A lot of people see ‘ag credit’ and assume we’re just for farming or ranching, but what we do is a lot broader than that,” Fuchs says. “Many of our customers are people in urban areas who want to own land or a house in the country. We help them make those dreams come true.”
With four loan officers whose roots are in farming and ranching, Lone Star’s Sherman office has the expertise to finance land, country homes, livestock, agricultural equipment and more. Its focus on personal service is one reason Fuchs joined the borrower-owned lending cooperative this year after 20 years in commercial banking.
“The more people I talked to who had used Lone Star for their financing, the more I heard they were happy with the experience,” he says. “That meant a lot to me. I’ve always enjoyed helping customers meet their financial goals.”
While the cooperative’s services are similar in many ways to those of commercial banks, Lone Star also offers several advantages:
Loan officers understand agriculture and country living, and can tailor financing for a customer’s unique needs.
Fixed-rate, long-term loans are available for land, including property that has a special use tax valuation (sometimes called an “ag exemption”).
Lone Star can finance homes on acreage and home construction.
Service is available in person at the local branch throughout the life of the loan.
Borrowers become members of the co-op, entitling them to share in its earnings through its patronage program, effectively lowering their borrowing costs.
Lone Star also is active in the community, supporting 4-H and FFA, providing scholarships, and working with charities and civic organizations. It all comes back to the philosophy of being a good neighbor.
“We have the ability to do larger loans, but it’s more of a small-town feel,” Fuchs says. “We’re going to do things the right way. We help customers step by step through the process, and make things as easy as possible for them.”
Meet the Sherman Team
James Fuchs, vice president and branch manager, joined Lone Star Ag Credit this year with 20 years of management experience in commercial banking, most recently with Chase Bank. The Angleton native has an agricultural economics degree from Texas A&M University, and is active in the Denison Rotary Club.
Brandon Grooms, senior loan officer, is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran with nearly seven years of Farm Credit experience, including two years at Lone Star. He also has experience in cattle financing, and grew up on his family’s cattle and hay operation near Paris, Texas. He earned an agricultural economics degree from Texas A&M.
Scott Pauly, senior loan officer, has nearly eight years of Farm Credit experience, including four years at Lone Star. The Kansas native grew up on his family’s dairy farm, and holds a finance degree from Kansas State University.
Jason Wilburn, loan officer, is a big believer in customer-owned cooperatives, and worked for a credit union for five years before joining Lone Star in 2016. He grew up on a family ranch in Red River County, and holds a marketing degree from Stephen F. Austin State University.
Katherine Munoz, administrative assistant associate, has a background in customer service. Originally from Southern California, she has lived in Sherman for 14 years and joined Lone Star in 2017.
Sherman Credit Office
3441 North FM 1417
Sherman, Texas 75092
(903) 893-3443
LoneStarAgCredit.com
About Lone Star Ag Credit
Lone Star is a borrower-owned lending cooperative that finances rural land, country homes, agribusinesses, agricultural production, farm equipment and livestock. Part of the Farm Credit System — a nationwide network of rural financing co-ops — it made Texas’ first Farm Credit loan in 1917 in Grayson County.
Headquartered in Fort Worth, Lone Star serves 48 Texas counties and has 16 credit offices. Its Sherman branch serves Cooke, Fannin and Grayson counties.
–Lone Star Ag Credit
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