From the Mountains to the Midwest: Fox Helps Business Put Down Roots in Green Bay

From Friendship to Vision: Building a Business with Purpose

Jim Anderson and Jens Hoge met five years while volunteering in a youth ministry program. Over time, they developed a friendship, which would soon grow into an idea, then a vision, and finally, a successful business venture. 

Jim is a product development and client success professional who has spent his career listening to his customers and building technology solutions that help businesses scale, while Jens owns a successful and growing insurance practice. But their idea would land them outside their collective comfort zone, as well as their time zone. 

“We came together as part of our youth ministry here in Utah, where we work with young men and teach them different life skills as well as truths that will help them to be happy throughout their lives,” Jim says. It was during one of these trips that he and Jens started talking about a shared interest: the desire to build rental cabins as a way to generate a secondary, passive income. 

“There’s an area called Bear Lake (Utah), and we talked about how it would be great to build a cabin and run an Airbnb,” Jim says. After further discussion and research, the friends realized the real opportunity would be finding and renovating properties, or “fixes and flips,” as Jim calls it. 

Bringing in the Missing Piece

Realizing they didn’t have the expertise or domain knowledge required to develop real estate or efficiently manage a growth portfolio, Jim called on another friend, Adam Drossart. 

“I’ve known Adam for almost 10 years,” he said. “He’s a great friend and a Wisconsin native. Plus, a seasoned financial professional with experience spanning multiple industries including wealth management, financial planning, and real estate, throughout North America.”  

And the more Jim and Jens talked and planned, they realized Adam was the missing piece to manage and direct the investments that NEW Partners was making into Northeast Wisconsin. Now, three years into making their vision a reality, this trio, who operate under the name NEW Partners, are growing a successful business, by creating jobs and renovating homes in the Green Bay area. They focus on improving the communities they serve as well as the housing quality for many Northeast Wisconsin residents.

Finding the Right Financial Partner

Securing deals and completing renovations was only part of the equation. NEW Partners also needed a financial partnership; a trusted, established institution that matched their desire to connect with and change the communities where their properties are located.  

And that’s how they met Chris Cumicek, Vice President of Commercial Lending – Green Bay at Fox Communities Credit Union. 

“I remember our first meeting at Hinterland Brewery in the Titletown District,” recalls Chris. “The guys handed me a proposal, a written plan of what they wanted to do. And I left that meeting thinking, ‘Boy, I wish all my members would do that’ because they had a clear vision as to where they were going.” 

Now, well into year four of their endeavor, NEW Partners is looking to expand and evolve using strong, community-based relationships, like the one they’ve developed with Fox Communities Credit Union, to make the world a better place. 

“It’s nice to know that there’s a great institution like Fox that gets to know their people and builds community together,” Jim says. “It’s been a great experience over these past three years, and one day I asked Chris, ‘Do you offer this kind of service to everyone?’ He just laughed. We’ve been blessed with an elite group of people to work with at Fox Communities Credit Union.” 

More Than Just Real Estate

For Jim, Jens and Adam, it’s not just about developing and flipping homes. It’s about providing quality, affordable housing and improving the communities in which they operate.  

“Our vision is big, but we know we need to take it one step at a time,” Jim says. “We’re looking to build a national brand with heart, because we believe that family is central. And every family needs safe and clean housing that they can be proud of, a place where they can learn and grow together.”  

A key part of making their vision a reality has been the relationship they've built with Chris and the friendly folks at Fox. With loans to help them grow their footprint, as well as business savings and checking accounts to easily manage their cashflow, Fox has exactly what they need so they can continue to build toward their dreams. 

“I grew up in the south, so I am hoping to bring a little bit of that southern charm and hospitality to our national brand, where people feel more like our guests than tenants or customers,” Jim says. “Really, it’s the same type of experience that we see from Fox.” 

After three years of partnership between Fox and NEW Partners, the vision shared by the group is no longer just a concept—it's becoming reality in every home they renovate and build. As they continue to grow, that vision will expand beyond Utah and Wisconsin, enriching the communities they serve for years to come.

From one location to a nation-wide brand, Fox has the support you need to grow.

Tell us your vision for the future and our Business Services Team will help you get there.