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Great Bend Chamber Coffee Recap: Trust Company opens downtown office
Trust Company ribbon cutting
Mackenzie Blakeslee with Trust Company cuts the ribbon in front of the wealth management firm's Great Bend office at 2009 Forest Ave. Company founder and CEO Mark Knackendoffel, and President Katie Seay are to her left in the photo, and financial planner Katelyn Levesque is to her right. Trust Company will host an open hour from 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 15. - photo by photo by Susan Thacker/Great Bend Tribune

This week’s Great Chamber Coffee was followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Trust Company, 2009 Forest Ave., celebrating the opening of a branch office here. Vice President and Director of Financial Planning Mackenzie Blakeslee, MS, CFP, talked about the independent trust and wealth management company.

Blakeslee worked upstairs in the Chamber office for about a year and a half while the company searched for the best location for a Great Bend branch. While Blakeslee is based in Great Bend at the new office, she is also the director of financial planning for the entire company. There are branch offices in Manhattan, Lawrence and Marysville, as well as Columbia, Mo. The Great Bend office expands services to the western half of the state.

Financial planner Katelyn Levesque is also in the Great Bend Office.

CEO Mark Knackendoffel, Manhattan, who founded the company 35 years ago, was at the ribbon cutting with his oldest daughter, Ellen Knackendoffel, business development officer, and Katie Seay, president.

“We do financial planning – basically wealth management as a whole – investment management and trust and estate services,” Blakeslee said. “We can serve as trustee or executor of people’s estates, or even trustee during their lifetime. That’s something that sets us apart and makes us a little bit unique from other general wealth management firms. I like to say we can help people through their whole lifespan. We can start with them when they’re really young, and then continue with their beneficiaries and their heirs after death. Oftentimes, that leads to forming pretty deep relationships with our clients.”

She noted that Mark Knackendoffell has championed community involvement over the years. “That is really at the heart of what we do, so we’re excited to get rooted and be here in Great Bend – plant some seeds and ... grow here.”

Trust Company will host an open house from 4-6 p.m. Tuesday at its new location, 2009 Forest Ave.

Chamber announcements

Thursday’s coffee took place before the ribbon cutting and was hosted by the City of Great Bend at the Great Bend Events Center, where City Administrator Logan Burns and Mayor Alan Moeder shared information about the proposed three-quarter cent city sales tax that will be on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Upcoming events announced at the coffee included this weekend’s Labor Day Weekend celebration in Hoisington. Other announcements:

  • “Creating Sales Strategies and Leveraging Networking for Your Business,” a one-hour webinar, will be offered at 11 a.m. on Sept. 9. The cost is $5. Register at https://ksbdc.ecenterdirect.com/events/29124.
  • The next chamber coffee will be Thursday, Sept. 10, at The Center for Counseling and Consultation, 2015 16th St.
  • Sunflower Diversified Services will host the Sept. 17 coffee. Sunflower is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, and is selling tickets for the 21st annual Gala, set for Oct. 3 at the Events Center.
  • Following the Sept. 17 coffee, there will be a ribbon cutting for Skyview Dental, 4811 10th St. Suite 500.
  • United Way of Central Kansas will offer Beer & BBQ from 1-4 p.m. on Oct. 11 at Dry Lake Brewing. Tickets are on sale now.
  • The Family Crisis Center’s fourth annual Fall Fest will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 3.