Company Overview

Hills Bancorporation is a bank holding company headquartered in Hills, Iowa, and the parent company of Hills Bank and Trust Company, a community banking institution serving individuals, businesses, agricultural customers, and public-sector entities primarily across eastern Iowa. The company operates in the regional banking and financial services industry, offering commercial banking, consumer banking, mortgage lending, wealth management, trust services, treasury management, and agricultural finance. Its primary revenue drivers are net interest income from loans and securities, along with fee-based income generated from wealth management, deposit services, and mortgage-related activities.

The company’s customer base includes small and mid-sized businesses, agricultural operators, municipalities, healthcare organizations, and retail banking customers throughout Iowa. Hills Bancorporation has historically positioned itself as a relationship-focused community banking organization with a strong local deposit franchise and long-standing regional presence. Founded in 1904 through the establishment of Hills Bank and Trust Company, the organization expanded over time through branch growth, selective acquisitions, and diversification into wealth and trust services while maintaining a locally focused banking model.

Business Operations

Hills Bancorporation conducts substantially all operations through Hills Bank and Trust Company, which functions as the company’s principal banking subsidiary. The bank generates revenue primarily through commercial and industrial lending, commercial real estate lending, agricultural lending, residential mortgage lending, and consumer lending activities. Additional income is derived from deposit account services, debit and card-related services, trust and investment management fees, and mortgage banking operations. The company maintains a diversified community banking platform with a concentration in relationship-based lending and locally sourced deposits.

Operations are concentrated primarily within Iowa, with banking offices located across the eastern portion of the state, including the Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and surrounding corridor markets. The company also manages investment securities portfolios and treasury functions typical of regional banking institutions. Wealth management and fiduciary services are provided through internal trust and advisory operations integrated within the banking subsidiary. Public filings and banking disclosures indicate that the organization emphasizes conservative credit management, community banking relationships, and long-term deposit stability as central operating principles.

Strategic Position & Investments

Hills Bancorporation’s strategic direction has centered on organic market expansion, digital banking capabilities, commercial lending growth, and continued investment in relationship-driven banking services. The company has invested in branch infrastructure, treasury management technology, online and mobile banking platforms, and mortgage operations to strengthen customer retention and regional competitiveness. Management has also focused on maintaining strong capital levels and credit quality while expanding services for business and agricultural customers.

The organization has historically pursued measured acquisitions and branch expansion opportunities within Iowa rather than large-scale national expansion strategies. Through Hills Bank and Trust Company, the company maintains capabilities in private banking, retirement planning, investment management, and fiduciary services that complement its traditional banking operations. Publicly available banking and regulatory disclosures identify continued emphasis on commercial banking, agricultural finance, and community-centered financial services as key strategic priorities.

Geographic Footprint

Hills Bancorporation’s operations are concentrated in the Midwestern United States, with its primary footprint located in Eastern Iowa. The company’s headquarters are located in Hills, Iowa, and its banking offices serve communities including Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Coralville, North Liberty, Mount Vernon, and surrounding regional markets. Its operational presence is primarily domestic and community-oriented rather than multinational.

Although the company does not maintain a significant international operating footprint, its commercial and wealth management clients may include businesses and customers with broader interstate or international financial activities. The institution’s influence is primarily regional, with market strength tied to long-standing customer relationships, local commercial banking activity, and agricultural lending throughout Iowa’s economic corridor.

Leadership & Governance

Hills Bancorporation and Hills Bank and Trust Company are governed by an executive leadership team and board structure focused on community banking, long-term financial stability, and regional economic development. The organization’s governance philosophy has emphasized conservative risk management, customer relationships, local decision-making authority, and sustained capital strength consistent with traditional community banking institutions.

Key executives associated with the organization include:

• Dwight Seegmiller – Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer
• Mitchie C. DeGeeter – President and Chief Financial Officer
• Bradley M. Hartmann – Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer
• David L. Tinker – Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer
• Kevin M. Brooks – Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer

Executive leadership has consistently communicated a strategy centered on disciplined lending practices, technology modernization, community engagement, and long-term relationship banking within Iowa markets.