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Business Spotlight: Meridian

2 min read

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First Bank client Meridian is an award-winning, kiosk manufacturer and software developer supporting the self-service industry. From concept to completion, Meridian specializes in the design, engineering, fabrication, assembly, integration, staging, deployments and support of self-service kiosks. Meridian designs turn-key solutions and specialized custom solutions for clients globally.

Video Transcript

Chris Gilder: I’m Chris Glder, CEO of Meridian. We’re a self-service solution company. I think there are self-service applications, really, for any industry. So if I can do something myself, get my room key faster, if I do an employment application…it’s all about really enhancing that customer experience.

Chris Gilder: Our tagline, “Concept to Completion, really relates to us doing all the design and manufacturing in-house.

Chris Gilder: When we do a tour at Meridian, we’ll start here in the showroom. You’ll see some standard enclosures, some custom enclosures here.

Chris Gilder: Then, as we go into Engineering, that’s where the guys design the units. When those guys are done, we send the drawings out to the floor which is when you walk into Fabrication. In there, we have lasers, press brakes, turret punch, pen machines, welding, grinding. They kind of make everything come to life.

Chris Gilder: That then goes through into final Quality Control before it goes into Powder Coat. And then from Powder Coat, onto 1 of the 5 assembly lines which is where you see everyone kind of putting it all together. And then from there, it flows into Quality Control, into Shipping and Receiving, and onto the truck and out the door on the way to the customer.

Chris Gilder: I think one of the biggest challenges, when you’re a growing company, is your bank relationship. And that’s certainly something that First Bank delivered for us. They gave us the financing that we were looking for to expand the company, to continue growing the company, and have been great to work with. That enables us, too, to retain 100% ownership of the company. Doing that with a banking relationship, as opposed to a private investor relationship, we’d much rather go that route.

To learn more, read the full story: A Prime Time for Meridian.

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