Our difference is about a combination of clear overriding principles that we share with each of our affiliated associations about who we are and what we will provide. Those principles are listed here:

A common vision

FPI and our client associations share a common vision that FPI will develop partnerships with our customers, not vendor relationships. We work cooperatively with each association so that we become a logical extension of each association's business.

Strong association experience

The FPI staff and management know association business challenges because a number of us had either Farm Credit association lending experience or Farm Credit bank experience.

But we also employ many "newcomers" who bring a wide range of corporate experience to the table. These folks offer objective viewpoints and fresh looks at business methods and opportunities to the FPI team.

One-stop shopping

FPI focuses on technology and operations, which form the bulk of our "core" services. Our association customers identify the essential services that they need in order to achieve economies of scale for their businesses, such as flexible, fully integrated credit delivery systems, loan accounting and general ledger processing.

Solutions, not products

Think of FPI as a provider of solutions, not products. FPI provides and procures a broad range of services and business tools for our owner associations. This means that if we can't provide a service efficiently with our own in-house suite of services, we will identify appropriate outside vendors, negotiate the lowest possible cost and administer the service relationship.

Customer-driven

Each FPI owner has a seat on the FPI board of directors. This gives the CEOs of our partnering associations an influential place "at the table." These individuals work together to develop FPI's strategic direction and to determine the products and services that we offer. In addition, CoBank's CEO (or his appointed representative) also sits on the FPI board.

By working closely with our customers, we strive for clear, ongoing communication with association CEOs, credit supervisors, branch managers and other association staff.

Fully-integrated software systems

Our branch delivery system helps make management of an association's credit and financial services business fast, easy and dependable. Our systems talk effectively to each other so the entire customer relationship can be accessed "at a glance." This close integration of the systems enables FPI associations to achieve very strong operating results.