How Gibson's WaterCare Combined Practical Fraud Prevention With A Trusted Financial Relationship
For nearly 50 years, Gibson's WaterCare has helped families and businesses improve the quality of their water. Founded in 1978, the family-owned company now serves residential and commercial customers across 19 Wisconsin counties. Through that growth, its focus has remained the same: provide strong customer service and stay connected to the communities it serves.
As Gibson's WaterCare grew, its banking needs changed too. The company began working with Royal Credit Union in 2012, when its operations were smaller and its financial needs were simpler. Over time, that relationship expanded as Royal learned more about the business and helped the team consider tools that matched its day-to-day operations.
A Practical Reason To Act
A few years ago, Gibson's WaterCare received a call about a check presented for payment. The amount and check information did not match anything the company had issued. Someone had copied information from a legitimate check, altered it, and created a fraudulent version.
The transaction was stopped before it could create lasting financial harm, but the incident was serious. A fraudulent check could have resulted in a meaningful financial loss and created uncertainty, additional work, and disruption for the team. It also reinforced how quickly check fraud can pull attention away from serving customers and running the business.
Royal’s Business team recommended that Gibson's WaterCare consider Positive Pay, a service designed to help businesses identify check and ACH transactions that do not match the information they have provided. Rather than waiting to discover a questionable item after it clears, the business can review an exception and decide whether it should be paid.
“It gives us a tremendous amount of peace of mind,” shared Sherry Coronel, General Manager at Gibson's WaterCare.
The system soon demonstrated its value. After Positive Pay was implemented, another questionable check appeared. Gibson's WaterCare was able to review and reject it before the funds left the account.
Protection That Fits The Workday
For Gibson's WaterCare, the benefit is not only the added protection. Positive Pay also gives the bookkeeping team greater visibility into the checks moving through the account. Check images and transaction details make it easier to confirm what has cleared and quickly research questions when they arise.
The process became part of the company’s morning routine. The team reviews account activity, confirms that transactions match its records, and resolves any exceptions. Those additional measures provide reassurance without adding a complicated burden to the workday.
“It’s nice to see what’s coming out of your bank account every day,” said Kimmy Beres, Gibson's WaterCare’s bookkeeper. “You can see images of the checks, too, so you can verify whether it’s something you actually sent out.”
A Relationship Built Around Listening
Fraud prevention is only one part of Gibson's WaterCare’s relationship with Royal. As the business has expanded, Royal has also helped the company find ways to save time and manage its daily finances more efficiently.
One example is remote deposit capture. Gibson's WaterCare processes hundreds of checks on busy days, and traveling to a Royal office to make deposits took time away from other responsibilities. With an in-house check scanner, the team can now process deposits on site and access check images when questions arise.
For Coronel, these solutions reflect the value of working with people who understand the business. Royal’s business banking, lending, branch, and treasury management teams work together to listen, identify needs, and connect Gibson's WaterCare with the right options.
“The teams at Royal Credit Union are phenomenal,” Coronel said. “They’re always there for us. They come into the office, sit down with us, and go over a solution to something that we’re experiencing.”
A Lesson For Businesses Of Every Size
Gibson's WaterCare’s experience offers a straightforward reminder for other business owners: fraud prevention does not need to begin with a major loss, and practical safeguards are not reserved for large companies. A conversation about existing processes can reveal simple ways to reduce inconvenience, strengthen oversight, and make everyday banking more efficient.
Daily account review, clear approval responsibilities, careful check handling, and services such as Positive Pay can all add useful layers of protection. The right approach will depend on how a business receives and sends payments, who manages those transactions, and where additional visibility would be most helpful.
For Gibson's WaterCare, the most important step was having the right conversation at the right time. The result was more than a fraud-prevention tool. It was stronger protection, greater confidence in the company’s daily processes, and a financial relationship that continues to evolve alongside the business.
Protecting your business starts with understanding how money moves through it. Royal Credit Union works with businesses of all sizes to explore practical solutions for managing payments, improving efficiency, and reducing risk. Learn more about Treasury Management at Royal.
