Red Gold Celebrates Major Milestone: 100 Employees Achieve Homeownership

ELWOOD, INDIANA (4/24/26)

Red Gold, Inc. is proud to announce a major milestone—helping 100 employees achieve the dream of homeownership through its Employer Assisted Housing (EAH) Program.

Launched 11 years ago, the Red Gold EAH Program was created with a simple but powerful goal: to support employees in building strong futures. “I wanted to find the best way to help our employees buy a house,” said Brian Reichart, President and CEO of Red Gold. “Homeownership creates stability for families, and strong families create strong communities.”

Originally developed by Fannie Mae in the 1980s and now promoted by the National Association of Realtors, the Employer Assisted Housing Program allows employers to provide assistance toward down payments and/or closing costs at the time of purchase. Red Gold tailored the program to reflect employee needs and local housing markets, making homeownership more accessible across its communities.

That vision reached a significant benchmark on Friday, April 24, when Red Gold closed its 100th EAH-assisted home purchase. “This milestone represents 100 lives changed,” said Elizabeth Swadener, Director of Human Resources. “Our 100th home was purchased in Berne, Indiana, by Leonardo Palomo, an employee at our Geneva facility. It was a proud and meaningful moment for all of us.”

Through the program, Red Gold provides 5% of the home’s purchase price—up to $7,500—to be used toward closing costs and/or a down payment. The flexibility of the program allows realtors and loan originators to structure assistance in the way that best supports each buyer. “We focus on making the sale work,” Swadener added. “The details are tailored to each employee’s unique situation.”

Red Gold’s EAH Program supports homes located within three key school districts—the South Adams, Alexandria, and Elwood School Districts, each home to a Red Gold manufacturing facility. “We encourage our employees to live near where they work and to invest in the communities that support us,” said Matt Tebbe, Director of Tax Accounting.

With the 100th closing, the program generated $13,065,973.23 in real estate sales directly attributable to Red Gold’s commitment, injecting significant growth into the communities of Geneva-Berne, Elwood, and Alexandria. “That level of local investment is powerful,” Tebbe said. “It’s a win for our employees, our towns, and the region as a whole.”

The historic closing took place in Decatur, Indiana, at DeVoss, Baker, Ainsworth & Razo Professional Land Title Company.

Pictured: Leonardo Palomo, home buyer; Stephanie Geimer, Closing Agent, Professional Land Title; Jeanne Henry, Senior Loan Officer, Ruoff Mortgage; Kyle Lunford, Director of Home Ownership and Community Development, Ruoff Mortgage; Victor Guerrero, Plant Manager, Red Gold Geneva; and Priscilla Garcia, Human Resources Generalist, Red Gold Geneva.