The Next Chapter of Purposeful Growth

We went to the state of Michigan 27 years ago with a unique business plan. At that time, the banking industry was going through one of its consolidation phases. Although beneficial to shareholders, we felt like the banks were losing sight of what’s most important – the clients. The disruption also created turnover in talent within a relationship-based service. We wanted to create a privately owned Trust-Only Michigan chartered bank. We would find really talented people and together create a client-first culture that would engage and inspire those teammates to help our clients achieve their financial goals. Our independence would also be a critical component of our model. Since then, we have grown purposefully in size and sophistication, which was always our intent.

Today, we are excited to announce the next chapter of this journey. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has accepted and approved our application to become a nationally chartered bank.

What does this mean for existing clients? The national charter designation simply allows us greater opportunities geographically. Really, we are now just able to purposely grow outside the state of Michigan. Our approach to growth has always been purposeful and will remain that way. Our culture and talent are foundational to our clients’ success. Our commitment to our unique client-centric service model remains unchanged. Client-centric teams for clients will not change as a result of this. Our services are just now more accessible to a wider group of clients across the U.S. Our independence will also remain a steadfast focus for us. Functionally, the only change is in the form of regulatory administration that moves from the State of Michigan to the Federal Government’s OCC.

As part of this next chapter, we are now able to act on a request we have received for years from clients who either live or spend their winters in warmer climates. They want us closer to where they are. So, we are also excited to announce that we will be opening our newest office in Naples, Florida. We have already begun the search for the right talent that fits our culture and believe we have found a location that will be centrally located and convenient for our clients in the area.

We appreciate the trust our clients have put in us all these years and believe our next chapter will allow us to continue to Serve Clients More.