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Press Release - Citizens Alliance Bank to Acquire Granite Mountain Bank

Citizens Alliance Bank (CAB) has agreed to acquire Butte, Montana-based Granite Mountain Bank (GMB) in a transaction that includes branches in Philipsburg and Drummond, Montana, while pledging the same “community banking” commitment Granite Mountain Bank customers are accustomed to.

“The employees, branch locations and commitment to the GMB customers will not change,” said Chad A. Forkrud, President of CAB. “Customers will be dealing with the same individuals that they deal with today.”

Jerry Sullivan, Chairman of Granite Mountain Bank, said that “although the decision to sell the bank was a difficult one, I know that CAB is focused on community banking, committed to local decision-making, and has experience operating in Montana.” Sullivan added that CAB has “a 120-year history of understanding the needs of customers throughout generations in and around all the communities they serve.”

GMB President Neil Bolton is expected to lead the current GMB offices once the merger is completed.

Citizens Alliance Bank, an independent community bank with total assets in excess of $1.2 billion, is headquartered in Clara City, Minnesota. CAB currently has three Montana offices in Great Falls, Seeley Lake and Lincoln. It also has 10 offices in rural communities in west-central Minnesota.

The transaction is contingent upon regulatory approval from the FDIC, as well as regulators in Minnesota and Montana and the shareholders of Flint Creek Holding Company, which holds Granite Mountain Bank as a subsidiary. GMB, which was established in 1940, has about $135 million in total assets.

Following the merger, GMB customers will see new banking products gradually introduced, such as bank-sourced Visa credit cards, direct access to the secondary real estate lending market, an expanded bank-lending limit, and enhanced digital banking technologies. “GMB customers will continue to experience the benefits of working with a local community bank with local decision-making authority,” said Great Falls native Ryan Fritz, senior Montana market manager for CAB.

CAB is a wholly owned subsidiary of brother-owned Forstrom Bancorporation, Inc., which will exceed $1.3 billion in consolidated assets upon integration of Granite Mountain Bank. Forstrom Bancorporation, Inc. started in Montana with its Seeley Lake office in 1998.

CAB and GMB representatives anticipate regulatory approval in the first quarter of 2023 and then closing the transaction later in 2023.

Upcoming Branch Hour Changes

MINNESOTA LOCATIONS

Clara City         

Lobby Hours:       Monday – Friday               8:30AM – 4:00PM

Drive-Up Hours:  Monday – Friday               8:00AM – 5:00PM

 

Maynard

No Changes

 

Granite Falls   

Lobby Hours:        Monday – Friday              8:30AM – 4:00PM

Drive-Up Hours:   Monday – Friday              8:00AM – 4:30PM

Drive-Up Hours:   Saturday                            9:00AM – 12:00PM

 

Lake Lillian

No Changes

 

Echo                    

Lobby Hours:       Monday – Friday              8:30AM – 4:00PM

Drive-Up Hours:  Monday – Friday              8:00AM – 4:00PM

 

Howard Lake   

Lobby Hours:        Monday – Friday              8:30AM – 4:30PM

Drive-Up Hours:   Monday – Friday              8:00AM – 4:30PM

Drive-Up Hours:   Saturday                           9:00AM – 12:00PM

 

Watertown       

Lobby Hours:        Monday – Friday              8:30AM – 4:30PM

Drive-Up Hours:   Monday – Friday              8:00AM – 4:30PM

Drive-Up Hours:   Saturday                           9:00AM – 12:00PM

 

Murdock           

Lobby Hours:       Monday – Friday               8:30AM – 4:00PM

Drive-Up Hours:  Monday – Friday               8:00AM – 4:00PM

 

Sacred Heart     

Lobby Hours:       Monday – Friday              8:30AM – 4:00PM

Drive-Up Hours:  Monday – Friday              8:00AM – 4:00PM

 

MONTANA LOCATIONS: 

 

Seeley Lake

No Changes

 

Lincoln

Lobby Hours:        Monday – Friday              9:00AM – 4:00PM

Drive-Up Hours:   Monday – Thursday         8:00AM – 4:00PM

Drive-Up Hours:   Friday                                 8:00AM – 5:00PM

 

Great Falls          No Changes

 

 

2023 Holiday Closures

Facilities and Upgrades

Check back for more updates soon!

Newsletters

Read previous editions of the official newsletter of Citizens Alliance Bank, by clicking one of the links below:

What's New

Congratulations Jessi Daul

Congratulations Jessi Daul

 


Jessi Daul joined Citizens Alliance Bank in January 2018 in the Great Falls, Montana, location. Most recently, she has been a Loan Administrative Officer in the Lending Department. In that role, she performed day-to-day loan maintenance, prepared loan documentation, performed loan closings, collected loan files and documentation for auditing, and acted as a liaison between lenders and customers. As she transitions into her new role of Executive Administrative Officer, she will continue to perform these functions as well as assisting the Senior Market Managers with meetings, scheduling, reports, projects, correspondence, and customer communication.

Daul has been in banking for over 18 years where she had prior experience as a Consumer, Commercial and Real Estate Loan Processor; Credit Analyst; and Lending Compliance Officer. Daul graduated from Montana State University, Great Falls, with degrees in Business Administration/Management and Accounting.

Daul is originally from and currently resides in Great Falls, Montana, with her daughter. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Citizens Alliance Bank is a family-owned community bank providing financial and related banking services within local communities in Minnesota and Montana. The Bank provides integrated products and banking services that customers seek, including local empowered decision making and personalized customer service delivered with a small-town personal touch. The Bank and its shareholders remain committed to strengthening and improving the communities that its customers and employees work and live through financial literacy and economic and community development.

Congratulations Grace Ulferts

 


Grace Ulferts joined Citizens Alliance Bank in September of 2021 in the Clara City, Minnesota, location. Most recently, she has been a Loan Administration Clerk in the Lending Department. In that role, she was responsible for creating loan documents, Filing UCC’s, CNSs, & CBR’s; maintenance on loan accounts; and helping customers with their balances/payments on loan accounts. As she transitions into her new role as Loan Portfolio Officer, she will continue with her current duties in addition to working with the Lenders to manage current customer relationships, perform loan maintenance activities, and underwriting duties.

Ulferts is originally from Minneota, Minnesota, and is currently residing in Raymond, Minnesota. In her free time, she keeps busy with her 2-year-old daughter and helping her husband with his pig barn and trucking company. She also enjoys spending time with her family and friends and in the summer weekends at the lake.

Citizens Alliance Bank is a family-owned community bank providing financial and related banking services within local communities in Minnesota and Montana. The Bank provides integrated products and banking services that customers seek, including local empowered decision making and personalized customer service delivered with a small-town personal touch. The Bank and its shareholders remain committed to strengthening and improving the communities that its customers and employees work and live through financial literacy and economic and community development.

Congratulations Braden Hoekstra

Braden Hoekstra Image

 


Braden Hoekstra joined Citizens Alliance Bank in the summer of 2018 in the Clara City, Minnesota, location where he worked as an Intern working in Operations and IT, before transitioning into the Lending Department. In his role with the lending department, he was responsible for spreading financial statements for the Lenders, along with preparing credit presentations and annual reviews on customer relationships. Most recently, he has been a Loan Portfolio Officer, where he continued with his current duties in addition to working with the Lenders to manage current customer relationships and performed loan maintenance activities. As he transitions into his new role as Loan Officer in the Sacred Heart, Minnesota, location, he looks forward to developing new loan relationships with area farmers and businesses while helping customers with lines of credit, equipment financing, and farmland and home mortgages.

Hoekstra is currently enrolled at Minnesota State University, Mankato, where he will be graduating with a degree in Business Management in just a few months.

Hoekstra grew up in Clara City, Minnesota, where he currently resides with two of his lifelong best friends. He is a graduate from MACCRAY High School in 2018. While in school, he played football, basketball, and baseball. He was also involved in BPA (Business Professionals of America), SALT (Student Athlete Leadership Team), and FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes). In his free time, he enjoys doing anything with friends or family. Some of his favorite things to do include golfing, snowboarding, wakesurfing, duck hunting, and ice fishing!

Citizens Alliance Bank is a family-owned community bank providing financial and related banking services within local communities in Minnesota and Montana. The Bank provides integrated products and banking services that customers seek, including local empowered decision making and personalized customer service delivered with a small-town personal touch. The Bank and its shareholders remain committed to strengthening and improving the communities that its customers and employees work and live through financial literacy and economic and community development.