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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 Cliff Nystrom

Congrats Cliff Nystrom

Cliff Nystrom joined Citizens Alliance Bank in July of 2021 at the Clara City location as a Human Resource Associate working in the Human Resource Department. In April 2023 Nystrom transitioned his role to the Lending team.

In his role with the Human Resource department, he was responsible for all of the Human Resource functions for multiple Citizens Alliance Bank branches. His previous banking experience includes Business Product Sales Representative at Heritage Bank and Personal Banker at US Bank, both located in Willmar. While Nystrom enjoyed his time in Human Resources, he was quickly drawn back to fulfilling his passion of meeting with customers and helping them achieve financial success. Nystrom is hoping to bring his many years of customer service and banking skills to help our customers at Citizens Alliance Bank. He is looking forward to handling customers’ whole banking relationships, through trust, to help them meet their financial goals. As he transitions into his new role as a Loan Officer in the Clara City, Minnesota, location, Nystrom looks forward to developing new loan relationships with area customers, farmers, and businesses; while helping them with lines of credit, equipment financing, farmland finance, and real estate loans.

Nystrom’s Bachelor’s Degree is from The University of North Dakota where he studied Business Marketing.  He also received his Master’s Degree from St. Mary’s University in Minnesota where he studied Human Resource Management.

Nystrom grew up in Grand Forks, North Dakota. In 2009 he moved to west central Minnesota. Cliff currently resides in Kerkhoven with his wife, Kristy, and their three kids, Corbin, Shep, and Kolbie. During his time in Minnesota, Nystrom has been involved in many community boards and organizations.  Currently he is on the Kerkhoven Lutheran Church Finance Board, the Kerkhoven Golf Course Board, and The Kerkhoven Fire Department.  He previously was on the Willmar Hockey Association Board, a member of the marketing committee for Next in Willmar, a graduate of the Willmar Area Leadership Perspectives board, and former Vice President of the Kiwanis group in Willmar. Nystrom enjoys anything hockey, whether it is cheering on his kids in Willmar or cheering on the University of North Dakota or the Minnesota Wild. When he is not in hockey mode, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends and enjoys golfing and 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.


 

Congratulations Tristin Fliehe

Congratulations Tristin Fliehe

Citizens Alliance Bank is proud to introduce Tristin Fliehe, who recently joined our esteemed team as a Loan Officer at our Watertown, Minnesota, branch.  Prior to joining Citizens Alliance Bank, Fliehe served as a Loan Officer in Southwest Minnesota for three years, where he displayed expertise in issuing new loans, managing existing customer relationships, and executing financial statement evaluations. Additionally, he actively engaged with the community to promote the bank’s financial services.

As a Loan Officer at Citizens Alliance Bank, Fliehe’s primary focus is to foster new loan relationships with local businesses and farmers, and to offer a comprehensive range of loan products, including lines of credit, equipment financing, commercial real estate, farmland, and home mortgages. We are confident that his industry expertise, commitment to exceptional customer service, and passion for financial planning and management will enable him to excel in his role and contribute to the bank’s continued growth and success.

Fliehe hails from Tulare, South Dakota, and presently resides in Buffalo, Minnesota, with his wife, Abbey, and their beloved dog, Doba. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business from South Dakota State University and is an avid traveler, nature enthusiast, and outdoor adventurer who enjoys hiking and beach outings.

Citizens Alliance Bank extends a warm welcome to Tristin Fliehe and are delighted to have him on board. We are confident that he will make a valuable contribution to our team, and we wish him a successful and fulfilling career with us.

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.