A little bit of background on us...

In the early 1920s, Joseph A. Franklin, President of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, conceived the idea of organizing a friendly bank - for everyone from the most humble laborer to the wealthiest tradesman. He reasoned that a fitting home for the new bank would be a recently acquired building at 8th and Minnesota Avenue owned by the Boilermakers, and it was there that the organization of the Brotherhood State Bank was founded.

The Boilermakers were unable to finance the bank at first, as a general industrial depression prevailed throughout the jurisdiction of the union. However, a group of professional businessmen, who were also tenants in the Minnesota Avenue building, quickly realized the splendid location and the potential of a bank located on that corner and agreed to join with the International Brotherhood in organizing the Bank.

The bank was named Brotherhood State Bank at the first meeting and the Kansas Secretary of State issued the charter of the Brotherhood State Bank in Topeka on December 27, 1923.

In the following months, stocks were sold and money was raised to help in the birth of the bank. At 9:00 a.m. on September 2, 1924, the Brotherhood State Bank opened its doors with $100,000 in capital and deposits of $234,000.

The Bank grew and prospered from 1924 to 1930 until the Great Depression caused many businesses to fail and there was little money for depositing in the banks. These were the days of "bread and bean lines." People panicked and withdrew what small amounts of money they had on deposit in "bank runs." Recognizing the devastating effect this was causing the country, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, declared a bank holiday and closed all banks for a short "cooling down" period. Many banks failed, never to re-open, but the conservative nature and sound, prudent banking background of Brotherhood Bank & Trust enabled it to weather the storm without a single customer losing money.

As Brotherhood Bank & Trust continued to grow, it acquired three financial institutions. The first in January, 1984, when it took over the $26 million in insured deposits and assured the depositors of the failed Indians Springs State Bank that their money was safe.

In 1990, Brotherhood Bank & Trust acquired its second financial institution, Sun Savings & Loan, from the Resolution Trust Corporation. Along with the insured deposits, loan portfolio, and dedicated employees, came three new facilities.

In 1996, Brotherhood Bank & Trust acquired the Citizens Bank & Trust in Johnson County. Citizens Bank & Trust had a large customer base, good employees, and two excellent locations in the Shawnee area.

In the late 1990s, Brotherhood Bank & Trust opened two Texaco StarMart locations. One remains open and active, that being the location at Shawnee Drive in Kansas City, Kan. Although smaller, this is a full-service facility offering an inside lobby, ATM machine and three drive-thru windows.

As significant expansion came in December of 2005 with the newly constructed branch in Olathe. Brotherhood Bank & Trust is proud to offer state-of-the-art banking technology at this newest location but is especially pleased to have a convenient location with the same exceptional personal service for more of Johnson County. The most recent addition the Bank's list of facilities was the 2009 opening of a small, satellite branch office in Lee's Summit, Mo.

In an age where the banking industry has seen rampant consolidation and acquisition, Brotherhood Bank & Trust is proud to be an independent community bank. The ownership and relationship with the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers continues to be an asset to both the bank and its customers. Today, thousands of customers place their trust in Brotherhood Bank & Trust because they still appreciate the personal service of a locally owned, locally managed, community bank. It's rewarding to know the common bonds of trust and confidence initiated in 1924 retain their meaning and value in the 21st Century. The bank's founders would be proud to see how their bank has grown since 1923. They would be especially proud to see that Brotherhood Bank & Trust remains true to its original mission of serving all members of the community.

We look forward to serving the financial needs of our community as we move into the next decade.