Emprise Bank
| Company type | Private family-operated bank |
|---|---|
| Industry | Banking |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Headquarters | Wichita , United States |
Area served | Kansas |
Key people | Matthew Michaelis (Chairman) |
| Products | Banking services |
Number of employees | nearly 500 |
Emprise Bank is a family-operated community bank based in Kansas, with its main office located in Wichita, Kansas. The institution manages assets exceeding $2 billion and maintains 34 branches throughout the state, serving communities such as Wichita, Andover, Augusta, Chanute, Clearwater, Council Grove, Derby, El Dorado, Eureka, Goddard, Hays, Haysville, Hillsboro, Humboldt, Iola, Lawrence, McPherson, Moran, Park City, Potwin, and Valley Center.
History
The roots of Emprise Bank trace back to 1910 with the founding of Stockyards National Bank in Wichita. In 1965, W.A. Michaelis Jr. took ownership of Sierra Petroleum Co. Inc., which held Stockyards National Bank. By the early 1970s, reflecting its expansion across Wichita, Stockyards Bank was renamed United American Bank & Trust Company. Sierra Petroleum eventually evolved into Emprise Financial Corporation.
Over the following quarter-century, the Michaelis family grew their banking presence by acquiring multiple institutions throughout Kansas—including locations such as Council Grove, Eureka, Hays, Hillsboro, Iola, Moran, Toronto, and Potwin—alongside purchases of the National Bank of Wichita and Wichita State Bank.
In 1989, the Wichita-based banks unified under the Emprise Bank brand. The family's collection of banks across the state was reorganized into four regional community bank charters and rebranded collectively as Emprise Bank. During the early 1990s, Emprise expanded its footprint by entering Lawrence and adding additional branches in the Wichita metropolitan area. The acquisition of Wichita Federal Savings & Loan in the mid-1990s effectively doubled Emprise’s assets and enhanced its market share significantly.
Between 2002 and 2003, Emprise either opened new branches or acquired existing ones in El Dorado, Humboldt, and Chanute. By 2005 all previously separate community banks were merged into a single Emprise charter. The November 2006 merger with Prairie State Bank incorporated eleven additional branches and increased staff numbers to nearly 500 employees. This consolidation pushed Emprise Bank’s total assets beyond the $1 billion milestone.
The Art of Emprise
The Art of Emprise is a corporate collection showcasing over 530 pieces created by artists from Kansas—ranging from students to faculty members at state colleges and universities.
Since beginning sponsorship of the annual Kansas Watercolor Society exhibition in 1980 and purchasing artworks as patrons of the arts, Emprise has broadened its collection beyond watercolors to highlight artists with strong ties to Kansas.
The collection is exhibited at Emprise branches as well as public spaces including the Andover Library (Andover, Kan.), Beach Museum (Manhattan, Kan.), Coutts Art Museum (El Dorado, Kan.), Lawrence Arts Center, Ulrich Museum, and Wichita Art Museum. Additionally, pieces from the collection have been displayed internationally through the U.S. Art in Embassies Program in countries such as Belize and Uzbekistan.
Controversy
In September 2017, Emprise Bank attracted media attention following an incident involving an Iraqi-American family who were detained while attempting to deposit a $151,000 check from selling their Michigan residence. Sattar Ali—a doctoral candidate residing in the U.S. since 1993—was handcuffed and held after bank personnel contacted law enforcement due to difficulties verifying the check. Police responded with four vehicles and arrested Ali along with his wife and their 15-year-old daughter; meanwhile their 11-year-old son was detained separately at school during this period. Authorities confirmed the validity of the check within 48 minutes and released the family around mid-afternoon.
Emprise explained that police involvement stemmed from challenges verifying the check’s authenticity. The bank officially supported its employees’ conduct by affirming compliance with established policies and procedures and indicated that similar measures would be taken under comparable circumstances.
Ali characterized the episode as racial profiling and questioned why his entire family faced arrest; he announced plans to initiate legal proceedings against the bank. Following public backlash, Emprise Bank Chairman Matthew Michaelis issued an apology for the event and committed to conducting a comprehensive review alongside implementing sensitivity training for staff members. Michaelis stressed the institution’s dedication to non-discriminatory practices.
By 2018, an out-of-court agreement was reached between Ali and Emprise Bank resolving the matter amicably.