Emprise Bank Announces Expansion into Kansas City

Wichita, Kansas based Emprise Bank, an independently owned bank with over $1.8 billion in assets, announced that it plans to expand its presence into the Kansas City Market. Additionally, the bank announced a new president of the Kansas City Market, Trey Cunningham. Cunningham’s previous experience included positions at UMB Bank and Simmons Bank. 

Cunningham explained why Emprise has decided to compete in the Kansas City market. “There’s a lot of energy in Kansas City right now,” he said. “so it’s a great time for Emprise to help even more companies thrive and grow. The bank’s culture and strategic direction make it a perfect fit for what’s going on in Kansas City. I am excited about the great things we’ll help our clients achieve.” 

The CEO Matt Michaelis stated that they are looking to expand on their relationships particularly in Lawrence and that it is consistent with Emprise Bank’s desire to expand into adjacent metro markets. He said they do have existing relationships that have ties to Kansas City, which will make it a natural market to expand in.   

Cunningham specifically has relationships in the medical, commercial and industrial verticals, all of which are key sectors in the Kansas City area. He is involved in the Northland Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.   

Michaelis said of Cunningham, “Trey is a great fit with our bank’s values and culture. He is a marquee addition for us and another key win in our effort to gather the best talent in the market. His knowledge of banking and of the Kansas City community will be essential as we begin to serve even more clients in the market.”

Emprise already is one of the top banks in Kansas in terms of branch locations, but Kansas City is large enough to have a number of national banks as competition, as well as banks that cover a larger landscape such as Bank of The West. Plans did not indicate an expansion of branches in the Kansas City market, and would seem unlikely as the initiative looks to focus less on day to day banking needs of consumers and more on the business sector.