Our depth is rooted in over 35 years of community investment. In the spirit of financial empowerment and service to his fellowman, Dr. William Finlayson devoted both time and money to erect Milwaukee's first African-American owned bank. His mission was not profit based, rather he intended to add stature and viability to underserved communities by offering full-service banking to individuals and businesses. North Milwaukee State Bank weathered a rocky start-up and persevered the early 1990's, an era of uncertainty and rapid change for the banking industry as a whole. Our evolution through the years has produced a growth in products and services, an expansion in profit and size, and a significant impact on the communities we serve.

Our reach permeates individuals, businesses, faith-based institutions and education systems. We have collaborated to shape economic development initiatives on every level of government in Wisconsin. Additionally, many of our staff members serve on boards of community-base organizations ranging from social service agencies, neighborhood housing concerns, economic development corporations and education initiatives.

Our commitment today mirrors that of our founder in 1971 — a promise of financial empowerment and support to the communities we serve through:

• community development and economic growth,
• personal and business advancement,
• home ownership growth, and
• financial education.