Spire and Hiway credit unions will rebrand as Blaze Credit Union once the merger is made official on Jan. 1.
According to the company, the new name "reflects the conceptual meaning of brightly colored blazes along a tree-lined trail: guidance, navigation, and wayfinding."
“No matter your age or where you’re at, financial journeys can appear daunting, and it’s natural for people to sometimes feel a little lost,” said SPIRE President/CEO Dan Stoltz in a press release. “SPIRE and Hiway have been helping our members follow the path to their dreams - improving their lives - for more than 180 years combined. Our new credit union’s name and brand underscores our mission: to be a partner along that path, helping our members go for it, whatever their ‘it’ might be.”
“Blaze Credit Union isn’t just our name, it’s what we do,” added Hiway President/CEO Dave Boden. “Beyond providing guidance to our members, we’re also here to move our communities forward. Both Hiway and SPIRE have a long history of giving back to our home communities, and that commitment to bettering our shared road ahead will continue.”
81.2% of members of Hiway Credit Union voted earlier this year to approve the merger with Spire to create the new entity.
Blaze Credit Union will be the fourth-largest credit union in the state. It will have nearly $4 billion in assets, serve approximately 250,000 members, and employ more than 600 people.
Both credit unions say that all employees will be retained, and all 26 existing branch locations will remain open once the merger is complete.
Graphic provided.