New name and logo for Blaze Credit Union.
Two months after members of two Minnesota credit unions, SPIRE Credit Union and Hiway Credit Union, approved the merger, the combined credit unions announced a new name for the new organization: Blaze Credit Union.
The merger will become legal as of Jan. 1, 2024 and will create a credit union with nearly $4 billion in assets, more than 600 employees operating 26 branches, serving more than 249,000 members.
The new name unveiled Thursday is "inspired by our shared histories and roots, as well as the new credit union's vision, our name represents what we do for you: guidance, navigation, and wayfinding," according to the announcement.
"Blaze Credit Union isn't just our name, it's what we do," said 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."
SPIRE Credit Union President/CEO Dan Stoltz said the new name and logo reflects the beautiful outdoor and geographic elements found in Minnesota.
"This new brand combines the best of SPIRE and Hiway into a simple brand concept," said SPIRE Credit Union President/CEO Dan Stoltz. "Even for those more indoors-people who prefer sheltered skyways to hiking trails, everyone is traveling along a life trail, so to speak, of their very own, and we exist to help them navigate it. While we're sunsetting our respective brands, the values, the histories, and the visions which have made us who we are will continue, stronger than ever."
Hiway and SPIRE will combine their boards and management teams, with SPIRE's Stoltz taking the role of CEO, and Hiway's Boden becoming the president.
"We are excited for the future of our new organization," Hiway's Boden said in a prepared statement in September. "Our members, many of whom have been with us for decades, have been incredibly supportive of this merger, and their overwhelmingly favorable vote underscores that they recognize the many advantages of our two strong credit unions becoming one."
Stoltz said the vision is to build the best credit union in the region.
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Michael Ogden
Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.
