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Blaze Credit Union became a legal credit union on Jan. 1 after months of behind-the-scenes work by credit union executives and a favorable vote by members to merge. The new credit union, which was created from the merger of SPIRE Credit Union and Hiway Credit Union, is now one of the largest credit unions in Minnesota.
The Falcon Heights, Minn.-based credit union unveiled its new name in November after members from both credit unions approved the merger in September to create a $4 billion entity with 26 branches, more than 600 employees and more than 249,000 members.
"This is an exciting time for all of our members, our 650+ Blaze Credit Union associates, and our communities," Blaze CEO Dan Stoltz, formerly SPIRE's president/CEO, said. "When we first started talking about this alliance between SPIRE and Hiway, this date seemed so far away. I'm so grateful for the work our teams have put into shaping this new organization, from creating a new name and brand to developing new service standards to ensure our members have the best possible experience. And, wow, so much else!"
According to a statement from the new credit union Tuesday, Blaze will be operating on two separate core and online banking systems until fall and for members, things should "generally be business as usual." Blaze also launched its new website on Jan. 1.
"It's been an enormous effort and our teams have rocked it," Blaze President/Chief Transformation Officer Dave Boden, formerly Hiway's president/CEO, said. "With all of our combined talent and resources, we will be able to improve so many more lives, as well as our communities."
Stoltz described the new name that reflects Minnesota's outdoor culture and a brand that "combines the best of SPIRE and Hiway into a simple brand concept. 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."
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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.
