History
IT STARTED WITH HOMES.
Fidelity Bank is committed to providing exceptional service to all of our customers. As the second largest locally owned financial institution in Wichita, Kansas and a growing presence in Oklahoma City and Overland Park, we provide customers with a wide array of quality financial services.
The forerunner of Fidelity Bank – The Fidelity Investment Company – opened its doors for business in Wichita in 1905 as a mortgage lender. Homer C. Bastian, Kansas’ first director of the Federal Housing Administration, acquired the operation in 1942.
IT STARTED AT HOME.
Homer’s son, Marvin Bastian, joined the company in 1946 after serving in the Army Air Force during World War II. Their teamwork guided the company’s growing commitment to customer service. In the late 1960s, Marvin became chief executive officer of the Fidelity companies, and, in 1975, he acquired Air Capitol Savings, a $32 million asset savings and loan association.
During the next 20 years, the company experienced exceptional growth as a thrift institution known as Fidelity Savings Association of Kansas. Marvin’s sons, Clark and Clay Bastian, joined the company in 1976 and 1980, respectively. Clark is currently chairman of the board for Fidelity Bank and Fidelity Financial Corporation. Clay retired as president of Fidelity Financial Corporation in 2018 and currently serves on the board of directors for Fidelity Bank, Fidelity Financial Corporation and the Fidelity Bank Foundation. Fidelity continues to thrive under the family’s leadership through emphasis on customer service.
By the 1980s, Fidelity had outgrown its downtown Wichita headquarters. Recognizing the importance of a vital downtown area, the Bastians constructed a $6 million, five-story office building – a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Wichita.
In 2006, Fidelity purchased and remodeled the historic Carnegie Library to house its expanding commercial banking division.
Fidelity entered the Oklahoma City market in 2004 with the acquisition of Bridgeview Bank. Oklahoma Fidelity Bank has steadily grown to include locations in the communities of Oklahoma City and Edmond.
The Oklahoma division also saw the addition of the fourth generation of the family leadership when Aaron Bastian, Clark’s son, became president of Oklahoma Fidelity Bank in 2009. Aaron was named president of Fidelity Bank in 2015 and added chief executive officer to his title in 2020.
In 2014, the Fidelity footprint expanded to northeast Kansas with the purchase of an office in Overland Park. This location enabled the Bank to offer commercial and residential lending services to the Kansas City metro area.
Oklahoma Expansion
Growth of the Oklahoma regional market has been a key strategic priority since the early 2020s when we opened our first office in Tulsa. In late 2021, we finalized acquisition of Yorktown Bank, notably growing our customer base. In Tulsa, our Utica branch is conveniently located near the Cascia Hall Performing Arts Center. From Beacon Hill in the west to the Stonegate neighborhood out east, the Oklahoma City community is always close to the elevated service of Oklahoma Fidelity Bank branch.
THE SAME, BUT DIFFERENT.
While we maintain commitments that trace back to our beginnings, we remain steadfast in our approach to better the banking experience. Our company has grown. Our buildings have changed and our technology has improved. We uphold the promises of the past while persisting toward a better future for our customers and communities.
As a full-service bank we offer individuals and families premiere banking services that keep them connected to their money while building their financial future. We help people achieve the dream of homeownership with comprehensive mortgage lending options. We help businesses, large and small, meet challenges with confidence and empower their progress through cash management, credit and capital services. The Fidelity Bank legacy is one of generous community investment, charitable support and volunteerism. Through our actions we serve as a catalyst for building community spirit and celebrating our cities, because our success is unconditionally linked.
Today, our $3.1 billion bank employs more than 500 people across a network of offices in Kansas and Oklahoma. For the organization that began in 1905 as the Fidelity Investment Company, Fidelity Bank's philosophy has remained the same: To create a better future by acting with courage and integrity alongside our customers and in our communities.
TOGETHER WE RISE.
In 2021, Fidelity Bank officially opened the RISE Car Park, the first phase of a $51 million expansion of its corporate headquarters and a commitment to the future of Wichita’s downtown development. The five-story glass and steel building provides 405 parking stalls and several electric vehicle charging stations. The ground floor is home to GROW, an elevated boutique plant shop, café and event space. Around the corner, 2 Beatz Boutique offers size-inclusive clothing for women, accessories, bags and jewelry for sale. The addition of 2 Beatz’s shop is the result of our partnership with The Garages, a retail incubator program designed to launch local small businesses. The newest tenant is Lotte, a unique dining experience featuring seasonally-inspired, farm-to-table dishes. One of the largest roof-top farms in the Midwest sits atop the fifth floor of the car park. RISE Farms is a 15,000 square foot plot of urban innovation powered by 204 solar panels.
In 2022, the RISE Car Park was bestowed the Keeper of the Plains Award by the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce and was also named one of the Wichita Business Journal’s Commercial Real Estate Projects of the Year.
Phase two of the expansion plan will feature a 10-story office tower that will change the skyline of the city.