The Backstory
For more than a century, CenBank and Grand Marais State Bank have each played a trusted role in serving Minnesota communities and building lasting relationships with customers through generations of growth and change. When these two long-established institutions came together, our goal was to honor their shared legacy while creating a modern digital experience that reflects their future as one unified bank.
The new website needed to represent their dedication to community banking, support their combined customers, and preserve the search visibility each bank had built over time. Here’s how we approached blending tradition, technology, and thoughtful strategy into a single cohesive web experience.
The Challenge
Since we redesigned CenBank’s website a few years ago, we already had a strong understanding of their digital goals, user behavior, and traffic patterns. Grand Marais State Bank, however, was a new partner, which meant taking the time to learn their organization, audience, and online needs from the ground up. Our challenge was to bring both institutions together into one cohesive web experience that felt natural, unified, and uninterrupted for customers on either side of the merger.
Working with both bank teams we were able to blend elements of both websites into a new, streamlined platform that offers quick access to online banking services, downloadable forms, account and service information and an engaging history page that talks about the community legacy of the banks.
The Highlights
Logo Design
We had the pleasure of working with Grand Marais State Bank to create a logo that truly feels like home. Inspired by the towering white pine “Sentinels” along the Gunflint Trail, the mark features three trees standing together as a symbol of resilience, stability, and strength—values that reflect both the bank and the communities it serves. The design brings Grand Marais, Tofte, Ortonville, Hutchinson, and Buffalo Lake into one clean, structured frame, representing how each town maintains its unique character while growing stronger side by side.
Layered greens drawn from Minnesota’s hills, forests, and fields suggest growth, longevity, and rooted prosperity, while the typography balances heritage with forward momentum through tall, open letterforms reminiscent of the pines and northern skies. Every detail was created with intention, resulting in more than just a logo—it’s a visual reflection of connected communities, shared foundations, and neighbors supporting one another, with Grand Marais State Bank at the center helping them thrive together.
On-Site Photography
We were fortunate to enhance this project with a lot of original photography from our very own Erika Schroeder (Interlaken Imagery) capturing the iconic North Shore and Lake Superior landscapes that reflect the communities these banks serve. These visuals helped create a web experience that feels authentic, cohesive, and deeply connected to the region.
The History
Both Minnesota community banks have a long history of providing friendly community banking services to Northern and Southern Minnesota, so having a history page was crucial. We were able to utilize historic photos to help tell the story of Grand Marais State Bank.
Location Pages
Because Grand Marais State Bank is deeply community-focused, creating individual location pages was essential for both local SEO and user experience. By highlighting branch-specific details—such as staff profiles and photos of each location, we created a more personal, local experience that makes it simple for visitors to connect and find the information they need.
Within a month, Grand Marais State Bank’s new website is already ranking 1st for its newest Southern branches!
Client Impact
How well do you think the site hit the mark on how you imagined?
“I think it is just the right amount of professional but small town feel.”
Have you noticed any good changes since the site launched?
“I just got 3 inquiry emails today and I don’t know that that has ever happened before.”
What’s one thing about the site you’re most excited to show off?
“We finally have more of our applications and forms online so I like that for ease of use. I love the waves video on the home page.”
How did our communication feel during the project?
“Excellent communication and translation of information.”
What stood out to you most about our skills or technical know-how?
“You really helped us to think about things that we didn’t even know a website could do for us and how we can improve those clicks.”
Was there a moment
where we really surprised you or went above and beyond?
“The laying out of the pages and flow chart was thoughtful and pretty amazing to see how your minds have to work to put all this together.”
How satisfied were you with how we handled your timeline and budget?
“Very. Again a great job and honest about where we could spend extra and what we don’t need to spend extra on.”
If you were telling someone about our strongest qualities, what would you say?
“I am very pleased with the over all experience and I felt a part of the process. Not talked down too or brushed off if I was working through something. You took the time to listen and did a great job of keeping us on track.”
The Wrap-Up
The new Grand Marais State Bank website marked more than a joining of financial institutions — it was the coming together of two trusted legacies, customer bases, and digital ecosystems. The result is a unified online presence that reflects the banks’ shared legacy, strengthens their community ties, and positions them for the future of digital banking.
If you’re in Minnesota and looking for a community-focused bank, Grand Marais State Bank is well worth exploring.
