About CIB

Here, the focus is always on you – what you need today, what you want to do tomorrow. Every day, we recommit to our mission of providing exceptional community banking to our neighbors in St. Louis Park, Robbinsdale, Hopkins, Plymouth, and the surrounding communities.

Locations

When you bank local, you help improve the quality of life in your city.

We believe that we can make a difference together. Think about it just from a financial standpoint. When you deposit money with Citizens Independent Bank, you can grow your own savings and hit your business and personal goals. At the same time, your money gets reinvested in the community through loans for business owners and neighbors. It's a cycle that benefits everyone – and it goes way deeper than the financial impact.

Core Values

We take to heart that local involvement and decision-making guide how a good bank should operate. That’s Citizens Independent Bank – rich with tradition, experience and compassion. We don’t just talk about our commitment, we show it. Trust us to be your personable financial advisor focused on building a long-term relationship with you, always available to address changing needs in your life and provide convenient services.

Maintain the trust of our clients by never compromising our honesty or integrity.
Demonstrate social responsibility to the communities we serve.
Build and maintain close relationships with our clients by providing an exceptional client experience.
Achieve great things together with teamwork, collaboration, common purpose, and shared vision.

CIB is unique because of the people here and their determination to be what we are — a community bank. Being a community bank means local people, local decisions and local commitment. We have that here at Citizens.

President & CEO Brad Bakken.

What Guides Us.

At Citizens Independent Bank, our values shape how we serve our clients, support one another, and contribute to the communities we call home. They are at the heart of how we build trust, create meaningful relationships, and work together to make a difference.

Honesty & Integrity

Social Responsibility

Exceptional Client Experience

Teamwork & Collaboration

Connect

Understand your needs.

Propose

Find the best fit.

Deliver

Act, confirm, and share.

Follow-up

Committed to your success.

Our History

We've been part of the community a long time, supporting generations of Minnesotans as their lives change, families grow and businesses expand.

Citizens Independent Bank was chartered as Citizens State Bank on October 5, 1949. It opened for business at 5001 Excelsior Boulevard as St. Louis Park’s first bank in January 1950 and moved across the street to 5050 Excelsior Boulevard to gain more space in August 1973.

In December 1979, Citizens expanded, opening another office in the northeast section of St. Louis Park. Five months later, in May 1980, board chair emeritus Connie Bakken purchased Citizens Bank.

A medical technologist by profession, Connie was ready for a new challenge and chose banking at the suggestion of a friend. Knowing nothing about the profession, she embarked on a crash course, taking classes through the American Institute of Banking, St. Olaf College, and the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Under her direction, the bank has grown from $44 million in assets in 1980 to $300 million today.

In December 1982, Citizens looked beyond the city limits of St. Louis Park and purchased Guaranty State Bank of Robbinsdale. To reflect its broadening geographical scope and reaffirm its identity as an independent bank, Citizens State Bank of St. Louis Park became Citizens Independent Bank (CIB) in October 1991.

Connie's son, Brad Bakken, was elected president/CEO in July 1998. Under his leadership, the bank has continued to grow. As Citizens celebrated its 50th birthday, the bank extended its service to Hopkins with the opening of a fourth office in June 2000. A fifth location in Plymouth opened in July 2001.

In October 2004, CIB moved its headquarters off busy Excelsior Boulevard to a new building at 5000 West 36th Street. The new location offered easier access, greater client convenience and plenty of parking. With the new facility less than a mile from The Lakes office, CIB consolidated its two St. Louis Park locations and centralized all staff at its current location at 5000 West 36th Street.

Throughout its history, CIB has been deeply committed to its clients and the communities it serves. The bank actively participates in numerous local events, sponsors initiatives that better the community, and provides volunteer leadership for organizations such as the TwinWest Chamber of Commerce, Robbinsdale Chamber, various Rotary Clubs, and other business and community events.

That spirit carries forward today through the third generation of the Bakken family working at Citizens Independent Bank. With Daniel, Eric, and Dwight Bakken continuing the family’s involvement, the bank remains firmly rooted in the values it was built on—long‑term relationships, community commitment, and personal service. Their presence reflects what has always set Citizens Independent Bank apart: a family‑owned community bank shaped by generations and dedicated to serving the people and businesses that call the area home.

We provide personal banking, business banking, mortgage lending, and financial services to businesses and individuals across the western Twin Cities. Explore our local banking locations in Saint Louis Park, Robbinsdale, Hopkins, and Plymouth to find the branch most convenient for you.