On February 25, Denver, Colorado-based FirstSun Capital Bancorp and Irving-based First Foundation Inc. jointly announced that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has approved the merger of their respective bank subsidiaries, Dallas-based Sunflower Bank NA and Irvine, California-based First Foundation Bank, with Sunflower Bank NA continuing as the surviving bank.
Completion of the merger of First Foundation with and into FirstSun remains subject to receipt of regulatory approval from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, approval by the stockholders of FirstSun and First Foundation at their respective stockholder meetings to be held on February 27 and the satisfaction or waiver of other closing conditions. The merger is currently expected to be completed early in the second quarter of 2026.
Sunflower Bank operates branches in seven states and has mortgage capabilities in 44 states. FirstSun Capital Bancorp had total consolidated assets of $8.5 billion as of December 31, 2025. First Foundation Bank has offices in California, Nevada, Florida, Texas and Hawaii.
Mollie Hale Carter, executive chair of FirstSun Capital Bancorp; Neal Arnold, CEO, president and director of FirstSun Capital Bancorp; and Rob Cafera, CFO of FirstSun Capital Bancorp, will each retain their current roles at the combined company. Tom Shafer, who currently serves as CEO of First Foundation Inc., will serve as vice chairman of the combined company. Five current First Foundation directors will be invited to join the combined company’s board of directors following the closing.
“Both organizations have a strong presence in large, vibrant markets, including the highly attractive Southern California region, which remains a key focus for our ongoing growth strategy,” Hale Carter says. “Together, FirstSun and First Foundation will form a premier regional bank with a powerful footprint across some of the most dynamic markets in the country.”
“We are particularly excited to accelerate the business plan of First Foundation Advisors, our private wealth management platform,” Shafer notes.
