Bank of the West is now BMO (Bank of Montreal)

"Bank of the West - We've Joined BMO" sign at the E Lincolnway branch - Optopolis

If you've previously passed by either of Cheyenne's Bank of the West locations prior to September, you may have noticed the signage indicating that "Bank of the West has joined BMO," or if you've gone by more recently, you may have noticed Bank of the West's signage has been completely removed. That's because Bank of Montreal (BMO) has acquired Bank of the West.

A touch of history

Bank of the West previously had two locations in Cheyenne. One was located on Dell Range Blvd-the property assessor noting a build date of 1984, and the other one was located on E Lincolnway, the assessor noting a build date of 2001.

Bank of the West/bear logo branding seen on the E Lincolnway location in 2018 - Google Maps Street View

Both buildings had been occupied by Bank of the West since at least 2007. Many will remember the bear logo displayed next to a classic-looking font displaying "Bank of the West."

Sometime between mid-2018 and mid-2019, both locations were rebranded to "Bank of the West / BNP Paribas." This change removed the bear logo from both buildings.

Bank of the West/BNP Paribus signage seen on the E Lincolnway location just before rebranding to BMO - Optopolis

BMO Acquires Bank of the West

Back in February 2023, BMO announced that it had completed the acquisition of Bank of the West from BNP Paribas. They mentioned that in early September 2023, the bank systems would be converted.

By July, signage was going up at various Bank of the West locations including the two Cheyenne locations indicating that "Bank of the West...joined BMO."

"Bank of the West - We've Joined BMO" signage seen on the Dell Range branch's standalone sign - Optopolis

On September 2nd (part of Labor Day Weekend), all branches including the Cheyenne locations would be temporarily closed. BMO's website indicates that the locations would reopen on September 5th as BMO. One can find more info about the transition on this page on BMO's website.

BMO removes Bank of the West's branding

Sometime over the last two weeks, temporary signage on the two Cheyenne branches was taken down, revealing the anticipated name change to just "BMO." As fully anticipated here at Optopolis upon seeing some of the signage lit at night, all of the signage that advertised Bank of the West would be changed or removed, such that only BMO would be displayed.

New BMO signage displayed on the Dell Range Blvd location - Optopolis

Visiting BankOfTheWest.com now redirects people to BMO's website. According to the transition page on BMO's website, all the phases of the transition from Bank of the West to BMO have been completed.

What are your thoughts of BMO acquiring Bank of the West? Do you think BMO will be able to offer better or worse service than that which Bank of the West provided?

Location: Cheyenne, WY, USA

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