A Heritage of Boutique Mortgage Lending
Creating Possibility for Homeownership
At Sunflower Bank, we recognize that buying a home is one of the most significant investments you will make. We’re dedicated to providing a high-quality home loan experience and helping individuals and families realize their dreams of homeownership.
Sunflower Bank has a long history of offering home loans, and from 2017-2025 we did so under the Guardian Mortgage brand. While we have now reincorporated the operations under the Sunflower Bank name, we continue to provide top-tier mortgage services, blending the personalized service of a boutique lender with the resources of a well-capitalized bank to provide customers with the depth and relationship focus they deserve.
While our brand has evolved, the legacy of Guardian Mortgage remains central to our customers and our teams.
A Better Choice for Homebuyers
Guardian Mortgage was founded in 1965 in Grand Blanc, Michigan by a homebuilder committed to integrity, superior service, and mutual trust. Seeing a need for better customer care in the mortgage industry, he created a company where employees followed the Golden Rule, offered tailored loan advice, and guided homebuyers through every step of the process.
Over the years, Guardian Mortgage grew to include a well-established presence in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas. In 2014, Strategic Growth Bancorp (SGB) acquired Guardian Mortgage, making it a key part of its offerings. By 2015, Guardian was the exclusive mortgage provider for all SGB banks while still growing its locations outside the bank footprint. When SGB merged with Sunflower Bank in 2017, Sunflower Bank kept the Guardian Mortgage brand for the mortgage division to honor its long history and strong market presence. In the years that followed, the bank’s mortgage lending locations continued to expand nationally, including in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. By 2020, Sunflower Bank had grown the Guardian Mortgage footprint to 43 states.
Our History
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A Customer-Centered Mortgage Lending Approach
By making significant investments in mortgage lending teams, technology and services, Sunflower Bank retains the founding principles of Guardian Mortgage and expanded its reach. This combination allows us to lead the industry in on-time closings while offering competitive rates and superior mortgage servicing.
As a financially stable, community-oriented bank, Sunflower Bank creates comprehensive loan options tailored to fit customers’ unique needs and with the flexibility to assist customers in their own neighborhoods or across the country.
Sunflower Bank also carries on the original Guardian Mortgage emphasis on retaining servicing for most loans we originate. That means, unlike with many lenders, customers’ mortgage relationships stay with us and are not passed on to other institutions.
In 2025, in recognition of the strength created by the capabilities and resources of the combined organization, we brought our mortgage services under the Sunflower Bank name. This positions Sunflower Bank to deliver even greater solutions to our clients, serving our markets with the excellence and innovation that define us.
Looking Ahead
No matter the ups or downs of the housing market, Sunflower Bank is committed to helping families in our communities attain affordable housing. As we look toward the future, we continue to honor and focus on our customer-first roots by building strong relationships and serving our customers with honesty and integrity throughout their home-buying journey.