Sunset Bank

In August of 1999, just as the furor over the impending Y2K bug was at a fever pitch and in the face of stiff competition, Bob Eastman opened a new bank on Waukesha’s bustling south side.

The challenge of starting a new bank in Waukesha attracted Eastman back in 1997. As a former employee of a “mega-bank”, Eastman had first-hand knowledge of how the big banks worked…or didn’t. He began to ask people he knew what they liked and disliked about their current banks.

A few were pleased but the vast majority complained about problems with service. They complained about the changing faces, the long lines. They complained about excessive fees and unusual charges. Eastman had known these complaints existed but not to what extent. When he started to tell people of his plans to open a new bank in Waukesha, response was overwhelming.