After 40 years of expanding its operations on the Western Slope, Alpine Bank has announced plans to extend those operations to the Front Range.

Alpine Bank expects to open its first Front Range location in the third quarter of this year in the lower downtown area of Denver.

Norm Franke takes over regional president of the new Front Range division after working in Mesa County for 22 years. Franke helped open the first Alpine Bank location in the county in 1991.

Clay Tufly, president of the Alpine Bank location in downtown Grand Junction for eight years, will succeed Franke as Mesa County regional president.

Tufly has worked for Alpine Bank for 23 years and managed many locations during that time. A native of Grand Junction, Tufly holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from what is now Colorado Mesa University.

Headquartered in Glenwood Springs, Alpine Bank celebrates its 40th year in business this year. Alpine Bank opened its first location in Carbondale in 1973. Today, the bank operates 36 locations and employs 500 people in Western Colorado in serving more than 130,000 customers.

Franke wasn’t immediately available to discuss the details of the expansion plans or new Denver location.