Sunflower Bank, one of central Kansas’ largest banks, will have a branch in Lawrence by July, company officials announced Wednesday.

The Salina-based bank, which has assets of nearly $1 billion and operates in 16 cities primarily across central and western Kansas, finalized plans for a Lawrence branch at the southeast corner of Wakarusa Drive and Quail Crest Place.

Glynn Sheridan, a former Lawrence executive with US Bank, will serve as president of the branch, which is expected to employ eight to 10 people.

Sheridan said the bank had been exploring an expansion into northeast Kansas for the past two years.

“I think the number one reason we’ve decided to be here is because the growth in Kansas really is happening in this part of the state,” Sheridan said.

“We kind of see Lawrence as the epic center for that growth.”

Sheridan said the Wakarusa branch likely “would be the first of several” locations the company would open in Lawrence in the next three to five years. Company officials also said they’re contemplating expansions into Topeka and the Kansas City metro area.

The bank owns a majority interest in a Salina-based insurance agency called Insurors and Investors, which means the Lawrence branch also will serve as a full-service insurance office, Sheridan said.

Sunflower Bank is entirely owned by the children of H.D. and Joyce Hale of Salina.

The family was involved in establishing the Hale Achievement Center and the Hale Music Media Center at Kansas University.

The bank, through required federal filings, first revealed plans to locate in Lawrence in October, but company officials would not comment on the new branch until Wednesday.

Sunflower Bank has plans to open a branch bank in Lawrence at Wakarusa Drive and Quail Crest Place. The bank released a rendering of the building on Wednesday.