UFS Acquires Safe Systems, Empowering Bankers Nationwide With Powerful, Industry-Leading Solutions & Expertise

Grafton, Wis., August 12, 2024 – UFS, a leading technology outfitter for community banks, announced it has acquired Safe Systems, a provider of fully-compliant IT and security services for approximately 260 financial institutions.

This acquisition marks a pivotal step toward fulfilling UFS’ purpose of empowering community banks across the United States to thrive through exceptional industry expertise and customer experience, and through a best-of-breed comprehensive portfolio that includes core banking applications, cybersecurity as a service, managed IT services, private cloud, vulnerability management, advisory services, and hardware and infrastructure support services. The Safe Systems community will now have access to the full array of UFS purpose-built solutions, and UFS customers will have access to Safe Systems’ award-winning IT, compliance and security services built exclusively for community banks and credit unions.

The combined organizations will now serve nearly 400 financial institutions, inspiring confidence for a vision of empowering more community banks with purpose-built solutions where bankers are free to be bankers. This vision represents significant growth, which means more communities across the U.S. will benefit from having empowered bankers.

"At Farmers and Merchants Bank, we’ve been collaborating with Safe Systems on various security and compliance services since 2017,” stated Tyler Morgan, Chief Information Officer. “We recently transitioned to UFS for CORE and Managed services because we were seeking the same level of service and support Safe Systems had provided on the security and compliance side. I was thrilled to learn that these organizations are combining operations because this represents a net win for the community banking sector. We are impressed with both companies' dedication to exceptional customer service and purpose-built solutions for the community banking industry."

“The team at Safe Systems has served hundreds of our members for more than three decades with their top-quality security and information technology services,” said Tripp Cofield, President and CEO of Georgia Bankers Association. “Their focus on compliance has been especially helpful to bankers preparing for regulatory exams. Also, team members have generously shared their expertise by speaking at GBA events and teaching at our schools. As a testament to their standing among their peers, their CEO was elected by his fellow GBA Associate Members to serve a term on the GBA Board of Directors. We look forward to continuing to work with our friends at Safe Systems as well as the expanded team at UFS as they bring valuable new services to our members.”

"UFS’ acquisition of Safe Systems is a game-changer for community banks across the country,” said Dave Mayo, Founder of Bankers Helping Bankers and CEO and Founder of FedFis. “This is a strategic move that will both elevate and broaden the quality of solutions and services available. Talk about perfect timing, this enables Bankers to better serve their customers. By combining their expertise and resources, these two companies are positioned to deliver unmatched support to the industry.”

“I am immensely proud of what our team has built over the last three decades and the positive impact we’ve made on our industry,” said Darren Bridges President of Safe Systems. “UFS has an exceptional reputation and shares our vision for supporting our customers through a consultative and relationship-first approach. I look forward to an even brighter and successful future ahead for the Safe Systems and UFS communities and am confident that our combined strengths will be of tremendous value to community banks and credit unions.”

High levels of customer service, expertise in the financial industry and experienced, dedicated IT, security and compliance resources are among the factors that differentiate Safe Systems. The company believes every financial institution, regardless of size, should be able to leverage the best technology, compliance and security solutions to serve the financial needs of their community. 

“Safe Systems has a long-standing reputation for service excellence and remains a trusted leader of compliance-centric IT services exclusively for community financial institutions,” said Eric Jones, UFS President. “We share a people-centric culture and have striking similarities in values and customer intimacy. We are combining our strengths to provide even better service and a broader suite of solutions to our community. When bankers are free from technology, security and compliance worries, they are free to do what they do best – care for their customers.” 

“For the past decade of our thirty-three-year history, UFS has been strategically reinventing our business to become the technology outfitter for community banks,” said Mike Tenpas, UFS Board Chairman and CEO. “This investment in Safe Systems doubles down on our commitment to see that vision through, and our significant growth has demonstrated that bankers have found value in our purpose. Community banks deserve partners who can deliver solutions that empower them to succeed, and we are excited to bring the best of these two organizations together with this investment and do just that.” 

Eric Jones adds, “We are inspired by what Darren and his team have built and look forward to continuing that mission. Together, we will deliver a combined set of products and services to the market, all with the aspiration to empower more community financial institutions to passionately serve their customers.”

To download the press release pdf, click here.