American Savings Bank Logo PNG
Behind the American Savings Bank logo is a Hawaiian bank involved in island residents’ everyday lives. Home purchases, family savings, and financing for local businesses connect the brand to life across the islands beyond the tourist postcards.
American Savings Bank traces its history to September 7, 1922, when four people in Utah filed papers to create a mutual savings institution. On April 24, 1923, the American Building and Loan Company was registered, and on January 8, 1925, authorities approved the first branch in Honolulu. The bank treats 1925 as its founding year.
On February 4, 1932, Mutual Savings and Loan merged with American Building and Loan, forming American Mutual Savings and Loan. In 1942, the name was changed to American Savings and Loan Association. By 1958, it had five offices, and then expanded to Oahu in the 1960s. Kauai Savings and Loan joined in 1971, Maui Savings & Loan followed in 1974, and Pacific Savings and Loan Association of Hawaii was acquired in 1977.
On January 23, 1987, the institution became American Savings Bank under a federal charter. During the savings-and-loan crisis, pressure mounted on its parent company in Salt Lake City. On May 26, 1988, Hawaiian Electric Industries bought the Hawaii branches for $113 million, funding part of the deal through a 2.5 million share offering in the US, Europe, and Japan.
In 1990, American Savings Bank acquired Nationwide Savings Bank’s Hawaii branches. On December 6, 1997, it completed the purchase of Bank of America’s Hawaii unit, reaching 68 branches and $5.5 billion in assets. HEI considered a spin-off in 2014, but after the 2023 Maui fires, it sold 90.1% of the bank to independent investors for $405 million on December 31, 2024.
Meaning and History
What is American Savings Bank?
One of Hawaii’s largest local banks, it provides financial services tailored to island residents and local businesses. The bank offers asset management, insurance, home loans, and personal and commercial banking products. With a deep understanding of Hawaii’s economy, the bank supports key sectors such as tourism, agriculture, and technology. It emphasizes small business loans and homeownership assistance, making it an important financial partner for state residents. The bank actively supports the community, serving as a major employer and participant in charitable initiatives.
1925 – today
American Savings Bank’s history in Hawaii began in 1925, when American Building & Loan Co. opened a branch in Honolulu. The bank adopted its current name in 1987, when the Hawaiian operations of American Savings and Loan Association became a separate organization. The name “American” comes from its predecessor, while “Savings Bank” reflects the institution’s focus on savings. The bank also uses the abbreviation ASB. It serves Hawaii’s residents and businesses, and its emblem reflects that connection to the islands.
The emblem features a kalo leaf, known outside Hawaii as taro. Early voyagers brought the plant to the islands, where poi, a food made from it, became part of family meals. In Hawaiian culture, kalo is considered sacred and is associated with food, life, growth, and unity. American Savings Bank uses the plant to express its ties to local communities. For the bank, the interwoven roots of cultivated kalo represent island residents’ interdependence and care for one another.
The history of the bank’s campus site adds another layer of meaning to the emblem. Irrigated taro fields once occupied the land near Nuʻuanu Stream. In explaining its kalo symbolism, the bank connects the fields that once fed residents to its support for local communities’ well-being.
The logo places a light green leaf against a dark blue square. The leaf sits diagonally, with its tip pointing toward the upper right corner. A notch at the base interrupts its smooth outer contour, following the natural shape of a kalo leaf. White, tapered rays of varying lengths radiate through the interior. Their arrangement resembles a star, though the bank’s registration documents describe them as leaf veins. Solid areas of green, blue, and white create a flat image.
To the right of the square emblem, the name appears in two horizontal lines. The large word AMERICAN is set in uppercase sans-serif lettering. Below it, Savings Bank appears in smaller type, with a capital “S” and “B.” The right edge of the lower line aligns with the end of the upper line. The lettering combines straight strokes with rounded curves and open interior spaces. Its dark blue color matches the square’s background, visually uniting the logo’s two parts.
After a late-2024 ownership change, American Savings Bank announced it would keep its existing name and brand.