WBA launches statewide health plan
Prompted by rising health insurance costs, the Wisconsin Bankers Association will launch one of the first statewide association health plans in Wisconsin. [Continue]
Bank of the Pacific closes two offices
Aberdeen, Wash.-based Bank of the Pacific is closing one office each in Washington and Oregon, citing low foot traffic and lack of market penetration. [Continue]
Blackhawk buys Illinois bank
Wisconsin’s Blackhawk Bancorp will acquire First McHenry Corporation, parent company of First National Bank of McHenry, Ill., for $23 million. [Continue]
Byline signs deal for Oak Park bank
Chicago’s Byline Bancorp has inked a deal to acquire Oak Park River Forest Bankshares, Inc., Oak Park, Ill., in a cash and stock transaction worth $42 million. [Continue]
Nebraska banker, Indiana professor receive top ABA ag awards
Fred Bruning, CEO of Bruning State Bank, Bruning, Neb., will receive the Bruning Award at the American Bankers Association’s ag conference next month. Purdue University ag economics Professor Emeritus Freddie Barnard will receive the Blanchfield Award at the meeting as well. [Continue]
ChoiceOne opens new Grand Rapids office
Michigan’s ChoiceOne Financial held a ribbon-cutting celebrating the opening of its newest office in Grand Rapids, Mich, this month. Its expanded physical presence is paired with a commitment to technological innovation to best serve its customers. [Continue]
First Interstate announces pair of Idaho acquisitions
First Interstate BancSystem, Inc., is strengthening its presence in Idaho through a pair of separate acquisitions worth more than $200 million: Idaho Independent Bank and Community 1st Bank. [Continue]
First Merchants, MBT will merge
Indiana’s First Merchants Corporation has inked a deal to acquire Michigan’s MBT Financial Corporation in an all-stock transaction worth about $291 million. [Continue]
Oregon Pacific, Summit expand as others contract
At a time when most banks are looking closely at retrenching their branch networks, a pair of Oregon-chartered community banks have done the opposite. [Continue]
Huntington closes branches in Ohio, Michigan
Ohio’s Huntington Bank will close more than 70 branches in a footprint consolidation, mostly in Michigan and Ohio. [Continue]