Nebraska community banks merge amidst growth.First Nebraska Bank, Valley, has acquired the $60 million Heartland Community Bank in Bennet, Neb. The combined bank will have 11 branches and $250 million in assets. The merger was several months in the making. First Nebraska President Clark Lehr said Heartland's owners have been living outside of Nebraska for years, were retiring, and decided to hand over the reigns to another Nebraska bank.."Both banks operate in smaller communities, and have a lot of similarities," Lehr said. "Our portfolios look very similar and blend well. Plus there was no geographic overlap between branches. We were looking to expand our footprint, and this gave us four new communities to serve.".Both banks focus primarily on commercial and ag lending. Lehr said his Nebraska market has grown in the last several years while many markets in the country flounder.."Some people could be envious of Nebraska right now, not that we haven't known problems; the 1980s were very brutal, for instance," Lehr said. "But the last several years have actually been pretty good for us. We've seen the commercial side grow a little bit more than the ag side, but we're coming off of three or four of the best ag seasons ever in the region. In a lot of these small towns ag is everything, so when that's up, everything else is up as well.".Lehr, who is the chairman of the Nebraska Bankers Association, said the message he conveys to lawmakers is that sustained growth, like what has occurred in Nebraska, hinges on the impact of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2012. "The financial overhaul has been at the center of [the NBA's] effort," Lehr said. "Bankers aren't scared of regulation. We just want regulation that is balanced and fair, and we think Dodd-Frank went overboard.".Iowa holding company buys and rebrands.Heartland Financial USA, Inc., Dubuque, Iowa, spent the summer completing two acquisitions and rebranding its Wisconsin banks..Previously, the $4 billion Heartland's Madison and Monroe-area banks operated under the Wisconsin Community Bank brand, while branches in Green Bay and Sheboygan operated as Heartland Business Bank. All these offices will now operate under the name Wisconsin Bank & Trust. The new name will foster opportunities to expand the bank's presence in the state, said Tom Wilkinson, president of Heartland's Wisconsin-chartered banks.."Our business approach and company remain completely unchanged," Wilkinson said. "Financial strength and a long heritage in Wisconsin make this change possible. The only change customers will see is the bank's new name and logo on buildings, our website and statements. Our goal is to provide services that compete head-to-head with big banks — while offering the traditional personal service.".The rebranding was announced prior to Heartland's acquisition of First National Bank of Platteville, Wis. The $130 million First National operated branches in Lancaster and Hazel Green, Wis..According to the agreement, Heartland will acquire First National for $11 million and all of its branches will be merged into Heartland's new Wisconsin Bank & Trust subsidiary.."First National Bank is an excellent fit, and its locations match our desire to fill in attractive areas," said Lynn B. Fuller, president of Heartland. "We are attracted to Platteville as an education center with the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and as a medical center with Southwest Health Center headquartered there. Both are major employers and vital economic engines.".The Platteville market also hosts a robust agricultural sector, Fuller said. Heartland also broadened its footprint in other states this summer after buying three Liberty Bank branches located in Dubuque, Iowa and East Dubuque, Ill. Heartland combined the acquired branches into its Dubuque Bank and Trust Company subsidiary..Deposits in the three branch locations totaled $55 million. Approximately $10 million in loans were also acquired as part of the agreement..Amidst this burst of summer activity, Heartland released second quarter results that revealed the bank beat its earning record with an income of $14 million, a 37 percent increase over last year's second quarter. Heartland's mid-year income of $26.8 million was nearly double its earnings in the first half of 2011..North Dakota bank goes high-tech in Arizona.Western State Bank, Devil's Lake, N.D., has moved into a new high-tech bank location in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler, Ariz..The bank features "concierge" style banking that focuses on customer service. Bank employees and customers complete transactions while standing next to each other, eliminating the typical barriers of a teller line. Routine transaction time will be cut almost in half due to automated cash handling technology installed at each station. "The style of banking fits well," said Andy Strand, Western State Bank's regional president in Arizona.."Customers will notice a difference."Western State entered the Arizona market in 2007 and has grown its Chandler bank to $80 million. The $500 million bank also opened a location in Casa Grande, Ariz., around the same time it cut the ribbon on its new Chandler office. The branch was purchased from National Bank of Arizona. Casa Grande is 30 miles south of Chandler, and together the pair of branches creates a strong foothold in the market area, Strand said.
