DUBUQUE, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Heartland Financial USA, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTLF) announced today that it will merge and rename its Riverside Community Bank and Galena State Bank and Trust subsidiaries as “Illinois Bank & Trust.” The new name will unite both entities and serve clients under a common brand, fostering opportunities to expand the bank’s presence in the state. The new name will be implemented in November for the Riverside locations and in January 2015 for the Galena locations.
Currently, Riverside Community Bank serves the Rockford, IL market from four locations with additional offices in Sterling, Seaton and Rock Falls, IL. Galena State Bank has two locations in Galena, IL with additional offices in Elizabeth and Stockton. The combined Illinois Bank & Trust will serve northwestern and west central Illinois from 11 locations with assets of more than $800 million.
Lynn B. Fuller, Heartland’s Chairman, President and CEO said, “As the banking industry has experienced continued consolidation, it has been Heartland’s goal to operate one bank charter per state to better serve our customers and expand into new market areas. As a result of our banks’ successful growth in Illinois, we are in a position to expand our footprint in the state. Though the name is new, our business practices and principles will remain the same. Our attributes of financial strength and value-added services, combined with our expansion and long heritage in the State of Illinois, all lead to this change.”
“Our customers will continue to count on the same employees they know and trust, the same solid community support, superior face-to-face personal service, and competitive financial products,” added Fuller.
Customers in each of the bank’s markets will be notified of the change in coming days,” said Fuller. “One major change customers will see is the bank’s new name and logo on buildings, our website and statements. We anticipate the transition to be complete in the first quarter of 2015.”
“We believe our clients will find the new name reflects a solid and time-tested community banking organization that serves consumer, small business, commercial and wealth management markets. We will continue to provide services that compete head-to-head with our competitors — while offering our traditional personal service that customers value in community banking,” concluded Fuller.
About Heartland Financial USA, Inc.
Heartland Financial USA, Inc. is a $5.9 billion diversified financial services company providing banking, mortgage, wealth management, investment, insurance and consumer finance services to individuals and businesses. Heartland currently has 77 banking locations in 57 communities in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, Colorado, Minnesota, Kansas and Missouri and loan production offices in California, Nevada, Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington and Nebraska. Additional information about Heartland Financial USA, Inc. is available at www.htlf.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This release, and future oral and written statements of Heartland and its management, may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 about Heartland’s financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business. Although these forward-looking statements are based upon the beliefs, expectations and assumptions of Heartland’s management, there are a number of factors, many of which are beyond the ability of management to control or predict, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in its forward-looking statements. These factors, which are detailed in the risk factors included in Heartland’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, include, among others: (i) the strength of the local and national economy; (ii) the economic impact of past and any future terrorist threats and attacks and any acts of war, (iii) changes in state and federal laws, regulations and governmental policies concerning the Company’s general business; (iv) changes in interest rates and prepayment rates of the Company’s assets; (v) increased competition in the financial services sector and the inability to attract new customers; (vi) changes in technology and the ability to develop and maintain secure and reliable electronic systems; (vii) the loss of key executives or employees; (viii) changes in consumer spending; (ix) unexpected results of acquisitions; (x) unexpected outcomes of existing or new litigation involving the Company; and (xi) changes in accounting policies and practices. All statements in this release, including forward-looking statements, speak only as of the date they are made, and Heartland undertakes no obligation to update any statement in light of new information or future events.
