Customers of First Midwest Bank in Butler, Ripley and Carter counties might notice a few changes when they head to the bank next week.
First Midwest Bank of Poplar Bluff and First Midwest Bank of the Ozarks will be merging this weekend and will be united as one bank when next week begins. First Midwest Bank of Poplar Bluff has its main office in Poplar Bluff and other community branches in Puxico and Columbia, while First Midwest Bank of the Ozarks has its main office in Piedmont and branches in Van Buren, Greenville and Williamsville.
“Combining these two banks will make it much easier for all of the customers of these two banks to do business while in any of these communities, while also providing efficiencies for the overall operations,” said Joey McLane, president of First Midwest Bank of Poplar Bluff. “The merger is set to occur over the weekend of Dec. 3. On Monday morning, Dec. 6, we will open as one combined bank.”
While bank mergers can often bring major changes to their customers, customers shouldn’t expect too many changes as the two sister banks become one.
“Since the two banks are already sister banks — and extremely similar in operations and products — changes to the customers will be very minimal,” McLane said. “The Poplar Bluff bank will technically be the ‘surviving bank’ after the merger. However, we have chosen to use the name of ‘First Midwest Bank of the Ozarks’ in the future (for the merged bank). This may add a bit of confusion in the beginning, but we felt the new name is more appropriate for all of the related communities in the long run.”
McLane said the merger will bring benefits for customers of both banks.
“The most obvious benefit is that, for example, a customer from Poplar Bluff will be able to enter our facility in, say, Van Buren, and more seamlessly conduct business with their account,” McLane said. “The merger will also make it quicker and easier for us to roll out new products and services, without so much duplication of efforts.”