Farmers National Banc Corp. (“Farmers”) (NASDAQ: FMNB), the
holding company for The Farmers National Bank of Canfield (“Farmers
Bank”), and Emclaire Financial Corp. (“Emclaire”) (NASDAQ: EMCF),
the holding company for The Farmers National Bank of Emlenton
(“Emlenton Bank”), jointly announced today that they have entered
into an agreement and plan of merger (the “Agreement”).
Pursuant to the Agreement, each shareholder of Emclaire may
elect to receive either $40.00 per share in cash or 2.15 shares of
Farmers’ common stock, subject to an overall limitation of 70% of
the shares being exchanged for Farmers’ shares and 30% for cash.
Based on Farmers’ closing share price of $17.02 on March 23, 2022,
the transaction is valued at approximately $105 million, or $37.62
per share. The merger is expected to qualify as a tax-free
reorganization for those shareholders electing to receive Farmers’
shares. The transaction is subject to receipt of Emclaire
shareholder approval and customary regulatory approvals and is
expected to close in the second half of 2022.
William C. Marsh, the current President and Chief Executive
Officer and Chairman of the Board of Emclaire and Emlenton Bank,
will join Farmers as Senior Vice President and as Market President,
Pennsylvania, after the merger. Furthermore, Farmers intends to
name one director from Emclaire’s board to join its Board of
Directors immediately after the merger and appoint the remaining
non-employee directors of Emclaire to a newly formed advisory board
for the Pennsylvania Region.
Kevin J. Helmick, President and CEO of Farmers, stated, “As we
continue to demonstrate Farmers successful track record for
executing on M&A, I am pleased to announce our largest
acquisition to date. This latest transaction will mark a
significant extension into the Pennsylvania markets, which has been
a long-time strategy for Farmers. The contiguous expansion will
also serve as Farmers’ entrance into the attractive Pittsburgh
market and allow us to deliver our robust wealth management and
mortgage services to the Emlenton footprint. This latest
acquisition will continue to integrate Farmers’ culture into new
communities and drive value for our stakeholders.”
Mr. Marsh stated, “We are excited to be joining with The Farmers
National Bank of Canfield and believe that the combination will
benefit our shareholders, customers and the communities we serve.
We are thrilled to be joining such a premier regional banking
franchise. We are excited about the new products and services that
will be available to our customers and the communities we serve. I
believe that this partnership will provide great value for the
entire Emclaire family.”
Upon consummation of the transaction, Emlenton Bank will be
merged with and into Farmers Bank, with Farmers Bank as the
surviving bank, and Emlenton Bank’s branches will become branches
of Farmers Bank. Upon closing, Farmers estimates it will have
approximately $5.2 billion in assets and 66 locations throughout
Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
As of December 31, 2021, Emclaire had $1.1 billion in total
assets, $72.4 million in tangible common equity, $790.9 million in
gross loans and $918.5 million in total deposits.
Serving Farmers in the transaction are Janney Montgomery Scott
LLC as financial advisor and Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP as
legal counsel. Serving Emclaire in the transaction are Raymond
James & Associates, Inc. as financial advisor and Silver,
Freedman, Taff & Tiernan LLP as legal counsel.
CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION
Farmers will host a conference call on March 24, 2022, at 11:00
AM ET, to discuss the acquisition of Emclaire. Participants can
join the call by dialing 877-407-4018, Conference ID: 13728180. The
conference call will also be broadcast simultaneously via webcast
on a listen-only basis. A link to today’s press release,
presentation, and webcast will be available at
ir.farmersbankgroup.com.
Replay of the conference call can be accessed through March 31,
2022 by dialing 844-512-2921 and Replay Pin Number: 13728180.
ABOUT FARMERS NATIONAL BANC CORP.
Founded in 1887, Farmers National Banc Corp. is a diversified
financial services company headquartered in Canfield, Ohio, with
$4.1 billion in banking assets. Farmers National Banc Corp.’s
wholly-owned subsidiaries are comprised of The Farmers National
Bank of Canfield, a full-service national bank engaged in
commercial and retail banking with 47 locations in Mahoning,
Trumbull, Columbiana, Stark, Summit, Portage, Wayne, Medina, Geauga
and Cuyahoga Counties in Ohio and Beaver County in Pennsylvania;
Farmers Trust Company, which operates five trust offices and offers
services in the same geographic markets and Farmers National
Insurance, LLC. Total wealth management assets under care at
December 31, 2021 were $3.1 billion.
ABOUT EMCLAIRE FINANCIAL CORP.
Emclaire Financial Corp. is the parent company of the Farmers
National Bank of Emlenton, a nationally chartered, FDIC-insured
community commercial bank headquartered in Emlenton, Pennsylvania,
operating 19 full service offices in Venango, Allegheny, Butler,
Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Jefferson and Mercer Counties,
Pennsylvania. Emclaire’s common stock is quoted on and traded
through NASDAQ under the symbol “EMCF”. For more information visit
Emclaire’s web site at www.emclairefinancial.com.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. These statements are not historical facts, but rather
statements based on Farmers’ and Emclaire’s current expectations
regarding its business strategies and its intended results and
future performance. Forward-looking statements are preceded by
terms such as “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “intends” and
similar expressions, as well as any statements related to future
expectations of performance or conditional verbs, such as “will,”
“would,” “should,” “could” or “may.”
Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future
performance and actual future results could differ materially from
those contained in forward-looking information. Because
forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject
to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that
are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of Farmers’
and Emclaire’s control. Numerous uncertainties, risks, and changes
could cause or contribute to Farmers’ or Emclaire’s actual results,
performance, and achievements to be materially different from those
expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors
that may cause or contribute to these differences include, without
limitation, the possibility that the closing of the proposed
transaction is delayed or does not occur at all because required
regulatory approvals, shareholder approval or other conditions to
the transaction are not obtained or satisfied on a timely basis or
at all; the possibility that the anticipated benefits of the
transaction are not realized when expected or at all; Farmers’ and
Emclaire’s failure to integrate Emclaire and Emlenton Bank with
Farmers and Farmers Bank in accordance with expectations;
deviations from performance expectations related to Emclaire and
Emlenton Bank; diversion of management’s attention on the proposed
transaction; general economic conditions in markets where Farmers
and Emclaire conduct business, which could materially impact credit
quality trends; effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the local,
national, and international economy, Farmers’ or Emclaire’s
organization and employees, and Farmers’ and Emclaire’s customers
and suppliers and their business operations and financial
condition; disruptions in the mortgage and lending markets and
significant or unexpected fluctuations in interest rates related to
COVID-19 and governmental responses, including financial stimulus
packages; general business conditions in the banking industry; the
regulatory environment; general fluctuations in interest rates;
demand for loans in the market areas where Farmers and Emclaire
conduct business; rapidly changing technology and evolving banking
industry standards; competitive factors, including increased
competition with regional and national financial institutions; and
new service and product offerings by competitors and price
pressures; and other factors disclosed periodically in Farmers’ and
Emclaire’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
“SEC”).
Because of the risks and uncertainties inherent in
forward-looking statements, readers are cautioned not to place
undue reliance on them, whether included in this release or made
elsewhere from time to time by Farmers, Emclaire or on Farmers’ or
Emclaire’s behalf, respectively. Forward-looking statements speak
only as of the date made, and neither Farmers nor Emclaire assumes
any duty and does not undertake to update forward-looking
statements.
Farmers and Emclaire provide further detail regarding these
risks and uncertainties in their respective latest Annual Reports
on Form 10-K, including in the risk factors section of Farmers’
latest Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as in subsequent SEC
filings, available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
OTHER INFORMATION
In connection with the proposed merger, Farmers will file with
the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 that will include a
proxy statement of Emclaire and a prospectus of Farmers, as well as
other relevant documents concerning the proposed transaction.
SHAREHOLDERS OF EMCLAIRE AND OTHER INVESTORS ARE URGED TO
CAREFULLY READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND PROSPECTUS TO BE INCLUDED IN
THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-4, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT FARMERS, EMCLAIRE, THE PROPOSED MERGER,
THE PERSONS SOLICITING PROXIES WITH RESPECT TO THE PROPOSED MERGER,
AND THEIR INTERESTS IN THE PROPOSED MERGER AND RELATED MATTERS.
The respective directors and executive officers of Farmers and
Emclaire and other persons may be deemed to be participants in the
solicitation of proxies from Emclaire shareholders with respect to
the proposed merger. Information regarding the directors of Farmers
is available in its proxy statement filed with the SEC on March 17,
2022 in connection with its 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and
information regarding the executive officers of Farmers is
available in its Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 9, 2022.
Information regarding the directors and executive officers of
Emclaire is available in its Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March
16, 2022 and other documents filed by Emclaire with the SEC. Other
information regarding the participants in the solicitation and a
description of their direct and indirect interests, by security
holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the proxy statement and
prospectus to be included in the Registration Statement on Form S-4
and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they
become available.
Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free
copies of the registration statement (when available) and other
documents filed with the SEC by Farmers through the website
maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the
documents filed with the SEC by Farmers will be available free of
charge on Farmers’ website at https://www.farmersbankgroup.com or
may be obtained from Farmers by written request to Farmers National
Banc Corp., 20 South Broad Street, Canfield, Ohio 44406, Attention:
Investor Relations. Copies of the documents filed or to be filed
with the SEC by Emclaire may be obtained without charge from
Emclaire by written request to Emclaire Financial Corp., 612 Main
Street, Emlenton, Pennsylvania 16373, Attention: Jennifer A.
Poulsen, Secretary.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220323006009/en/
Amber Wallace Executive Vice President, Chief Retail/Marketing
Officer 330-720-6441 awallace@farmersbankgroup.com
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