FFB&T Newsroom

Naomi Gross Celebrate 35 Years in Banking!

    Naomi Gross, from our Galveston branch is celebrating 35 years in banking! This is such a great accomplishment! So here is a little bit about Naomi to show just how superb she really is.

    Naomi started banking in 1977 in the bookkeeping department at First National Bank in Logansport. In 1993, she came to Galveston as a teller, when the Galveston branch had become First National Bank. From 1998 to the present, she has been an employee of First Farmers Bank and Trust, where she excels in her position as an ISR. Her gracious and helpful spirit reaches her customers and co-workers alike. First Farmers Bank and Trust is so blessed to have such a friendly, kind, and hard working employee. Congratulations Naomi on 35 wonderful years in banking! Don't forget to congratulate her if you visit our Galveston branch.

Get to Know More about Gene Miles on his Birthday!

Today, the community of First Farmers Bank and Trust would like to wish our President, Gene Miles, a very happy birthday!

            

Gene, the President and Chief Executive Officer of First Farmers Bank and Trust, is a very valuable member of our bank. Gene was a graduate of Purdue University and has been involved in banking for over 30 years. His experience in banking along with his background in agriculture has helped him in leading the bank to the successful position that it is in today. Gene has served in many positions within banking, these would include: 

•   Commercial Loan Officer, 
•  Compliance Officer
• Investment Officer
• Marketing Officer
• Accounting Officer.

This was all before taking his current position of President and CEO of First Farmers, where he oversees the general management of the company as well as managing stockholder and director relations.

Gene is so much more than just an extremely knowledgeable and successful President and CEO of the bank. Hewas raised, like many other farmers, helping on his family's grain operation producingcorn and soybeans, and raising livestock. He and his wife Cheryl are currently residing in Greentown, Indiana where they have raised three children. Gene enjoys his involvement with philanthropic organizations including the Community Foundation of Miami County and Saint Joseph Hospital Board of Directors. Gene loves tennis and really enjoys watching his daughter participate in collegiate tennis. He is very active in the lives of every employee that works at this bank as well.

Gene is more than just the President and CEO of the bank, he a friendly and caring reminder of what First Farmers is really about, state of the art banking, with oldfashioned customer service!

 

 

Annual Ag Client Seminar Achieves Increased Attendance, Focus, and Scope

The 17th Annual FFBT Agricultural Client Seminar was hosted at the Roseburg Event Center on February 22nd and over 180 industry representatives attended the event. The seminar has gradually evolved since its inception and the positive response from attendees recently reflects a sustained interest in unique industry perspectives offered by the high profile speakers.  The general theme of the presentation focused on productivity, sustainability, and the importance of the transparency of sound agricultural practices. All speakers echoed that concerted efforts need to continue to better educate a public that is now far removed from food production on important standards maintained in both livestock production and environmental sustainability. As stewards of the industry, farmers are taking an active role in sharing their views on how to best manage sustained productivity while maintaining effective soil and water practices. 

Ken Perkins again reflected on his continuing efforts in Laos and the importance of farmers to focus on managed productivity growth through sound practices against the back drop of feeding a growing third world population.  Hugues Rinfret, Director of Research at MetLife Agricultural Investments, discussed general economic trending of the industry and market impact expectations. Jason Tucker, Strategic Officer at John Deere, offered updates on the technological advancement in farm equipment as it pertains to communication and monitoring and also spoke about how his company is proactively developing initiatives to meet the needs of the industry dynamics.  

Our keynote speaker for the event was Dr. Patrick Moore, Co-Founder of GreenPeace International and Founder of Greenspirit.  He began by talking at length about his origins in GreenPeace and their effective application of grassroots support to end commercial whaling and nuclear testing but also spoke at length of the general seperation from scientific research that has developed in the modern environmental movement and his current role in helping to working with key industries to reach goals that satisfy both societal needs and sustainable use of resources and production. He clearly offered a unique perspective on critical topics in the industry and many attendees offered appreciation for hosting a speaker of his caliber. 

To close out the event, Jerry Carroll, a Farmer Humorist and Agricultural Comedian, made everyone laugh with stories from his days working on a farm in North Carolina with stylings similar to the red neck comedy tour.

 Also in attendance with clients and prospects were a wide variety of industry professionals from Farm Service Ageanices , Purdue Extension offices, State Ag Offices, and Ag Industry Partners.

-Tade Powell

1st Quarter Employee Updates

Anniversaries

Lorinda Fuller celebrated her 25th Anniversary with the bank on Friday, March 2nd.  She works in the bookkeeping department, where's she's been since 1987.  Her department had a party for her in Converse to celebrate her years of success with the bank.  Congratulations Lorinda! 

Don Smith celebrated his 30th Anniversary in banking, starting at Central Bank, before coming to FFBT in 2009.  He took over for his father as President & CEO of Central Bank in 2005 and is now an integral part of the FFBT team.  Congratulations, Don!

Janet Layman celebrated her 25th Anniversary with FFBT on February 2nd.  She has been with the bank since 1987 and started as a teller, before moving into the loan department.  Janet said, "At one time, we only had one computer for the loan department and two people!" She is happy to work with such a great team of employees and has enjoyed seeing the many changes in the bank's history.  Congratulations, Janet!

 

Retirement

Vikki Sutton retired on March 30th after several years in banking.  Several years before she started at FFBT as a teller, she was Branch Manager at Citizens National Bank in Tipton, IN.  She will miss her bank family, but is looking forward to spending time on the lake, golfing, and in Florida.  Congratulations Vikki, and enjoy retirement!

Recognition & Awards

Karen Symons received the Outstanding Employee Award for 4th Quarter of 2011 and was presented with a trophy.  This is not the first time Karen's been nominated for the award as she has proven to be a dedicated, hard-working team member!  As part of Karen's nominations, it stated that she goes above and beyond for her mortgage customers by making herself available when they are available and really listening to the needs of her customers.  She is a great officer to work for, very considerate, and always willing to help.  She is very supportive of the Greentown community and helps at various community events and fundraisers.  Congratulations Karen!  We appreciate all you have done and continue to do!

Danielle Binkley and Darlene Posey were given the Outstanding Service Awards for 2011.  Danielle came to FFBT through the acquisition of the Knox branch in 1996, but has been working at that branch for 22 years.  She is now the Assistant Branch Manager/ISR/Back Up CSR and was nominated for the award because of her passion for outstanding customer service, both to customers and her fellow employees.  Thank you Danielle!  Darlene is the CSR at our Elwood branch and has also been with the bank for 22 years.  Darlene was nominated for this award because of her many years of excellent customer service for both customers and employees.  Thank you Darlene!

New FFBT Members This Quarter

In the 1^st Quarter of 2012, we welcomed a few new employees at our various locations!  Be sure to welcome them when you see them!

Lindsay Bowers joined FFBT as a part-time teller and receptionist and will be traveling to our many branches.  She came to the bank with around seven years of experience in banking and customer service and after a time away from banking, it excited to return and meet the customers in her area.

 

Melissa Nufrio joined FFBT as a part-time teller in Sheridan.  She has several years of experience in customer service and is very involved in her community as a case worker.  She attended Ball State University and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice.

 

Marla Krulik joined FFBT as a part-time teller in Knox.  She has over 10 years in experience in customer service, sales, and supervising.  In her free time, she assists with the Pop Warner Organization and is very familiar with the Knox community.

 

 

Arielle Anderson joined FFBT as a part-time teller in Knox as well.  She has a few years of experience in cash handling and customer service.  She was president of her class and her 4-H Club for five years and has played an active rold in 4-H for many years.

2012 Ag Client Seminar Speakers Announced!

This year's speakers for the 17th Annual Agricultural Client Seminar speakers are excited to share their knowledge of current events and trends in the industry.  Learn more about them below.  Excerpts from their presentations will be posted online after the event, so stay tuned!

 

Hugues J. Rinfret, CFA, FRM
Director of Research, MetLife Agricultural Investments
Mr. Rinfret joined the MetLife Agricultural Investments team in July 2005.  He is responsible for market research and portfolio risk analysis relevant to Agricultural Investments at MetLife, ranging from production agriculture to agribusiness and timberland investments.  He has over 18 years of experience in agricultural market research in both the consulting and financial industries.  Mr. Rinfret has authored articles in industry publications like Poultry USA and Feedstuffs and has produced quarterly newsletters addressing current market and policy issues.  After graduating from McGill University in Montreal with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics, Hugues spent four years at Global Insight with the Canadian Agricultural Service in Philadelphia.  From there, he joined the Agribusiness team at SunTrust Bank in Atlanta developing analytical capabilities to enhance portfolio risk management and market research.  He also earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Financial Risk Manager (FRM) designation and grew up on a dairy and cash crop farm near Montreal, Canada. 

 

Jason Tucker
Strategic Officer, John Deere & Company
Jason Tucker is Strategic Lead for the Agriculture & Turf Division of Deere & Company, a position he has held since August 2010.  Tucker is responsible for the development of market opportunities leading to a portfolio of solutions for customers within the geography of US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Tucker joined Deere & Company in 1997 as a product marketing manager and has held a variety of management positions in sales, marketing, and corporate business development.  A native of a small town tobacco farming operation in North Carolina, Tucker is a 1997 Ag Business graduate of North Carolina State University.  He received an MBA in 2002.  He is a past board member of the North Carolina Chapter of Alpha Zeta Agricultural Fraternity and active member of the National Eagle Scout Alumni Association and Boy Scouts of America.

 

Dr. Patrick Moore, Ph.D.
Founder of Greenspirit
Dr. Patrick Moore has been a leader in the international environmental field for over 30 years. He is a founding member of Greenpeace and served for nine years as President of Greenpeace Canada and seven years as a Director of Greenpeace International. As the leader of many campaigns, Dr. Moore was a driving force shaping policy and direction while Greenpeace became the world's largest environmental activist organization.  In recent years, Dr. Moore has been focused on the promotion of sustainability and consensus building among competing concerns. He was a member of the British Columbia government-appointed Round Table on the Environment and Economy from 1990-1994. In 1990, Dr. Moore founded and chaired the BC Carbon Project, a group that worked to develop a common understanding of climate change.  As Chair of the Sustainable Forestry Committee of the Forest Alliance of BC, he leads the process of developing the "Principles of Sustainable Forestry" which have been adopted by a majority of the industry.  In 1991 Dr. Moore founded Greenspirit, a consultancy focusing on environmental policy and communications in natural resources, biodiversity, energy, and climate change.

Most ag producers would find it unusual that a founding member of Greenpeace, one of the world’s largest environmental activist groups would now be preaching the myths and misinformation leading the green movement.  Well that’s just what took place during the Indiana Livestock Forum on Dec. 18 in 2008, as Dr. Patrick Moore, founding member of Greenpeace and Greenspirit founder took the stage at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis as a keynote speaker.

'In the 1960s I was a reborn ecologist and rallied against hydrogen bombing, which was a major turning point in my life and became the birthplace of Greenpeace,' Moore explained.

Several of First Farmers Bank & Trust's lenders were present at Lucas Oil in 2008 and heard Dr Patrick Moore speak.  Over the years First Farmers has provided dynamic and currently relevant speakers for our agricultural and agri-business clients.  I encourage you to join us on Wednesday February 22^nd. 

This is an opportunity that you do not want to miss! 

 -Norman Lavengood, Sr. Vice President, First Farmers Bank & Trust

 

Jerry Carroll
Farmer Comedian & Agricultural Speaker
Jerry found humor growing up on his family’s farm. From the time he could walk, Jerry joined his father and uncle to farm 130 acres of flue cured tobacco, 500 acres of corn, 500 acres of small grain, 500 acres of soybeans, 40 head of cattle, and 5,000 hogs per year.  Spending 14 hours a day in a tractor cab gave Jerry plenty of time to think about his life’s dream of entertaining people and making them laugh. Since beginning in 1993, Jerry has performed for crowds in venues ranging from local cattlemen’s association banquets to the Ministers of Provincial Parliament in Toronto, Canada.  Besides corporate events and conventions, Jerry has opened concerts for musical artists such as Michael Bolton, Patty Loveless, Lyle Lovett, and Larry Gatlin. Everywhere he goes, he leaves audiences roaring with laughter.  When he’s not on the road making people laugh, Jerry still works the fields of his family’s farm.

FFBT Went to China!

In late summer of 2011, First Farmers Bank & Trust gained a great deal of media attention for the coordination of an international exploratory visit to the People’s Republic of China. For almost two weeks, a diverse group of FFBT directors, management personnel, select clients, and industry and elected officials traveled in an attempt to better understand the inherent links of developing agricultural processes, technology, and trade with the most populist nation in the world. 

The scheduling and logistics of the event were coordinated by FFBT in cooperation with the Chinese government at the direction of key FFBT clients with agricultural investments in varying parts of the country. A comprehensive travel itinerary kept the entire party quite busy and allowed the group to log over 4500 miles in transit and within the country itself.  A variety of facilities specializing in food production, processing, and distribution were visited along with tours of cultural and civic entities in different regions to better understand the diverse standard of living that exists in various parts of the country. 

“You simply can’t begin to comprehend the future of the global agricultural industry without properly examining the dynamics that exist in the Far East.  Given our level of involvement in the ag industry, it is simply a necessity to better understand the impact that China will continue to have on the global marketplace for food" stated Gene Miles, President and Chief Executive Officer of First Farmers Bank & Trust.  “We certainly enjoyed the experience, but given our scheduling and travel, this was clearly not a relaxing trip. However, we have a much better understanding of the stage of development that various provinces are in, and we definitely better recognize the relevance of their efforts and commitment to feeding a staggering population. It was incredibly rewarding, and I think it has really given us a perspective on the central differences between cultures in the realm of agriculture".

4th Quarter Employee Updates

The 4th Quarter of 2011 was a busy year for employee promotions, transfers, educational advancements, and retirements.  Most recently, Jennifer McConahay made the move to become a Mortgage Lender for the Converse and Marion areas.  She's been working in the mortgage department in Converse for a little over a year and is excited about her new position!

 

 

Melody Scalf has decided to take an open position in the Internet Banking Department.  This is a recent change for Melody, who started as a Mortgage Loan Clerk at the bank over 2 years ago, and she's looking forward to helping customers with their Internet Banking and eStatement questions and needs!

 

 

Ben Barnett has been promoted to Loan Review Specialist in Converse to take over for Linda Rodgers following her retirement.  He started with the bank a little over a year ago as a Teller at the Peru River branch.  He graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and is looking forward to learning more about his new position.

 

 

During the summer, Paul McCann attended and graduated from the Indiana Bankers Association's Commercial Lending School.  The program takes place at the IBA's Center for Professional Development and each IBA education program is carefully designed under the direction of experienced bankers, academicians, regulators, and industry consultants. 

 

 

At the end of the year, two employees decided to retire from the bank after many years of service.  Carol Ploughe retired on December 2nd after over 38 years of service.  During that time, she held various positions and played an integral role in the bank's success.  At retirement, she was serving as the IRA Specialist for all of our locations.  We are very thankful to have such a person as part of our team for so long and we appreciate everything she's done during her time here.  Her retirement party wa held on December 2nd and many stopped by to say congratulate her.  Carol is excited for her retirement, but said she would miss seeing all of the friends she's made on a daily basis.

 

 

And just last week, Linda Rodgers retired from FFBT after over 33 years in banking.  She has worked for several different banking institutions over the years and has gone through three mergers.  Linda has held various positions over the years including Mortgage Officer, Branch Manager at the Peru River Location, and most recently, Loan Review Specialist in Converse.  She is looking forward to being more involved in different activities and has enjoyed working with everyone in the community and at the bank.  Her retirement party was held on December 22nd in Converse and many stopped by to see her on her last day.

New Faces at FFBT!

In the 4th Quarter of 2011, we welcomed several new employees at our various locations.  Learn a little more about them below!

Charisse Johnson is the new Branch Manager and Mortgage Loan Officer in Elwood.  She has over twenty years of experience in lending & banking.  Charisse has held various titles with other financial institutions, such as Personal Banker, Branch Manager, Account Executive, and Loan Officer.  She is looking forward to starting her career with FFBT and getting to know members of the community.

 

 

Jarrod Smith has filled the position of Customer Service Representative and Teller at the Wabash branch.  He is a graduate of the Indiana Institute of Technology and is looking forward to beginning his career in the banking industry.

 

 

Britney Parsley is the new Customer Service Representative and Teller at our Kokomo North branch.  She came to us with several years of experience in banking.  She is involved in many different local organizations in Howard County and grew up in the area. 

 

 

 

Faith Plank has accepted the position of Customer Service Representative in Greentown.  Faith is attending Ivy Tech Community College, where she has already obtained an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration.  She is looking forward to getting to know her coworkers and customers in Greentown! 

 

 

 

Amy Williams is a new Teller at the Tipton location.  She might seem like a familiar face because she has been with us in the past.  Amy worked for FFBT as a Teller at the Tipton branch from 1999 to 2004, and decided to stay home and raise her family.  Amy is excited to be back at the bank, and we are glad to have her! 

 

 

Amanda Larmer is a new float teller.  She travels to our South and Central branches as needed and is currently helping to open accounts at our Kokomo South branch.  She comes to us with around 7 years of experience in customer service, sales, and cash handling and is from the Galveston area. 

First Farmers Financial Corporation Announces Agreement to Acquire First Citizens of Paris, Inc.

Converse, Indiana and Paris, Illinois, December 14, 2011 - First Farmers Financial Corporation, Converse, Indiana and First Citizens of Paris, Inc, Paris, Illinois, announced today that they have signed a definitive agreement under which First Citizens of Paris will merge into a subsidiary of First Farmers.  First Citizens of Paris is the holding company for Citizens National Bank of Paris, which will be merged into First Farmers Bank & Trust, First Farmers’ wholly-owned subsidiary bank.

 

At September 30, 2011, First Farmers had $875 million in assets and operates 20 branches in eleven counties throughout North Central Indiana.  First Citizens had $205 million in assets and operates two branches in Paris, Illinois, one in Oakland, Illinois, and one in Terre Haute, Indiana. 

 

Under the terms of the agreement, First Farmers will pay First Citizens’ shareholders cash equal to 101% of adjusted book value at the effective date of the transaction.  At September 30, 2011, First Citizens had a total book value of $19.7 million which, net of $3.0 million of adjustments to the carrying value of specifically identified assets, equals adjusted net book value of $16.7 million.  Based on 215,679 shares outstanding, First Citizens’ shareholders would have received $78.12 per share if the transaction had been consummated as of September 30th.  The transaction is expected to close late in the first quarter or early in the second quarter of 2012.

 

Gene Miles, President and Chief Executive Officer of First Farmers stated, “This agreement represents a cooperative effort to bring two outstanding community banks together in a very progressive way. We look forward to working with the staff of First Citizens to build on their exceptional record of community involvement while learning how we can best serve the Greater Edgar, Coles and Vigo County markets.  We are especially excited to expand on First Citizens’ agricultural customer base given our organizations historic strengths in the industry. The markets served by First Citizens  are very similar to those that we have served since 1885 and we are very confident that the philosophy of our organization will fit in well in these communities.  Our strong capital position and earnings history has allowed us to continually extend our geographical reach but our commitment to community banking is what has allowed our organization to prosper in markets such as these.” 

 

Bill Minnis, President and Chief Executive Officer of First Citizens added, “First Farmers provides the financial strength and resources that will allow us to better serve our customers and communities, particularly our agricultural customers and rural communities.  Their banking philosophy and commitment to community banking matches our tradition of providing outstanding customer service and active community involvement and support.”

 

In connection with this transaction, Mike Renninger of Renninger & Associates, LLC acted as financial advisor, and Tom Blank of Shumaker Loop & Kendrick, LLP served as counsel to First Farmers Financial Corp.  Scott Martorana of FinPro, Inc. acted as financial advisor, and Ted Eissfeldt and Joe Hemker of Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC served as counsel to First Citizens of Paris, Inc.

 

For further information regarding this release please contact Gene Miles at 765-395-3316 or Bill Minnis at 217-465-7641.