FFB&T Newsroom

A Bank Worth Five Stars!

A lot has happened to First Farmers Bank and Trust in 2012. We have been through so much and have conquered many hurdles to get to where we are today. As we look back, we can say that 2012 has proven to be a very successful year for us. Along with the acquisition of our four new branches, we have accomplished things that we never thought imaginable a few years ago!

First Farmers is very dedicated to continued service to the community as well as their to their customers. Not only should a bank be concerned with the financial aspect, it should be just as concerned about the people that make the company run. The small town feel and customer service orientation that First Farmers bases the entire company around is what sets us apart and makes us unique from other banks.

First Farmers Bank and Trust is proud to accept the award of Five Star Final Report for 2012! This award is presented by the Indiana Bankers Association every year for outstanding achievement in five specific categories. These categories include Political Awareness, Issue Advocacy, Life-Long Learning, Volunteerism, and PSP (Preferred Service Providers) Utilization. The Indiana Bankers Association has declared that First Farmers Bank and Trust has excelled in each of these categories, giving us the Five Star rating that they search for in financial institutions.

We are very excited and grateful to have been awarded such a title, but this award does not give us permission to slow or halt any of our opportunities to become involved with our communities and our customers. We will always be centered around one thing, “state of the art banking with old fashioned service!”

Indiana Business Journal Business Profiles

First Farmers Bank & Trust (FFMR) offers its customers the best of both worlds: old-fashioned service combined with state-of-the-art banking products. Some call it "today's bank with yesterday's values."
    

And that's just fine with First Farmers, which is proud of its past and focused on the future. Based in tiny Converse, Indiana, it has been serving rural farming communities for almost 130 years. The bank remains committed to those customers, but it has also broadened its reach to include mid-sized communities like Kokomo, Terre Haute, Marion and Huntington. And its banking expertise has broadened from the agricultural industry to commercial businesses of all kinds. 

"We are committed to rural communities and have proven to be both a very progressive institution while retaining the core philosophy of community banking. At the same time, our service concept translates well to larger mid-sized markets as well," said First Farmers President and Chief Executive Officer Gene Miles.

Today, First Farmers offers a range of services - from deposit and investment accounts to commercial loans and leasing - that its commercial and Ag clients need to succeed.

First Farmers' reputation has soared right along with the number of services it offers. American Banker magazine recently ranked the Top Community Banks in the nation based on average three-year return on equity. First Farmers ranked an impressive 13th in the country. It was the only bank in Indiana among the top 75 and one of the only three Hoosier banks in the top 100.

With assets of $1.2 billion, First Farmers has more than 50,000 clients served by 27 offices. It has locations throughout Hamilton, Johnson, Cass, Grant, Howard, Huntington, Madison, Marshall, Miami, Starke, Tipton, Vermillion, Vigo and Wabash counties in Indiana,  and three offices in Coles and Edgar counties in Illinois.

First Farmers has been in growth mode lately, announcing in May that it is buying the deposits of nine BMO Harris Bank branches. It will acquire seven of the nine branch buildings and will assume responsibility for the employees of all nine branches, which are located in Marion, Logansport, Terre Haute, Farmersburg, Sullivan, Clay City, Brazil, Carlisle and Shelburn.

Last Year, First Farmers entered the Indianapolis-area market when it bought four Bank of Indiana offices, including one in Bargersville in Johnson County.  First Farmers has had a presence in Hamilton County since 1998 with an office in Sheridan.

"Expansion and growth is welcome but only if we remain true to our core mission of exceptional customer service. Our model works ...so a consistency in approach is as important in smaller markets as it is in larger ones. This acquisition fits nicely with our history of supporting rural communities. We are confident our services and products will complement these types of communities," added Miles.

While the availability of First Farmers' services is spreading to commercial enterprises big and small throughout the state, so is its full line of personal and financial planning services. "It is imperative that a bank have a full complement of services and delivery channels today. We have  to match our much larger competitors in terms of e-commerce and convenience. At the same time, we offer the added value of significant experience in the Ag industry and a comprehensive client relationship. We consider our client experience to be very reflective of a traditional banking model in the way we interact and communicate with our customers," said Tade J. Powell, VP-Marketing & Public Relations.

Whether working with a business or a personal banking client, individual attention is the foundation upon which the bank has existed since 1885.

First Farmers Bank & Trust is proud of that rich tradition as a solid financial force with the highest of ideals. As First Farmers looks to the future, it will continue to focus on its strength of providing state of the art banking with old-fashioned service.

    

 

First Farmers Bank & Trust (FFMR) Acquisition Press Release

 

Converse, IN First Farmers Financial Corporation (FFMR), parent company of First Farmers Bank & Trust, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire deposit relationships of nine BMO Harris Bank N.A. Indiana branches. The purchase includes deposit relationships at locations in Marion, Logansport, Terre Haute, Farmersburg, Sullivan, Clay City, Brazil, Carlisle and Shelburn, Indiana.  First Farmers Bank & Trust will also acquire seven of the nine branches and retain the employees from all nine locations.  The acquisition does not include any loans (other than overdraft lines of credit), commercial accounts, accounts with cash management services and certain other deposit accounts associated with those locations.

“First Farmers Bank & Trust continues to uphold the philosophy and principles of community banking in a variety of markets. These new locations are representative of markets that our organization has successfully served for generations and we are very confident that our products and style service will be well received”, Gene Miles, President and Chief Executive Officer, First Farmers Bank & Trust.

As of February 2014, the branches had deposits of approximately $134 million.  Subject to regulatory approvals, the transaction is expected to close in the latter part of 2014.

First Farmers Financial Corp (FFMR) is a $1.2 billion financial holding company headquartered in Converse, Indiana. First Farmers Bank & Trust has 24 offices throughout Cass, Grant, Hamilton, Howard, Huntington, Madison, Marshall, Miami, Johnson, Starke, Tipton, Vermillion, Vigo and Wabash counties in Indiana and 3 offices in Coles and Edgar counties in Illinois.

 

 

 

Agricultural Client Seminar

The 19th Annual Agricultural Client Seminar event will take place on Tuesday, February 25, 2014. We are looking forward to another great day with some highly regarded speakers. This year our event speakers will include Mark Gold, Brett Stuart, Grady Bishop, Ted McKinney, and Paul Mobley. Please continue to read for more information about each of these well-known leaders in the agricultural world.

 

Mark Gold:

Mark is Managing Partner with Top Third Ag Marketing in Chicago. He is a former 20-year member of the Chicago Board of Trade where he was a pit trader and floor broker. During his time on the floor, Mark served as Chairman of the Soybean Pit Committee and on the Public Relations Committee. His responsibilities included representing the CBOT on numerous television reports, speaking to farm groups, banking organizations and university groups. Mark has also been a floor trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, International Monetary Market, Sydney Futures Exchange, and the New Orleans Commodity Exchange, where he served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors.

 

Brett Stuart:

Brett is one of the founding partners of Global AgriTrends. He was formerly employed by the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) as their lead economist. In this capacity, he conducted numerous research and analysis projects in the global meat trade area as well as advising US trade officials on international meat access issues. As part of these responsibilities, Brett conducted on-the-ground meat industry research around the globe. Prior to his work with the federation, he was the Assistant Manager of marketing for AgReserves, Inc. and was heavily involved with a variety of livestock marketing strategies. Mr. Stuart's specific international market research includes co-authoring, "The vital role of science in global policy decision-making: an analysis of past, current, and forecasted trends and issues in global red meat trade and policy", in the international congress of Meat Science and Technology Journal. He is also involved in business planning and research for exporting US products to Europe, research and recommendations for revisions to the Japan gate price system for pork, joint planning and cooperation with Mexican meat producers to build meat consumption in Mexico, and market analysis and recommended strategies for US meats in various other regions around the world.

 

Grady Bishop:

Grady was raised on a row-crop farm in the Southwest Kansas town of Sublette. He attended West Texas A&M University in Canyon, TX where he developed interest and experience in feedlot beef production. After receiving a B.S. in Animal Science from West Texas A&M, Grady worked for ContiBeef (now part of JBS Five Rivers) for two years in various roles within one of their large commercial cattle feeding operations in Oklahoma. Following his time at ContiBeef, Grady worked with Certified Angus Beef while pursuing a M.S. in Ruminant Nutrition from Kansas State University. He has worked for Elanco Animal Health since 2002 in various roles in US and Global sales & marketing. From 2009-2011, Grady was Director of Elanco's affiliate in Argentina and Chile, living and working in Buenos Aires. Since January 2011, Grady has been the Director of US Swine Operations for Elanco and is based in the global headquarters in Greenfield, IN. Grady and his wife Janae live in Greenfield, IN with their two children.

 

Ted McKinney:

Ted was recently appointed as the Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, by Governor Mike Pence. "Ted McKinney is a well-respected industry leader with decades of experience in Hoosier agriculture," said Pence. Ted grew up on a family farm in Tipton County, where he has continuing interests. After graduating with a degree in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University where he was named Outstanding Male Graduate, he began a successful career with Elanco Products Company, DowElanco and Dow AgriSciences. Most recently he was Director, Global Corporate Affairs for Elanco Animal Health, a division of Eli Lilly and Company. In addition to his professional career, Ted has held leadership positions in Indiana FFA, the Indiana 4-H Foundation and Purdue Agricultural Alumni Trust Fund. He led the effort to recruit the National FFA Center and National FFA Conventions to Indianapolis. He has also served on the State Fair Commission since 2005, and is Chairman of the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity National Convention, scheduled for Indianapolis in late 2014. In the community, Ted has been on the board of directors for the Indianapolis Children's Museum, the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, WFYI Public Broadcasting, the Leukemia Society, and the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation. Ted and his wife Julie are the parents of three children.

 

Paul Mobley:

Paul is an award-winning photographer who has traveled the world over to capture and celebrate humanity. Firmly grounded by his Midwestern roots, Mobley's early training as a photographer began at Detroit's Center for Creative Studies, and continued in the New York studios of such leading photographers as Annie Leibovitz, Steve Steigman, and David Langley, where he apprenticed for many years before embarking on his own career. Since then, Mobley has successfully worked with a broad range of corporate, advertising, and editorial clients including American Express, Sony, Max Factor, Microsoft, and many others. In 2005, Paul set out to capture the soul of rural America. Traveling across the country, Mobley and his camera were welcomed time and time again into the homes of over three hundred farm families, who graciously shared their personal histories and private thoughts, along with the fruits of their labor. Visit after visit, Mobley came to know the independent farmer's spirit from both behind the lens and across the dinner table. The result, American Farmer: The Heart of Our Country, won the 2009 Western heritage award for "best photography book" from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

 

Annual Ag Client Seminar 2013

On February 19th, First Farmers hosted the 18th Annual Agricultural Client Seminar at the Roseburg Event Center. It was a great day! There were over 200 clients and employees in attendance of the event along with four excellent speakers. We were very impressed with the turnout of guests as well as the messages that were presented from our speakers.

 

The day began with Ken Perkins giving his touching testimony from his recent trip to Laos. His message revealed just how different farming is in different areas of the world. Ken and his team for years have been able to teach farmers in other countries new farming practices to ensure productivity and sustainability. Next, Kevin Elder from the Ohio Department of Agriculture shared some interesting insights about environmental impact mandates and some of the farming practices that will help farmers comply with them.

 

Scott Beck from Beck's Hybrids spoke about trait genetics and how new products and services offered through Beck's would benefit plant productivity.

 

The keynote speaker for the event was Max Armstrong, anchor of Farm Progress Broadcast. With much experience as a broadcaster, Max was able to provide the audience with entertainment as well as interesting industry information. He spoke on many topics such as agriculture within schools, the role that agriculture plays in government, as well as sharing some of his own experiences
working in the ag industry.

 

In addition to FFBT customers from Indiana as well as Illinois, we also had a wide variety of industry professionals that attended the event. Representatives came from Farm State Agency and Extension Offices, State Ag Offices, as well as many ag industry partners. It is exciting to see the variety of people that we have attend the event each year!

 

 

Above and Beyond Service

Not only is First Farmers dedicated to serving our customers, we are also willing to go above and beyond for our four legged friends as well! Ashley Howell and Stephanie Koepke from our Kokomo North branch were able to save a lab puppy from running out onto the busy highway on February 20.

Stephanie noticed the puppy roaming around in the parking lot and decided that it was probably alright to leave it be, until she saw her walking out towards US 31!  Acting quickly, Stephanie ran out and was able to keep the pup from the road. She and Ashley kept her in the branch until they could locate the owner.

Ashley states that this was quite a task because the owner could not be found even after multiple Facebook posts, local radio announcements, and even calling local vets. Nothing. Belle, as they began to call her, was quickly turning into another member of their bank family. She was very well behaved and sat quietly while the employees had work to do. Eventually, Ashley was able to track down the owner of the puppy. They were extremely excited to have her back home safely.

It just goes to show, that community service can be shown in many different ways. Way to go girls!.

Get to Know...Susan Powell!

We would like for you to get to know Susan Powell, Mortgage Loan Officer and Branch Manager in our Sheridan office. Susan is a native of Tipton where she graduated from Tipton High School. Go Blue Devils! Not only was Susan a Blue Devil, she was also an Indiana Hoosier. She went on to further her education at Indiana University. Susan has been in the banking business for over 37 years. She has enjoyed her move to First Farmers very much because she says there is no other bank with the community atmosphere that First Farmers provides.

Susan and her husband have two daughters and son-in-laws. Her two twin granddaughters are her pride and joy.Just ask her about them and watch her face light up! In her free time, she enjoys flower gardening and being involved in her community. She is a member of the Tipton Extension Center Board as well as the Sheridan Chamber of Commerce Board. And when she is not busy with her family or other commitments, Susan loves to collect antiques, watch the Colts play football, and cheer on the Purdue Boilermakers in basketball and football.

Now you know Susan Powell. Be sure to stop in and visit her the next time you are in the Sheridan area!

Get To Know...Ken Perkins!

Ken Perkins holds the title of Vice President/Senior Commercial Lender of First Farmers Bank and Trust. Ken joined the FFBT team in 2004 after spending 24 years with ADM/Moorman Mfg Co. While at ADM, Ken worked in multiple areas ranging from sales management to Swine Specialist for the Midwest and Northeastern states. Once Ken graduated from Indiana University in 1974, he went on to work for Irving Materials Inc. as manager of the concrete plant.

Ken is very active in his community. He is an involved member of the Wabash Friends Church. He also volunteers for "The Access", a youth activity and ministry center. He serves on the board of directors of the Wabash Community Foundation and Wabash County Economic Growth Council. Not only is Ken locally involved with ministry, he also actively travels to South East Asia where he donates his time and efforts helping local farmers improve their agricultural production.

Ken has served on the Certified Livestock Advisory Board and has spoken on behalf of Pork Producers and Dairymen at various local Board Zoning Appeal hearings. In 2008, he was honored as a "Beyond the Gate" recipient at the Indiana Livestock Forum for his support of the Indiana Livestock Producers.

In his spare time, Ken enjoys tending to his small farm, forest, and stocked ponds. Ken can truly understanding the farming lifestyle because it is so present in his own life. Not only is Ken involved with the typical farming lifestyle, he has also been active in various forms of Aquaculture. This type of industry deals with the cultivating of marine or freshwater food fish or shellfish. For the past few years, his particular focus in Aquaculture has dealt with the spawning and growing of yellow perch and bass.

Ken and his wife, Beth, have been married for 38 years. They have three children and 4 wonderful grandchildren. They currently reside in Wabash, Indiana, where they continue to play an active role in their community. Come visit Ken at our Converse branch today!

Now you know...Ken Perkins! 

It's Not Everyday You See This!

Can you guess who this man is running the teller line?

 

Gene Miles, President of First Farmers Bank and Trust

 

It's none other than our very own President of First Farmers Bank and Trust!

Friday, December 14th, Converse held their Customer Appreciation Day. This day was devoted to serving our wonderful customers for their business. They served refreshments all day and had drawings for great FFBT prizes! But not only did we want to serve our customers on this day, our President, Chief Operating Officer, and Regional Branch Manager surprised our tellers by taking over their teller windows so that they could all enjoy a nice lunch together!

This is so special because it shows just what we at First Farmers are all about, service. We dedicate our time and effort to serve all of our customers as well as our employees in any way that we can. It just goes to show that no employee is any less important or valued than the other!

 

Dave Eikenberry, Chief Operating Officer

 

 

 

Julie Cain, Regional Branch Manager

 

 

A Look Back

    As we look back on 2012, it is hard to believe where the time had gone. This year is almost gone and new one is quickly approaching. 2013 is coming, but before it does, we at FFBT would like to take a look back on just a few of the new and exciting things that have happened in 2012. The bank is growing and changing, and it's so exciting to see where we have been and look to where we are going in the future.

    January: Nancy Robison (Peru) celebrated her 15th anniversary in banking, while Don Smith (Kokomo Central) celebrated his 30th anniversary!

    February: Brandt Downing and Jordan Foland (Converse) represent FFBT at the Illinois Pork Conference. Kokomo Central hosts a Pet Contest in order to raise money for the Relay for LIfe.

    March: Our Greentown branch participates in the Urban Outreach Supermarket Sweep!

    April: Vikki Sutton (Kokomo South) retires after many years of service with us. The FFBT "Banking for a Cure" hosts a scavenger hunt to benefit the Howard County Relay for Life.

    May: High School graduates have the opportunity to receive $50 for opening a checking account.

    June: Our Relay for Life team reached their goal of $10,000! FFBT employees raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness on Lee National Denin Day. The Cook and Belle concert took place at the Grant County 4-H fair. Sara Douglas (Converse) celebrates her 35th anniversary in banking.

    July: FFBT acquired four new locations in Paris, Oakland, and Terre Haute! Our Tipton branch serves watermelon during the Tipton County 4-H fair. Kokomo branches offer the annual fishing clinic for kids to participate in.

    August: Janet Haworth (Russiaville) celebrates her 35th anniversary in banking. FFBT donated $15,000 to the MIllion Meals Program. Janet Wilde (Knox) receives the Employee of the Quarter Award. Brittany Brown (Paris Main) receives the Excellence award.

    September: Amboy, Greentown, and Sheridan hold their customer appreciations. The Elwood branchparticipates in a walk-a-thon to help raise funds for the Morrisett Center food pantry.

    October: Many FFBT employees as well as others participate in the 6th annual Miami Heartland's Chili Cook-off! Galveston celebrates their customers on customer appreciation day. The Elwood branch receivesthe Pride award from the Chamber of Commerce for their beautifully decorated building! Kokomo branches all help to create a beautiful tree for the 2012 We Care Trim-a-Tree. FFBT employees enjoy dressing up for Halloween!

    November: Russiaville offers great door prizes to their customers on customer appreciation day. Naomi Gross (Galveston) celebrates 35 years in banking! Linda Dever (Converse) celebrates 25 years in banking. FFBT welcomes new employees to our staff!

    December: Joan McReynolds retires after many years as a float/teller. Converse holds their customer appreciation day.

    Looking back on 2012, it's apparent the FFBT has been very busy in many different ways. Even though we have changed so much in a year's time, we still hold tight to our committment to serving our customers with the same old fashioned community service that we always have. We look forward to 2013 and all that it has in store for us! We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

    For additional information and pictures about many of the events and things listed can be found on our Facebook page or our Flickr page. So check us out online!

New FFBT employees!

We are always thrilled to add new members to our wonderful FFBT staff. Here are the newest employees from this quarter. Be sure to welcome them when you see them!

 

 

 

Shane Martin, Credit Analyst - Converse

 

 

 

Shane is a native of Kokomo and graduated from Northwestern High School. Shane currently attends IUK where he is a Senior Finance/Economics major. Shane's prior work experience consists of a service leader at Staples.  Welcome to the team!

 

 

Lori Collom, Teller - Terre Haute

 

 

Ellen Cass, Floater Teller - Tipton

 

 

 

Ellen is a native of Arcadia, IN and graduated from Hamilton Heights High School. Ellen is currently working as a floater and is based out of the Tipton Branch. Ellen has three years of teller experience in the banking industry.  Welcome to FFBT!

 

 

 

Stuart Wood, Credit Analyst - Converse

 

 

 

Stuart is a native of Kokomo and graduated from  Northwestern High School. Stuart is currently attending IUK where he is studying Accounting/Finance. Stuart's prior work experience was with Pepsi. Welcome aboard!