FFB&T Newsroom

First Farmers Bank & Trust Reports Record Growth For First Half of 2009

First Farmers Financial Corporation, holding company for First Farmers Bank & Trust, recently released a financial statement of condition as of June 30, 2009 that included overall loan growth of $52.2 million, an 11.1% increase from the same period the previous year. Deposits also increased 13.2% to a record $546 million and the Bank’s growing capital base continues to substantially exceed requirements to meet the standard of “Well Capitalized," the highest regulatory rating.

For a copy of our most recent statements of condition, contact your local FFBT officer.  It will also be available very soon on our website at www.ffbt.com

Established in 1885, First Farmers Bank & Trust has been serving the banking needs in Central Indiana for 124 years. It currently operates through 18 conveniently located offices and can also be found on the internet at www.ffbt.com.

First Farmers Bank & Trust Rates Tops in Banking

  August 2009: First Farmers Bank & Trust, Converse, Indiana takes great pride in receiving a 5-Star Superior rating for financial strength and stability from BauerFinancial, Inc., Coral Gables, Florida. 5-Stars is the highest rating attainable from BauerFinancial (the Nation's Bank Rating Firm for over a quarter of a century) and is based on the overall financial picture of the institution. Earning a 5-Star rating indicates that First Farmers Bank & Trust is one of the strongest banks in the nation.

Given that, it is not surprising that Karen L. Dorway, president of BauerFinancial, has high praise for First Farmers Bank & Trust. "First Farmers Bank & Trust has avoided the lending and underwriting problems that have plagued much of the banking industry. It is clear that the staff of First Farmers Bank & Trust, under the direction of Mr. Gene Miles, CEO, remains diligent in adhering to sound banking principles and standards."

Established in 1885, First Farmers Bank & Trust has been serving the banking needs of its neighbors and friends for 124 years. It currently operates through 18 conveniently located offices and can also be found on the internet at www.ffbt.com.

First Farmers Bank & Trust: "People You Can Trust"

BauerFinancial, Inc., Coral Gables, Florida, the nation's leading independent bank and credit union rating and research firm, has been reporting on an analyzing the performance of US banks and credit unions since 1983. Consumers may obtain star-ratings by visiting www.bauerfinancial.com

FFBT's Greentown Branch Attends Eastern School Corporation's 2nd Annual Benefits Fair

 

On August 10, 2009 from 9:00-11:00, First Farmers Bank & Trust took part in Eastern School Corporation's 2nd Annual Employee Benefits Fair. FFBT, along with several other local businesses, were invited to attend the fair because of their continuous support of local events. Jodi Cecil, Assistant Branch Manager, and Joyce S. Flick, Customer Service Representative, from the FFBT Greentown branch were representatives for the Bank.

"We feel it is a great way to reach out to Eastern School Corporation employees. We joined approximately 15 other local businesses ranging from health care and insurance groups to the Historical Society Club," stated Jodi Cecil.

A variety of information was available to the employees, including a complete compliment of brochures about FFBT and the products and services they offer. "We had questions ranging from Mortgage Loans and Certificates of Deposit to Checking Accounts and Direct Deposit," stated Joyce Flick.

Eastern School Corporation plans to continue this fair in the future for the benefit of their employees. First Farmers Bank & Trust of Greentown is very proud to be a part of this event and help the members in their community.

It's Time Again for the Sheridan Harvest 5K Presented by First Farmers Bank & Trust

It's time again for the 3rd Annual Sheridan Harvest 5K Run/Walk presented by First Farmers Bank & Trust. The race is held in conjunction with the Sheridan Harvest Moon Festival.

The race is set for Saturday, October 3rd at Biddle Memorial Park. As in the past, we will also have a corporate challenge portion of the race. This is open to all businesses to compete with each other in a point system similar to that of a cross country meet. This is a great way to promote health and fitness within your company.

2007 Winner The Sheridan School System
2008 Winner First Farmers Bank & Trust

All of the proceeds from the race go to the upkeep of the Sheridan portion of the Monon Trail.

You can sign up for the race online at www.indianatiming.com or visit our website at www.ffbt.com to download the entry form.

For more information, contact Brian Bragg at 317-758-4481 or email [email protected].

Download 5K Entry Form

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: First Farmers Financial Corporation Announces Agreement to Acquire CB Bank Shares, Inc

Converse, Indiana, Aug 13, 2009 - First Farmers Financial Corporation, Converse, Indiana and CB Bank Shares, Inc, Russiaville, Indiana, announced today that they have signed a definitive merger agreement under which CB Bank Shares will merge into First Farmers. CB Bank Shares is the holding company for Central Bank, which will be merged into First Farmers Bank & Trust, First Farmers wholly-owned subsidiary bank. The transaction will combine two of the oldest banking institutions in Central Indiana.

Gene Miles, President and Chief Executive Officer of First Farmers Bank & Trust stated, “We are very pleased to announce this agreement. Our banking philosophy and commitment to community banking in Central Indiana fits perfectly with those of Central Bank. We feel that our combined staffs will be in an excellent position to provide comprehensive financial services to clients in the heart of our branch network. Like First Farmers, Don Smith and Central Bank are recognized as leaders in furthering the goals of community banking and have a history of supporting Howard County and Central Indiana.”

“Both Central Bank and First Farmers Bank & Trust have upheld the traditions and service expectations of community banking, and our clients will now be able to appreciate a wider variety of bank products without compromising the high degree of personalized service that they now receive,” stated Don Smith, President of Central Bank.

The acquisition will give First Farmers Bank & Trust 20 branches in Indiana, over $730 million in assets, and gross capital of over $75 million. It also makes the organization the largest privately held deposit holder in Howard County with $165 million at 5 branch locations. Currently, Central Bank operates two bank locations in Russiaville and Kokomo with assets of $55 Million. “We expect that the talent we have in place in Howard County, in particular, will continue to exemplify community banking with a premium placed on customer communication and personalized service. Our strong capital position gives us an excellent opportunity to give this staff the tools to grow our business. We’re excited about the future of our combined operations” added Miles.

Mike Renninger, Renninger & Associates, LLC has acted as financial advisor to First Farmers Financial Corp. and Thomas C. Blank, Shumaker Loop & Kendrick, is counsel to First Farmers Financial Corp. in connection with the transaction. Thomas M. Maxwell, Barnes and Thornburg LLP and Joseph Davis, Davis & MacDonald Law Firm, have represented CB Bank Shares, Inc.

Financial terms of the transaction were not announced. It is expected that the transaction will close late in the fourth quarter of 2009 or early in 2010.

For further information regarding this release please contact Gene Miles at 765-395-3316 or Don Smith at 765-453-9100.

FFBT Participates in the Annual Circus City Festival and Parade in Peru

The circus came to Peru, Indiana in 1884 as local businessman, Colonel Ben Wallace brought his show to town. Although his show traveled around a multi-state area, it always returned to Peru to winter. As the circus grew, it became known as the Hagenbeck-Wallace circus and was considered a competitor to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey shows. After the demise of the Hagenbeck-Wallace show, other circuses used the Peru site for shows and wintering, including the brief presence of the Ringling Brothers circus, until the 1930's. The love affair with the circus continued however, and in 1960, the Circus City Festival began, which includes performances by the amateur circus. The Circus City Festival occurs for 10 days in July each year.

 

The festival includes rides, games, food, entertainment, arts & crafts, and much more. The parade includes authentic wagons, a calliope, floats, bands, clowns, and other items of interest. FFBT has provided free cold water and green clown noses to the many spectators for the past 4 years. A tent is set up outside our main branch on the corner of Broadway and Main Street and employees volunteer their time to pass out the noses and water. This year, we had 7 employees working the tent: Trudy Judge, Ron Douglas, Kris Hiers, Suzanne Arnold, Maria Correll, Sierra Martinez, and Amanda Frey.

One of the primary highlights of the Circus City festival of course is the circus performance itself. At least 10 performances are held each year and include a variety of acts from juggling and unicycles to trapeeze and highwire acts. It's a three hour long three ring circus complete with clowns and a full circus band that plays nearly non-stop. The beautifully costumed performers consist of 250 local area residents, most of them between 7 and 21 years of age. The band, a mix of amateur and professional musicians is also comprised of many area residents although there are some who come from across the country to volunteer their time and talents. These performers have made a serious committment to the show. They begin practicing in March, perform a fairly grueling schedule during the July Circus City Festival Days, travel to surrounding states for additional performances, and even participate in an international competition in Monte Carlo each January.

FFBT Wins 4th Overall at the Corporate Challenge

Each year, First Farmers Bank & Trust participates in the Miami County Corporate Challenge. The mission of the Corporate Challenge is to promote a community-wide commitment to health, fitness, and wellness activities. This is accomplished through the planning and execution of a series of events and opportunities for the corporations and businesses in the Peru/Miami County area. The YMCA encourages all companies in Miami County to compete, cheer, and support the team as one. First Farmers Bank & Trust has four branches in Miami County, with participants from each branch.

 

FFBT had 4 bowling teams in the Mixed Men’s and Women’s Bowling event. The teams were as follows:

 

Team 1 – Crystal Scales, Steven Cecil, Vicky Pickering, and Brandt Downing
Team 2 – Julie Cain, Ruth Glassburn, Dave Eikenberry, and Steve Wilson
Team 3 – Carol Savage, Suzanne Arnold, Bruce Savage, and Craig Langley
Team 4 – Amy Million, Greg Million, Amanda Frey, and Paul Maish.

 

We also had a team in the Fishing Derby, which consisted of Pam Camden and her family. They won first place in this competition, as they have the past 6 years in a row! We had 36 employees and family members who participated in the fun walk, which is a 2 mile walk at your convenience. In the 1.6 Mile Race, we had Suzanne Arnold as a participant and 3rd place winner. We also won 6th place in the Cornhole competition, which included Melody Ringeisen and Theresa Bond. Ron Douglas is always a participant in the Racquetball event and won 3rd place this year.

FFBT won 4th place overall! Go Team FFBT!

FFBT Sponsors the Successful Jim 'Moose' Carden Kid's Fishing Clinic

For the past 5 years, First Farmers Bank & Trust has sponsored the Jim ‘Moose’ Carden Kid’s Fishing Clinic in Kokomo, IN. Bart Alexander, Vice President and Commercial/Ag Lender with First Farmers, and his family, have been an integral part of this event’s success for the past 14 years. The clinic is a 2 week annual event that teaches children in the area how to fish and gives them the tools to do so. It began in 1983 as the Kokomo Kid’s Fishing Clinic and was headed by Jim ‘Moose’ Carden and John Martino. Carden passed away in 1990, and Martino chose to rename the event in honor of him. Martino is the current chairman of the event. Also sponsoring this event was Zebco, the City of Kokomo, and the Kokomo Park and Recreation Department.

 

This year, the event took place from July 13th-July 25th and 135 kids participated. During the first meeting, the kids received a rod and reel donated by Zebco and a T-shirt sponsored by First Farmers and Adams Auto Group. The following two sessions began with casting practice in the Kokomo High School Parking lot and followed with various guest speakers. Then the kids were split up by age group and went to two classes each session, with topics including lure presentations, types of rods and reels, outdoor ethics, seasonal patterns, types of bait, and fish cleaning. The sessions ended with “Happy Half Hour” where the kids won various door prizes geared toward helping their fishing experiences. Funds for the door prizes were raised from the Adams Auto Group 6th Annual Jim “Moose” Carden Kid's Fishing Clinic Benefit Bass Tournament which was held in May. During the last session before the big tournament, the kids were entertained by Trick Caster Scotty Lucas, who traveled up from Tennessee with his father to perform at this event.

 

Saturday, July 25th, was the big day of the event, the tournament. Approximately 70 individuals donated their time, their boat, and their equipment to take the kids fishing on the Kokomo Reservoir. Everyone met at the reservoir at 7:00am. John Martino welcomed everyone to the event and expressed the rules and schedule of events, and Mayor Goodnight shared a few words. The kids were out on the water from 8:00-11:00 even though rain showers came through throughout the morning. At 11:00, all of the boats and kids came in to weigh their catch. The Hoosier Open staff weighed each child’s catch and determined who caught the biggest fish in each category. Categories were based on age and were as follows: 6-9 years old, 10-12 years old, and 13-15 years old. The winners for the event were:

 

6-9 years old: Emily Bales, 5 fish, 23 lbs
10-12 years old: Andrew Nearon, 6 fish, 16 lbs
13-15 years old: Camden McGrew, 6 fish 13 lbs

 

In addition to a large trophy, the first place winners also received a rod and reel and a tacklebox donated by Outcasters Bass Club in Indianapolis. As Emily Bales was the overall winner with her 15 lb carp, she also received $25 cash and a certificate from Jeff and Terri Rood of the Hoosier Open. Every child who participated in the tournament received a trophy. After the weigh in, lunch was served to the public, the volunteers, and the kids and parents. Lunch included two hogs, donated by Frank Simpson of Simpsons deer processing in Young America, hotdogs, hamburgers, several sides, and homemade ice cream. Scott Lucas and his father spent the day at the event, helping announce winners and talking to the kids and parents.

More pictures from this event are located in a photo album on our Facebook page.