Meridian Corp. in Malvern, Pa., has entered Florida after hiring a former bank CEO. The $1.9 billion-asset company said in a press release that it has opened a loan-production office in Bonita Springs, near Fort Myers. Meridian hired Wayne Griest, former CEO of Continental Bank in Philadelphia, to lead the Florida expansion. Griest moved to Bonita Springs after Continental was sold Bryn Mawr Trust in 2014. The company said it has already hired

Farm Bureau Bank in Reno, Nev., plans to buy small-business loans originated by Funding Circle as part of a new partnership with the online lending platform. The $807 million-asset bank said the loans it buys will include those made to the agricultural community. “Our work with Farm Bureau Bank reflects our ongoing commitment to identifying and pursuing partnerships that allow us to support affordable funding options for diverse small business owners across

Pacific West Bank in West Linn, Ore., could soon have a new president. The $300 million-asset bank said in a press release that Jason Wessling is set to take over the post, subject to regulatory approval. He will remain Pacific West’s chief financial officer and join the board. Wessling "was the first executive recruited after the capital raise in 2018,” Terry Peterson, the bank’s CEO, said in the release. “His accomplishments were magnified

Comerica in Dallas has tapped an insider to oversee its national lending platforms. The $87 billion-asset company said in a press release Thursday that Mike Ritchie had been named head of national and specialty businesses, a newly created position. He had been Comerica’s Michigan market president since 2013. Steve Davis, who had been Comerica’s senior vice president of middle-market banking, succeeded Ritchie as Michigan market president. He will oversee business and community

PNC Financial Services Group in Pittsburgh is the latest large bank to eliminate nonsufficient fund (NSF) fees for consumer clients. The $552 billion-asset company did not disclose the financial impact of the move or when it will stop charging the fees. "PNC is focused on building a platform that empowers the financial well-being of its customers," Alex Overstrom, the company’s head of retail banking, said in the release. "Over the last several years,

FS Bancorp in Mountlake Terrace, Wash., has partnered with a fintech to create a loan application portal for home improvement projects. The $2.4 billion-asset company said in a press release that LoanStar Technologies in Swarthmore, Pa., has created a portal to prove bank financing to consumers looking to buy windows, roofs, solar panels and other goods and services. "We see LoanStar as a true technology partner," Ben Crowl, the bank’s director of

The pending purchase of Liberty Bancshares in Ada, Ohio, will help Middlefield Banc Corp. in Middlefield, Ohio, address a succession issue. The $1.3 billion-asset Middlefield agreed in May to buy the $437 million-asset Liberty for $64.4 million. The companies said at the time the deal was announced that Ronald Zimmerly Jr., Liberty’s president and CEO, would become Middlefield’s president after the deal closes. A regulatory filing associated with the merger makes it

Thread Bank in Rogersville, Tenn., has formed a strategic partnership with Unit, a Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform. Unit, which helps clients embed financial services into their products, said in a press release Wednesday that the $298 million-asset Thread is one of four banking partners it uses. "In collaboration with Thread, Unit will be able to empower more companies to offer unique banking solutions based on industry-leading technology and partners," Itai Damti, Unit’s CEO,