Discover the Power of First Merchants Corporation

Introduction

First Merchants Corporation is a financial holding company in Central Indiana that includes First Merchants Bank and First Merchants Private Wealth Advisors, a division of First Merchants Bank. As of April 2022, its total asset size was $18.0 billion, and it is listed on NASDAQ as FRME. First Merchants Corporation offers commercial banking, personal banking, and investment advisor services. In this article, we will look at the history of First Merchants Bank as well as the recognitions it has received.

History

First Merchants Bank has been growing organically and through mergers and acquisitions. Since 1893, the bank has been acquiring banks, and its list of acquisitions includes Merchants National Bank in Muncie, IN (1893), Pendleton Banking Company in Pendleton, IN (1988), and First United Bank in Middletown, IN (1991). In 1996, First Merchants Bank acquired Union County National Bank in Liberty, IN, and The Randolph County Bank in Winchester, IN. In subsequent years, the bank has acquired several other banks and institutions, including the First National Bank of Portland, Portland, IN (1999), Anderson Community Bank, Anderson, IN (1999), Decatur Bank & Trust, Decatur, IN (2000), Frances Slocum Bank & Trust, Wabash, IN (2001), Lafayette Bank & Trust, Lafayette, IN (2002), Commerce National Bank, Columbus, OH (2003), Lincoln Bank, Plainfield, IN (2008), Shelby County Bank, Shelbyville, IN (2012), Citizens Financial Bank, Munster, IN (2013), Community Bank, Noblesville, IN (2014), Cooper State Bank, Columbus, OH (2015), Ameriana Bank, New Castle, IN (2015), Arlington Bank in Columbus, OH (2017), iAB Bank in Fort Wayne, IN (2017), Monroe Bank and Trust in Monroe, MI (2019), Hoosier Trust Company in Indianapolis, IN (2020), and Level One Bank in Farmington Hills, MI (2022).

Recognition

First Merchants Bank has been recognized for its excellence in banking services and workplace culture. Forbes has ranked First Merchants Bank as one of America's Best Banks in June 2022 for five years straight. Forbes also ranked First Merchants Bank as a top U.S. bank in March 2021 for the fourth consecutive year. In January 2019, Forbes ranked First Merchants Bank #2 on the “America's Best Bank list, up from the bank's #4 ranking in 2018. In addition, First Merchants Bank has been a recipient of several workplace culture awards. Best Companies Group voted the bank as the fourth-best employer to work for in Indiana in May 2022. The Indiana Chamber of Commerce awarded First Merchants Bank as one of the "Best Places to Work in Indiana" in 2018 and 2019, while Columbus Business First named the bank one of the "Best Places to Work" in 2018. First Merchants Bank was listed as one of the top big banks in the USA by Newsweek magazine in 2022 and was named one of the top 20 banks in the USA by S&P Global Market Intelligence in 2022. Comparably gives First Merchants Bank an A rating on its Culture Score, with a 4.7 out of a 5-star rating based on 133 employee survey responses as of June 2022.

Conclusion

First Merchants Corporation is a financial holding company based in Central Indiana that has grown organically and through mergers and acquisitions since 1893. First Merchants Bank, an arm of the corporation, has received several recognitions for its outstanding banking services and workplace culture. Forbes has consistently ranked First Merchants Bank as one of America's Best Banks, and Best Companies Group voted the bank as the fourth-best employer to work for in Indiana. The Indiana Chamber of Commerce and Columbus Business First also recognized the bank as one of the "Best Places to Work." Overall, First Merchants Bank is an excellent choice for those looking for banking services in Central Indiana.