Final Step of First Financial Merger Completes

First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ: FFBC) announced it has completed the conversion of MainSource Financial Group into First Financial as the final step of the merger of the two companies. The systems, locations and branding were combined over Memorial Day weekend, resulting in more than 150 banking center locations across First Financial’s footprint of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky.

Additionally, this strategic combination has increased the bank’s total asset size from $8.9 billion to approximately $14 billion and positions First Financial as the fourth largest bank ranked in deposits in its headquarter market of Cincinnati.

“We open our doors today as a stronger organization with an increased depth of products, services, talent and size to compete in a rapidly evolving industry,” said Archie Brown, CEO of First Financial Bank. “Most importantly, we have combined our great teams to better serve our clients, both now and in the future.”

In addition to strategically increasing in size and strengthening First Financial’s footprint, the completed merger helps create the scale needed for continued growth, including the ability to invest in technology to improve client experience.

“This is a significant day in our company’s history,” said Claude Davis, Executive Chairman of First Financial Bank. “It’s something we’ve worked toward during the course of my time here, and it marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for our bank. I’m proud of all we have accomplished, and look forward to continuing our trajectory of growth.”