Company will acquire KansasLand Bank, add Western and Central Kansas locations
Equity Bancshares, Inc. (NYSE:EQBK) ("Equity" or the "Company"), the Wichita-based holding company of Equity Bank, announced today its entry into a definitive merger agreement with KansasLand Bancshares Inc. ("KansasLand"), the parent company of KansasLand Bank in Quinter and Americus, Kansas, adding two locations to Equity Bank's current network. Equity has one bank in Quinter, and two locations in Topeka, northeast of Americus.
"We are proud to work with KansasLand Bank to add two new Equity locations in our home state of Kansas," said Brad Elliott, Equity Chairman & Chief Executive Officer. "These regions of Kansas are important to our state and offer excellent opportunities for Equity to continue to enact our mission. This merger underscores our commitment to serving communities across the state, providing people with access to financial services and fostering economic growth. We intend to continue to build lasting relationships and support the aspirations of families and businesses in Americus and Gove County."
"We are pleased to join the Equity Bank family and network," said Scott Bird, President, Chairman & CEO of KansasLand Bank. "This merger will provide our customers unparalleled customer service and access to state-of-the-art financial products and services, while ensuring the continuation of our mission of giving back to our communities."
"We welcome all KansasLand customers and team members," said Levi Getz, Equity Bank Regional President, Western Kansas. "We're honored to have this opportunity to bring these organizations together and serve our communities."
Since 2002, Equity Bank has completed 23 combined whole-bank, deposit, or branch acquisitions. In February, the Company completed its acquisition of Rockhold Bancorp and its subsidiary, the Bank of Kirksville, which added eight North Central Missouri offices, in just 67 days.
A pro forma Equity, including two KansasLand locations, will comprise a network of 73 bank locations, including 38 offices in Kansas, and $5.3 billion in total assets.
Established in 1902, KansasLand currently operates two locations in Kansas, one in Quinter and one in Americus. KansasLand had $55 million in consolidated total assets and $43 million in total deposits as of December 31, 2023.
About Equity Bancshares, Inc.
Equity Bancshares, Inc. is the holding company for Equity Bank, offering a full range of financial solutions, including commercial loans, consumer banking, mortgage loans, trust and wealth management services and treasury management services, while delivering the high-quality, relationship-based customer service of a community bank. Equity's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "EQBK." Learn more at www.equitybank.com.
Special Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements reflect the current views of Equity's management with respect to, among other things, future events and Equity's financial performance. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as "may," "should," "could," "predict," "potential," "believe," "will likely result," "expect," "continue," "will," "anticipate," "seek," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "project," "forecast," "goal," "target," "would" and "outlook," or the negative variations of those words or other comparable words of a future or forward-looking nature. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about Equity's industry, management's beliefs and certain assumptions made by management, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond Equity's control. Accordingly, Equity cautions you that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, assumptions and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Although Equity believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, actual results may prove to be materially different from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Equity's expectations include competition from other financial institutions and bank holding companies; the effects of and changes in trade, monetary and fiscal policies and laws, including interest rate policies of the Federal Reserve Board; changes in the demand for loans; fluctuations in value of collateral and loan reserves; inflation, interest rate, market and monetary fluctuations; changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits; and acquisitions and integration of acquired businesses; and similar variables. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. In addition, the following factors, among others, related to the proposed transaction between Equity and KansasLand, could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from forward-looking statements or historical performance: the possibility that the proposed transaction will not close when expected or at all because required regulatory or other approvals are not received or other conditions to the closing are not satisfied on a timely basis or at all, or are obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted in connection with the proposed transaction; the possibility that the anticipated benefits of the transaction will not be realized when expected or at all, including as a result of the impact of, or problems arising from, the integration of the two companies or as a result of the strength of the economy and competitive factors in the areas where companies do business; the possibility that the transaction may be more expensive to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events; diversion of management's attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities; potential adverse reactions or changes to business or employee relationships, including those resulting from the announcement or completion of the transaction; the business, economic and political conditions in the markets in which the parties operate; the risk that the proposed combination and its announcement could have an adverse effect the parties' ability to retain customers and retain or hire key personnel and maintain relationships with customers; the risk that the proposed combination may be more difficult, time-consuming or expensive than anticipated; and other factors that may affect future results of Equity.
For discussion of these and other risks that may cause actual results to differ from expectations, please refer to "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in Equity's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 7, 2024, and any updates to those risk factors set forth in Equity's subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K. If one or more events related to these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or if Equity's underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may differ materially from what Equity anticipates. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and Equity does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time and it is not possible for us to predict those events or how they may affect us. In addition, Equity cannot assess the impact of each factor on Equity's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements, expressed or implied, included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. This cautionary statement should also be considered in connection with any subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements that Equity or persons acting on Equity's behalf may issue.
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