SPARTA, Mich., Feb. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ChoiceOne Financial Services, Inc., (NASDAQ: COFS) ("ChoiceOne"), the parent company of ChoiceOne Bank, today announced the receipt of regulatory approval from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to complete the merger of Fentura Financial, Inc. (OTCQX: FETM) ("Fentura"), the parent company of The State Bank, with and into ChoiceOne, with ChoiceOne continuing as the surviving corporation. Following completion of the merger, the combined organization will be headquartered in Sparta, Michigan and operate under the ChoiceOne name and brand.
(PRNewsfoto/ChoiceOne Financial Services, I)
"We believe this merger is a tremendous opportunity for our customers, communities, employees and shareholders and complements our vision to be the best bank in Michigan," said ChoiceOne CEO Kelly Potes. "Joining forces with Fentura is a natural geographical and cultural fit for ChoiceOne. It allows ChoiceOne to extend our footprint into Genesee, Jackson, Livingston, Ingham, Saginaw, Shiawassee, and Bay counties and enhance the commitment that both The State Bank and ChoiceOne Bank have to our Michigan customers and communities."
Following completion of the transaction, ChoiceOne Financial Services, Inc. will be an approximately $4.3 billion-asset bank holding company with 56 offices in West and Southeastern Michigan. The transaction is expected to be effective on March 1, 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The bank consolidation is expected to be effective on March 14, 2025.
About ChoiceOne Financial Services, Inc. and ChoiceOne Bank ChoiceOne Financial Services, Inc. is a financial holding company headquartered in Sparta, Michigan, and the parent corporation of ChoiceOne Bank, Member FDIC. ChoiceOne Bank operates 35 offices in parts of Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, Newaygo, Lapeer, St. Clair, Macomb, and Oakland counties. ChoiceOne is an approximately $2.6 billion-asset bank holding company making it the eighth largest bank holding company in Michigan based on asset size. ChoiceOne Bank offers insurance and investment products through its subsidiary, ChoiceOne Insurance Agencies, Inc. ChoiceOne Financial Services, Inc. common stock is quoted on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol "COFS." For more information, please visit Investor Relations at ChoiceOne's website www.choiceone.bank.
About Fentura Financial, Inc. and The State Bank Fentura Financial, Inc. is the holding company for The State Bank. It was formed in 1987 and is traded on the OTCQX under the symbol "FETM."
The State Bank is a commercial, retail and trust bank headquartered in Fenton, Michigan. It currently operates 21 offices serving Bay, Genesee, Ingham, Livingston, Jackson, Oakland, Saginaw, and Shiawassee counties. The State Bank believes in the potential of banking to help create better lives, better businesses, and better communities, and works to achieve this through its full array of consumer, mortgage, SBA, commercial and wealth management banking and advisory services, together with philanthropic and volunteer support to organizations and groups within the communities it serves. More information can be found at www.thestatebank.com or www.fentura.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This report and its exhibits contain forward-looking statements. Words such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "forecasts," "intends," "is likely," "plans," "predicts," "projects," "may," "could," "look forward," "continue", "future" and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the outlook and expectations of ChoiceOne or Fentura with respect to their planned merger pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated July 25, 2024 (the "Merger Agreement"), the strategic benefits and financial benefits of the merger, including the expected impact of the proposed transaction on the combined company's future financial performance and the timing of the closing of the proposed transaction. These statements reflect current beliefs as to the expected outcomes of future events and are not guarantees of future performance. These statements involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions ("risk factors") that are difficult to predict with regard to timing, extent, likelihood and degree of occurrence. Therefore, actual results and outcomes may materially differ from what may be expressed, implied or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. Furthermore, ChoiceOne does not undertake any obligation to update, amend, or clarify forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Such risks, uncertainties and assumptions, include, among others, the following:
the failure of either party to satisfy any closing condition to the proposed transaction on a timely basis or at all;
the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the right of one or both of the parties to terminate the Merger Agreement;
the possibility that the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction are not 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, competitive factors in the areas where ChoiceOne and Fentura do business, or as a result of other unexpected factors or events;
the impact of purchase accounting with respect to the proposed transaction, or any change in the assumptions used regarding the assets purchased and liabilities assumed to determine their fair value;
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 proposed transaction; or
the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against ChoiceOne or Fentura.
Additional risk factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors described in Item 1A in ChoiceOne's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and in any of ChoiceOne's subsequent SEC filings, which are available on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov.
