Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/119013
insight on banking By Tom Groe nfeldt Bankers: Mergers coming in 2013 State, regional business lenders stay on top of trends A ll signs are pointing to 2013 as a banner year for bank acquisitions and mergers in Wisconsin. What���s cloudy to most industry observers is whether Associated Bank will grow its own portfolio as a major buyer. Industry analyst Scott Siefers, who tracks Midwestern banks with the New York firm Sandler O���Neill, says Associated is a good candidate to acquire additional properties. 32 | Insight ��� A p r i l 2 013 ���I think a name like Associated is an acquirer,��� Siefers says. ���It competes on service with community banks and then it competes with national institutions like Wells Fargo and Chase by using the local bank angle. At the same time, it���s big enough to offer a broader product suite than a community bank.��� Community banks are those with assets under $1 billion and generally provide banking services to a local geographic area with deposits, investments and loans. About 96 percent of Wisconsin banks, slightly more than 250, are considered community banks. The number of community banks has declined nationally by more than 50 percent since 1985, according to research by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Many struggled with the financial meltdown that began in 2007 and more than 417 banks failed w w w. i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m