First Place Bank continues its expansion

WARREN — First Place Bank continues to expand westward with the addition of a small-town bank in Defiance County.

The Warren-based bank said Thursday that it has signed a deal to acquire HBLS Bank in Hicksville.

The deal has been approved by the HBLS board of directors and is expected to close by the end of the year.

First Place expanded its geographic reach in 2004 by acquiring Franklin Bank in southeast Michigan and since then has been acquiring and building branches between here and there.

HBLS has one office, which is to become part of First Place. The company, which is formally known as Hicksville Building, Loan and Savings Bank, has $54 million in assets, which are generally loans in the banking industry.

For more on this story, see The Vindicator or www.vindy.com Friday.