Orrville bank receives top rank

Staff report

ORRVILLE

First National Bank of Orrville recently was named one of the top 100 banks for its size in the nation in 2014 by SNL Financial.

The bank came in at No. 98 on the list of 100 top-performing banks of 2014 between $500 million and $5 billion.

SNL, a provider of financial information on more than 6,500 public companies and 50,000 private companies, ranked the best-performing community banks using six core financial performance metrics that focus on profitability, asset quality and growth for the 12-month period ending Dec. 31, 2014.

First National is the only Ohio bank to make the list.

“This is a defining list for our industry, and a defining moment for First National,” said Mark R. Witmer, president and chief executive officer at First National. “It’s a thrill to be listed among the best of your peers based on performance.”

First National recently reported record financial results for 2014, including loan growth of more than 22 percent. Moreover, the bank’s asset quality was among the nation’s best for any bank, with net charge-offs amounting to less than one-thirtieth of 1 percent of average loan volume. Those were among the specific metrics considered for the rankings.

First National is a community bank based in Orrville, with 113 employees and 14 banking offices in Orrville, Salem, Wooster, Massillon, Apple Creek, Dalton, Kidron, Lodi, Mount Eaton, Seville and Smithville.