During the first six months of 2025, 62 banks merged or consolidated into other U.S. banks and, while we reported on the largest bank acquisitions in August, today we are focusing on the of size the acquired bank relative to the size of the acquirer.

More specifically, we are looking the 25 U.S. banks that increased their asset size by at least one-third as a result of these acquisitions or consolidations.

Forty percent of these transactions took place in either Illinois or Texas.

25 of the Year’s Largest Bank Acquisitions

During the first six months of 2025, 62 banks merged or consolidated into other U.S. banks. (We reported on the largest 50 bank acquisitions  by asset size in August (JRN 42:30)).

This week, we are taking a different approach. On page 5 you will find 25 banks that increased their asset size by at least one-third as a result of acquisitions or consolidations.

Among the more interesting transactions was that of Foresight Financial Group, Winnebago, IL, which completed the consolidation of its six community banks in May.

They were:

Bank Name	Illinois City	Asset Size
State Bank of Davis	Davis	$171 million
Lena State Bank	Lena	$97 million
Northwest Bank of Rockford	Rockford	$483 million
State Bank of Herscher	Herscher	$157 million
State Bank	Freeport	$386 million
German-American Bank	Winnebago	$335 million

The surviving bank, 4-Star German-American Bank, was renamed to Foresight Bank, Winnebago, IL (5749) and now boasts assets of $1.6 billion (an increase of 371%). That easily puts Foresight Bank at the top of the list on page 5.

The new unified structure will enable Foresight to harness economies of scale while maintaining its community bank edge. It is the only locally headquartered and managed bank in Winnebago County.

Fact: After this consolidation, only nine bank holding companies remain with more than four separate bank charters.

The 2nd bank on page 5, 4-Star Kendall Bank, Overland Park, KS (8110) was a $159 million asset bank, that acquired the $50 million asset State Bank of Spring Hill, KS. That’s only a 31% increase in assets, not enough to put Kendall Bank on page 5, let alone in the second spot.

However, along with the bank, Kendall Bank simultaneously took over the FDIC Certificate # (8110) from State Bank of Spring Hill. This surviving certificate number is the older of the two (1892 versus 1927), which may be the reason for the choice. Regardless of the reason, that decision resulted in a 320% jump in assets, instead of 31%.

We now skip to 4-Star Longview Community Bank, Mount Pulaski, IL (11319), the 4th bank on page 5, and another oldie. Established in 1872 as Farmers Bank of Mt. Pulaski, Longview Community Bank continues its mission of bringing accessible banking to rural areas.

It was pretty much status quo at Farmers Bank of Mt. Pulaski for the first century and a half. Aside from adding a detached drive-thru facility, not much changed. In 2022, as if to signal a new era was dawning, the bank name was changed to Longview Community Bank. This newly named bank acquired nearby Bank of Chestnut in 2023, increasing its assets by 35%, but keeping them under $100 million. That milestone passed the following year (2024) - organically.

Longview Community Bank’s growth plans were even bigger for 2025. After acquiring the $146 million asset Bank of Gibson City in March, it opened another new (de novo) office in Clinton in May. The combination of these events grew Longview’s assets another 150%.

Now we turn our attention to 5-Star First Liberty Bank, Liberty, TX (3301), which closed out 2024 with roughly half a billion dollars in assets. In February 2025, it purchased the two community bank affiliates of Coastal Bancshares, Inc., Pearland, TX. These included the $188.9 million asset Pearland State Bank, Pearland, TX and the $162.7 million First National Bank of Alvin, TX. Small by themselves, these additions propelled First Liberty Bank’s assets up 71% to over $825 million.

Farther down the page, you’ll see 5-Star Busey Bank, Champaign, IL (16450), the first bank we’ll discuss that is not a community bank. Busey is a prolific acquirer, averaging about one acquisition every other year. It ended 2024 with $12 billion in assets, but after its June acquisition of CrossFirst Bank, Leawood, KS, it is now close to $19 billion.

5-Star Atlantic Union Bank, Richmond, VA (34589), another non-community bank,  acquires at a slower pace than Busey Bank, but seems to have a particular affinity with April Fools’ Day. After acquiring the $3.1 billion asset American NB&TC, Danville, VA on April 1, 2024, it purchased Sandy Spring Bank, Olney, MD, with $13.8 billion in assets April 1, 2025. It will likely take a breather after this one, but we do expect it to return.

The people of Long Island will surely miss  First NB of Long Island, NY (assets $4.1 billion). Established in 1927, the Long Island pillar was acquired on June 1st by the much younger 4-Star ConnectOne Bank, Englewood Cliffs, NJ (57919). ConnectOne was chartered in 2005 and, after this 40% increase in assets, is approaching the $14 billion mark. It operates through 61 branch offices, mainly in New York and New Jersey.

Established in 1906 as First NB of Syracuse, the rebranded 5-Star Dream First Bank, N.A., Syracuse, KS (4779) has purchased two banks since 2023. First, it bought the $139 million asset Heartland Tri-State Bank of Elkhart, KS from the FDIC after crypto fraud brought it down. This year, it acquired the troubled 2-Star BancCentral, NA, Alva, OK. BancCentral had been a fixture on Bauer’s Troubled & Problematic Bank Report for years. Sadly, this was the best resolution.