Escambia County Bank (“ECB”) and USAL Bancorp, Inc., parent company of AmeriFirst Bank, jointly announced today their entry into an Agreement and Plan of Merger pursuant to which ECB will be merged with and into AmeriFirst Bank.
Olsen Palmer LLC served as exclusive financial advisor and issued a fairness opinion to Escambia County Bank.
In connection with this transaction, ECB shareholders will receive cash consideration and will also be issued a one-time special cash dividend prior to closing, subject to adjustments and certain requirements.
The transaction, which has been approved unanimously by each company’s Board of Directors but remains subject to customary closing conditions including the approval of ECB’s shareholders and the receipt of required regulatory approvals, is expected to close no later than the first quarter of 2021.
The transaction also highlights Olsen Palmer’s ability to help our clients achieve their strategic objectives across market conditions.
Olsen Palmer LLC is ranked as the #2 bank M&A advisor nationwide according to S&P Global, based on the number of whole-bank M&A transactions advised upon in 2020 year-to-date.