First Commonwealth Financial Corporation Receives Regulatory Approval for Centric Financial Corporation Merger

INDIANA, Pa., Nov. 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Commonwealth Financial Corporation (NYSE: FCF) (“First Commonwealth”) today announced that it has received all regulatory approvals required to complete the previously announced merger of Centric Financial Corporation (“Centric”) with and into First Commonwealth and the merger of Centric Bank with and into First Commonwealth Bank.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has approved the merger of Centric Bank with and into First Commonwealth Bank, and the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities has approved the merger of Centric with and into First Commonwealth and the merger of the subsidiary banks. In addition, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland has granted First Commonwealth a waiver of its merger application requirements.

The completion of the merger remains subject to the approval of Centric shareholders and is expected to occur in the first quarter of 2023.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE MERGER AND WHERE TO FIND IT

First Commonwealth and Centric have filed a proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant documents with the SEC in connection with the merger.

THE SHAREHOLDERS OF CENTRIC ARE ADVISED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION.

The proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials (when they become available), and any other documents First Commonwealth and Centric have filed with the SEC, may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the documents First Commonwealth has filed with the SEC by contacting Matthew C. Tomb, Chief Risk Officer and General Counsel, First Commonwealth, 601 Philadelphia Street, Indiana, PA 15701, telephone: (800) 711-2265; and may obtain free copies of the proxy statement/prospectus by contacting Sandra L. Schultz, Chief Financial Officer, Centric Financial Corporation, 4320 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg, PA 17112, telephone: (717) 657-7727.

Centric and certain of its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from shareholders of Centric in connection with the proposed merger. Information concerning such participants’ ownership of Centric common shares will be set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus relating to the merger when they become available.

This communication is neither an offer to sell nor the solicitation of an offer to sell, subscribe for or buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. This communication is also not a solicitation of any vote in any jurisdiction pursuant to the proposed transactions or otherwise. No offer of securities or solicitation will be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

About First Commonwealth Financial Corporation

First Commonwealth Financial Corporation (NYSE: FCF), headquartered in Indiana, Pennsylvania, is a financial services Company with 119 community banking offices in 26 counties throughout western and central Pennsylvania and throughout Ohio, as well as business banking operations in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Canton, Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio. The Company also operates mortgage offices in Wexford, Pennsylvania, as well as Hudson, and Lewis Center, Ohio. First Commonwealth provides a full range of commercial banking, consumer banking, mortgage, equipment finance, wealth management and insurance products and services through its subsidiaries First Commonwealth Bank and First Commonwealth Insurance Agency.

About Centric Financial Corporation

Founded in 2007, Centric Financial Corporation, and its subsidiary, Centric Bank, is headquartered in south central Pennsylvania with assets of $1.1 billion and remains a leader in organic loan growth.  A locally owned, locally loaned community bank, Centric Bank provides competitive and pro-growth financial services to businesses, professionals, individuals, families, and the health care industry.  An American Banker 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018 Best Banks to Work For, three-time Best Places to Work, Top 50 Fastest-Growing Companies for eight years, and four times ranked a Top 200 Publicly Traded Community Bank by American Banker for financial performance.

Centric Bank has financial centers located in Harrisburg, Hershey, Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill, Doylestown, Devon, and Lancaster, loan production offices in Lancaster and Devon, and an Operations and Executive Office campus in Hampden Township, Cumberland County. To learn more about Centric Bank, call 717.657.7727, or visit CentricBank.com.  Connect with them on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Centric Financial Corporation is traded over the counter (OTC-Pink) with the ticker symbol CFCX.

Forward-looking Statements:

This joint press release of First Commonwealth and Centric contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, relating to present or future trends or factors affecting the banking industry and, specifically, the financial operations, markets and products of First Commonwealth and Centric.

Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as “believe”, “plan”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “outlook”, “estimate”, “forecast”, “will”, “should”, “project”, “goal”, and other similar words and expressions. These forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties. In addition to factors previously disclosed in First Commonwealth reports filed with the SEC and those identified elsewhere in this press release, the following factors among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements or historical performance: ability to meet other closing conditions to the merger, including approval by Centric shareholders; delay in closing the merger; difficulties and delays in integrating the businesses of Centric and First Commonwealth or fully realizing cost savings and other benefits; business disruption following the merger; changes in asset quality and credit risk; the inability to sustain revenue and earnings growth; changes in interest rates and capital markets; inflation; customer acceptance of First Commonwealth products and services; customer borrowing, repayment, investment and deposit practices; customer disintermediation; the introduction, withdrawal, success and timing of business initiatives; competitive conditions; the inability to realize anticipated cost savings or revenues or to implement integration plans and other consequences associated with mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; economic conditions; and the impact, extent and timing of technological changes, capital management activities, and the actions and policies of the federal and state bank regulatory authorities and legislative and regulatory actions and reforms. First Commonwealth Financial Corporation and Centric Financial Corporation undertake no obligation to revise these forward-looking statements or to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release.

CONTACT

Media Relations:

Jonathan E. Longwill
Vice President / Communications and Media Relations
Phone: 724-463-6806
E-mail: JLongwill@fcbanking.com

Investor Relations:

Ryan M. Thomas
Vice President / Finance and Investor Relations
Phone: 724-463-1690
E-mail: RThomas1@fcbanking.com

Source: First Commonwealth Financial Corporation