First Bank Honored as Distinguished Corporation of the Year

MIDJersey Chamber Recognizes Bank’s Dedication to Business Community, Growth

HAMILTON, N.J. – April 7, 2017 – First Bank, one of the fastest growing community banks in the United States, was honored as the Distinguished Corporation of the Year by the MIDJersey Chamber of Commerce last night.

“First Bank has grown substantially during my time as Chairman of the Board at the MIDJersey Chamber of Commerce,” said MIDJersey Chamber Chairman Paul Kuhl. “They have made the community a better place through support and investment. Their community-banking model is a distinguishing feature and puts them in a class of their own. They are a leader in business and actively engaged in the community. We fully expect they will continue to grow while never wavering from their community ideals.”

“The relationships we have built through the Chamber have been essential to the bank’s exponential growth and becoming part of the fabric of the communities we serve,” said Patrick Ryan, CEO of First Bank. “We are so humbled and honored to receive this recognition from the business community.”

The Distinguished Corporation of the Year award recognizes a business (more than 100 employees) that has had a significant impact on economic development in Central Jersey.

First Bank, a 10-branch community bank headquartered in Hamilton, achieved 30 percent loan growth in 2016 and surpassed an important milestone of $1.1 billion in total assets. The bank announced the acquisition of Bucks County Bank last month, which will add four additional branches in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

According to data gathered from business-intelligence firm SNL Financial, First Bank was one of the fastest growing community banks based on asset growth in 2015, ranking sixth out of 432 community banks (<$1B 2015 assets) across the nation. When compared to 104 other Mid-Atlantic community banks, First Bank grew the fastest from the second quarter of 2012 to the same quarter in 2015.

Ryan, who helped recapitalize First Bank in 2008, has served as the CEO since 2013. He began his 20-year banking career in 1997 as an investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs, working in New York and London. Then, he worked in corporate development at Medsite, and was a consultant at the management consulting firm Bain and Company. He managed the Corporate Development department at Yardville National Bank, prior to leading First Bank.

Commitment to community comes from the top down, with Ryan’s involvement with several regional nonprofit organizations, including the Hamilton Partnership, the Mercer County 200 Club, the Friendly Sons and Daughters of St. Patrick, Crossroads of the American Revolution, the Community Bankers Association, the NJ Bankers Association and the Ancient Order of Hibernians. He also serves on the board of trustees for the Trenton Area YMCA.

Ryan was recently appointed to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council (CDIAC). The 12-member CDIAC comprises representatives from commercial banks, thrift institutions and credit unions. The council convenes twice a year with officials from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia to share insights about economic and business trends facing community depository institutions in their local markets. After each local meeting, a representative from the Philadelphia council joins counterparts from other Federal Reserve Banks at a meeting hosted by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in Washington, D.C.

“Congratulations to the other honorees who include Ancero for Outstanding Small Business of the Year, ELEC 825 for Community Impact and Greg Blair of Nottingham Insurance as Citizen of the Year,” Ryan said. “It is an honor to be recognized with these outstanding companies and individuals.”

The recognition was presented during an awards reception at the Stone Terrace by John Henry on April 6.

For more information about First Bank, visit www.FirstBankNJ.com.

###

PHOTO CAPTION: Photo by Michael Dill Photography. Patrick M. Ryan, chairman of the board, First Bank (center) accepts the MidJersey Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Corporation of the Year award from award sponsors Jeffrey Barnhart, Creative Marketing Alliance (CMA) president and CEO (right) and Chris Borden, account executive at Borden Perlman Salisbury & Kelly (left), at the Chamber’s Annual Awards Gala on April 6 at the Stone Terrace by John Henry in Hamilton.

About First Bank

First Bank (www.firstbanknj.com) is a New Jersey state-chartered bank with 10 full-service branches in Cranbury, Denville, Ewing, Flemington, Hamilton, Lawrence, Randolph, Somerset and Williamstown, New Jersey, and Trevose, Pa. With approximately $1.1 billion in assets as of December 31, 2016, First Bank offers a traditional range of deposit and loan products to individuals, families and businesses throughout the New York City to Philadelphia corridor. First Bank’s common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “FRBA.”

About MIDJersey Chamber of Commerce

For 147 years, the MIDJersey Chamber of Commerce has represented and supported the diverse Central New Jersey business community through growth-driven solutions and services. The Chamber unites the region with a common goal of collective economic, social and cultural growth, and serves as a hub for business resources and valuable relationships. Please visit www.midjerseychamber.org for more information.