Make No Mistake, First Midwest Bank Is Thriving

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Now more than ever, it's important to understand the distinction between banks that are struggling and a strong and trusted bank like First Midwest – focused on growing, lending money, and meeting the needs of our clients and communities when others can't.

With the news of Midwest Bank and Trust's failure on Friday, May 14, 2010, we want to make things perfectly clear – First Midwest Bank is not Midwest Bank and Trust, and we are not associated with them in any way.

Any similarity between First Midwest Bank and Midwest Bank and Trust ends with our name.

The following information is designed to help our clients, friends, and neighbors make sense of this situation. Please read on and rest assured, First Midwest Bank remains strong and trusted.

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"We are actively lending and able to fulfill all of our clients' needs."

Michael L. Skimmer – President and CEO, First Midwest Bancorp, Inc.

 

In such a competitive marketplace, First Midwest Bank continues to thrive. Whether you measure their performance by capital ratios or customer service scores, they have managed to outperform their peers and competitors both large and small. "Because our capital foundation is one of the strongest in all of Chicagoland, and because we have never wavered from our core values, we're able to focus on what matters most – our clients and our communities," said Michael Scudder, CEO of First Midwest Bancorp, based locally in Itasca, IL.

While dedicated to their local roots, First Midwest has grown to serve 64 communities with some 100 branches.

Underscoring their strong capital position with recent acquisitions in Westmont and Peotone, Illinois, First Midwest continues to expand its footprint, bringing high quality community banking to an ever-increasing number of clients. "Over one quarter million clients have chosen First Midwest Bank as the bank they trust most," Scudder said. "And we work hard every day to continue earning that trust."

Yet another solid example of First Midwest's strength and client focus in their appetite to lend. "Maintaining a strong capital position and growing deposit base also allows us to provide the funding our clients need," said Scudder. "We are actively lending and remain ready, willing, and able to fulfill all of our clients' needs."

With so many banks throughout the marketplace, it's possible to get confused and mistake one bank for another. But, make no mistake about it, First Midwest is not just another bank. They have been writing their success story for 70 years and counting, fueled by the desire to help all of their clients' hard work pay off. Scudder added, "every First Midwest banker is a client advocate, personally committed to each client's financial success." That's a committment that starts with him and manifests itself in a thriving community bank with many more chapters yet to be written.

In Short, First Midwest Bank Is Safe And Sound

We fully appreciate your need for accurate information relative to the protection of your assets and would like to offer the services of First Midwest Bank to assist you any way we can. Our goal is to help you meet your financial needs in this, and any, economic climate.

We are absolutely open for business as usual.