UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
______________________________
DATE OF REPORT (Date of earliest event reported): April 23, 2004
______________________________
FIRST MERCHANTS CORPORATION
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
_______________________________
INDIANA
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)
0-17071 35-1544218
(Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification No.)
200 East Jackson Street
P.O. Box 792
Muncie, Indiana 47305-2814
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (765) 747-1500
Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(a) Not Applicable.
(b) Not Applicable.
(c) (99) Press Release dated April 23, 2004.
Item 9. Other Events and Regulation FD Disclosure.
On April 23, 2004, First Merchants Corporation (the "Corporation")
announced its intention to merge two (2) of its wholly-owned subsidiaries: The
Randolph County Bank, National Association and The Union County National Bank of
Liberty. The resulting financial institution will be named "Union Communities
National Bank." The Corporation intends to complete the merger by December 31,
2004. A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99 to this report and
is furnished pursuant to Regulation FD.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
DATE: April 27, 2004.
FIRST MERCHANTS CORPORATION
By:/s/ Larry R. Helms
_______________________________________
Larry R. Helms,
Senior Vice President
EXHIBIT INDEX
(99) Press Release dated April 23, 2004.
N / E / W / S R / E / L / E / A / S / E
April 23, 2004
Exhibit 99
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Randolph County Bank & The Union County National Bank to Merge
Michael L. Cox, President and Chief Executive Officer of First Merchants
Corporation, announced today that the board of directors of First Merchants
Corporation has agreed to merge two affiliates by the end of the year as the
result of a retiring president. The affiliates to be merged are The Randolph
County Bank of Winchester and Union City, led by President James A. Meinerding,
and The Union County National Bank of Liberty, led by Norm Locke, who will
retire at the end of 2004.
The resulting bank will have $290 million in assets and 90 employees. The bank's
name will be "United Communities National Bank" in keeping with the spirit of
our corporate commitment to community banking. Meinerding will be president of
the resulting bank. All directors, officers, and employees will remain. As
always, our philosophy is to keep a "decision maker" in front of the customer.
Cox states, "This merger reaffirms our long-term strategic objectives of
preserving community banking while positively impacting our competitive position
in markets we now serve. We remain committed to being the provider of choice in
banking, trust, and insurance services to our communities." The United
Communities National Bank (UCNB) will have offices in Winchester, Union City,
Richmond, Liberty, Connersville, Indiana; as well as Oxford, Ohio.
First Merchants Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in
Muncie, Indiana. Subsidiaries of the Corporation include First Merchants Bank,
NA, Madison Community Bank, NA, First United Bank, NA, Union County National
Bank, The Randolph County Bank, NA, First National Bank, Decatur Bank & Trust
Company, NA, Frances Slocum Bank, NA, Lafayette Bank & Trust Company, NA,
Commerce National Bank, and Merchants Trust Company. The Corporation also
operates First Merchants Insurance Services, a full-service property, casualty,
personal line, and healthcare insurance agency, headquartered in Muncie,
Indiana, and is a majority member of Indiana Title Insurance Company, LLC, a
title insurance agency.