Harris Acquires Deposits and Certain Loans of AMCORE Bank N.A; Expands Presence in Illinois and Wisconsin

CHICAGO and TORONTO, April 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Harris N.A., a part of BMO Financial Group (NYSE: BMO; TSX: BMO), today announced its acquisition of certain assets and liabilities of Rockford, Ill.-based AMCORE Bank, N.A. (AMCORE) from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), effective immediately.

"We are proud to welcome our new customers to Harris. Ensuring they and every one of our new employees feel welcome is a high priority as we work together to bring Harris' well-known name and excellent service to them," said Bill Downe, President and CEO of BMO Financial Group.

"The FDIC's effort to help bring greater stability to the industry is something we are pleased to support. This is a perfect strategic fit that accelerates our growth strategy and reinforces our already strong position in the U.S. Midwest. The addition of this franchise – quality locations and a valuable customer base – supports our current market share and expands Harris' branch network into communities in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, including Madison and Rockford, where we already have a strong and growing commercial banking presence."  

The 52 branches of AMCORE will reopen as Harris on Saturday, April 24. Customers can continue to bank with confidence at these locations and will be served by the same talented teams. Deposits of former AMCORE customers will remain insured by the FDIC up to the applicable federal deposit insurance limits and they can continue to access their money by writing checks and using their debit cards or ATMs. Checks drawn on AMCORE will continue to be processed, and loan customers should continue to make payments as usual. Harris is a strong and stable financial institution and customers can feel confident that their bank deposits with Harris are safe and secure.

"Harris is a leading financial institution that has served the Midwest for more than 125 years and has a long reputation for honesty and fair dealing," said Ellen Costello, President and CEO, Harris Financial Corp. "We warmly welcome our new customers and colleagues, and are committed to making this an excellent transition for all. We are very excited about expanding our overall presence in these areas and will be providing on-the-ground resources for our new employees. We are also looking forward to building on the strong customer and community relationships that AMCORE established."

Customers with questions about the transaction can call the FDIC Call Center toll-free at 1-800-591-2767. The hotline is open today until 9:00 p.m. CDT; on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. CDT; and on Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. CDT. Information is also available on the FDIC's Web site, www.fdic.gov.

Financial highlights of the transaction include:

• The assumption of approximately U.S. $2.1 billion in deposits
• Acquisition of approximately U.S. $2.5 billion in assets, including approximately U.S. $2.0 billion in loans
• All loans are covered by an 80/20 loss share agreement with the FDIC covering 80% of potential loan losses
• Approximately U.S. $2.4 billion in trust, investment and brokerage assets under management
• The transaction is not material to BMO Financial Group earnings or capital

*FDIC deposit insurance is $250,000 per depositor per institution through December 31, 2013. For more information on FDIC deposit insurance, please visit www.fdic.gov.

About Harris

Harris is an integrated financial service organization providing more than 1.2 million personal, business and corporate clients with banking, lending, investing and wealth management solutions. The organization is a member of the BMO Financial Group (NYSE, TSX: BMO).

About BMO Financial Group

Established in 1817 as Bank of Montreal, BMO Financial Group is a highly diversified North American financial services organization. With total assets of $399 billion as at January 31, 2010, and 36,000 employees, BMO provides a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and solutions. BMO Financial Group serves clients across Canada through its Canadian retail arm, BMO Bank of Montreal, and through its wealth management firms BMO Nesbitt Burns, BMO InvestorLine and BMO Harris Private Banking. BMO Capital Markets, our North American investment and corporate banking division, provides a full suite of financial products and services to our North American and international clients. BMO also serves personal and commercial clients in the United States through Chicago-based Harris.

For more information regarding this acquisition please go to www.bmo.com/investorrelations to review the investor presentation.

Harris® is a trade name used by various financial service subsidiaries of Harris Financial Corp.  Banking products and services are provided by Harris N.A., The Harris Bank, N.A. and their bank affiliates, Members FDIC.  Brokerage products are offered through Harris Investor Services, Inc. (HIS), a registered broker/dealer, member FINRA/SIPC, and SEC-registered investment adviser.  Insurance and annuities are offered through Harris Bancorp Insurance Services, Inc. (HBIS). Investment banking services are provided by BMO Capital Markets Corp. (BMOCM), a registered broker dealer and member NYSE, FINRA and SIPC.  HIS, HBIS and BMOCM are affiliated companies and are wholly owned subsidiaries of Harris Financial Corp.  Products offered by HIS, HBIS and BMOCM are Not Insured by the FDIC or any Federal Government Agency, Not a Deposit of or Guaranteed by Any Bank or Bank Affiliate, May Lose Value.  The purchase of insurance or an annuity is not a condition to any bank loan or service.  Financial planning and investment advisory services are provided by Sullivan, Bruyette, Speros & Blayney, Inc., an SEC registered investment adviser.  Family Office Services are provided by Harris myCFO, Inc.  Investment advisory services are offered by Harris myCFO Investment Advisory Services LLC, a SEC-registered investment adviser and wholly-owned subsidiary of Harris myCFO, Inc. Investment advisory services to institutional clients are provided by Harris Investment Management (HIM), a SEC-registered investment adviser.   Not all products and services are offered in every state and/or location.

SOURCE Harris; BMO Financial Group