Northwest to Acquire Best Insurance Agency, Inc.

WARREN, Pa., March 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwest Bank announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement, effective April 1, 2016, to acquire Best Insurance Agency, Inc., an employee benefits and property casualty insurance firm.

Specializing in comprehensive insurance planning, the Best Insurance Agency has served an extensive list of personal and commercial clients from its location in Butler, Pennsylvania.

As part of the acquisition, Best principals Don Best, Carol Best McClean, Mike Reese and Ray Rosenbauer will continue to operate from their current office at 340 South Main Street as representatives of Northwest.  Mr. Best will lead strategic initiatives to grow personal insurance lines across the bank's footprint, which includes Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and Maryland.  Mr. Reese and Mr. Rosenbauer will provide employee benefits and property casualty insurance to commercial clients throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania.  Both Best Insurance Agency and Northwest would like to recognize the many years of service contributed by Rick McClean, who will retire at the time of the merger.

In making the announcement, Douglas H. Bert, senior vice president, Insurance Services of Northwest said, "Committed to expanding our coverage across Southwestern Pennsylvania, we're pleased to welcome the Best Insurance Agency and their strong management team as members of the Northwest family.  This addition reinforces our dedication to providing best-in-class insurance products and award-winning customer service to the businesses and families we serve.  He added, "The cultural compatibility of our two companies is demonstrated by our missions focused on loyalty, trust and the individual needs of our clients."

"Because of their proven record of providing excellent customer service, we are excited to affiliate with Northwest and are happy to continue to serve our valued clients in Butler and the surrounding area," said Don Best.  "Operating within the Northwest network, we'll be able to connect our clients to an expanded list of carriers and additional products and services, including investment management and trust, employee benefits, retirement services and personal and business banking and loans."

In its 100^th year, Best Insurance Agency, Inc. has provided a wide range of personal and commercial insurance to individuals, families and businesses in Butler, Pennsylvania and the surrounding area.

Northwest operates 181 community banking offices in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and Maryland. Founded in 1896, Northwest is a full-service financial institution offering a complete line of personal and business banking products including commercial and small business loans, cash management services, oil, gas and mineral management services, employee benefits, investment management, insurance and trust. Northwest Bancshares, Inc. is the holding company of Northwest Bank and is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market as NWBI. More information about Northwest can be found online at northwest.com.

www.northwest.com

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SOURCE Northwest Bank

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