Our income and cash flows and the value of our assets depend to a great extent on the difference between the interest rates we earn on interest-earning assets, such as loans and investment securities, and the interest rates we pay on interest-bearing liabilities such as deposits and borrowings. These rates are highly sensitive to many factors which are beyond our control, including general economic conditions and policies of various governmental and regulatory agencies and, in particular, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Changes in monetary policy, including changes in interest rates, will influence not only the interest we receive on our loans and investment securities and the amount of interest we pay on deposits and borrowings but will also affect our ability to originate loans and obtain deposits and the value of our investment portfolio. If the rate of interest we pay on our deposits and other borrowings increases more than the rate of interest we earn on our loans and other investments, our net interest income, and therefore our earnings, could be adversely affected. Our earnings also could be adversely affected if the rates on our loans and other investments fall more quickly than those on our deposits and other borrowings.
Deterioration in local, regional, national or global economic conditions could cause us to experience a reduction in deposits and new loans, an increase in the number of borrowers who default on their loans and a reduction in the value of the collateral securing their loans, all of which could adversely affect our performance and financial condition. Unlike larger banks that are more geographically diversified, we provide banking and financial services locally. Therefore, we are particularly vulnerable to adverse local economic conditions.
We face substantial competition in all phases of our operations from a variety of different competitors, including commercial banks, savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks, credit unions, consumer finance companies, factoring companies, leasing companies, insurance companies and money market mutual funds. There is very strong competition among financial services providers in our principal service area. Our competitors may have greater resources, higher lending limits or larger branch systems than we do. Accordingly, they may be able to offer a broader range of products and services as well as better pricing for those products and services than we can.
In addition, some of the financial services organizations with which we compete are not subject to the same degree of regulation as is imposed on federally insured financial institutions. As a result, those non-bank competitors may be able to access funding and provide various services more easily or at less cost than we can, adversely affecting our ability to compete effectively.
Table of Contents
We plan to continue to grow rapidly and there are risks associated with rapid growth.
We intend to continue to expand our business and operations to increase deposits and loans. Continued growth may present operating and other problems that could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our growth may place a strain on our administrative, operational, personnel and financial resources and increase demands on our systems and controls. Our ability to manage growth successfully will depend on our ability to attract qualified personnel and maintain cost controls and asset quality while attracting additional loans and deposits on favorable terms, as well as on factors beyond our control, such as economic conditions and interest rate trends. If we grow too quickly and are not able to attract qualified personnel, control costs and maintain asset quality, this continued rapid growth could materially adversely affect our financial performance.
We rely on our management and other key personnel, and the loss of any of them may adversely affect our operations.
We are and will continue to be dependent upon the services of our executive management team. In addition, we will continue to depend on our ability to retain and recruit key commercial loan officers. The unexpected loss of services of any key management personnel or commercial loan officers could have an adverse effect on our business and financial condition because of their skills, knowledge of our market, years of industry experience and the difficulty of promptly finding qualified replacement personnel.
We may fail to achieve sufficient operational integration between the two banks to make their combination under a single holding company a financial success.
Our success will depend on, among other things, our ability to realize anticipated cost savings and to integrate the operations of Two River and Town Bank in a manner that does not materially disrupt the existing customer relationships of either bank or result in decreased revenues from any loss of customers. If we are not able to successfully achieve these objectives, the anticipated benefits of the acquisition may not be realized fully or at all or may take longer to realize than expected.
Two River and Town Bank have operated and, for a period after the completion of the acquisition, will continue to operate, independently. We will face significant challenges in consolidating Two River and Town Bank functions, integrating their organizations, procedures and operations in a timely and efficient manner and retaining key Two River and Town Bank personnel. The integration of Two River and Town Bank is likely to be costly, complex and time consuming, and our management will have to devote substantial resources and efforts to it.
The integration process could result in the disruption of each bank’s ongoing business or inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies that adversely affect their ability to maintain relationships with customers, suppliers, employees and others with whom they have business dealings or to achieve the anticipated benefits of the acquisition.
An investment in our common stock is not an insured deposit.
Our common stock is not a bank deposit and, therefore, is not insured against loss by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, commonly referred to as the FDIC, any other deposit insurance fund or
38
Table of Contents
by any other public or private entity. Investment in our common stock is subject to the same market forces that affect the price of common stock in any bank.
Our financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected if our allowance for loan losses is not sufficient to absorb actual losses or if we are required to increase our allowance.
Despite our underwriting criteria, we may experience loan delinquencies and losses. In order to absorb losses associated with non-performing loans, we maintain an allowance for loan losses based on, among other things, historical experience, an evaluation of economic conditions, and regular reviews of delinquencies and loan portfolio quality. Determination of the allowance inherently involves a high degree of subjectivity and requires us to make significant estimates of current credit risks and future trends, all of which may undergo material changes. At any time there are likely to be loans in our portfolio that will result in losses but that have not been identified as non-performing or potential problem credits. We cannot be sure that we will be able to identify deteriorating credits before they become non-performing assets or that we will be able to limit losses on those loans that are identified.
We may be required to increase our allowance for loan losses for any of several reasons. State and federal regulators, in reviewing our loan portfolio as part of a regulatory examination, may request that we increase our allowance for loan losses. Changes in economic conditions affecting borrowers, new information regarding existing loans, identification of additional problem loans and other factors, both within and outside of our control, may require an increase in our allowance. In addition, if charge-offs in future periods exceed our allowance for loan losses, we will need additional increases in our allowance for loan losses. Any increases in our allowance for loan losses will result in a decrease in our net income and, possibly, our capital, and may materially affect our results of operations in the period in which the allowance is increased.
We may be adversely affected by government regulation.
The banking industry is heavily regulated. Banking regulations are primarily intended to protect the federal deposit insurance funds and depositors, not shareholders. Changes in the laws, regulations, and regulatory practices affecting the banking industry may increase our costs of doing business or otherwise adversely affect us and create competitive advantages for others. Regulations affecting banks and financial services companies undergo continuous change, and we cannot predict the ultimate effect of these changes, which could have a material adverse effect on our profitability or financial condition.
Environmental liability associated with lending activities could result in losses.
In the course of our business, we may foreclose on and take title to properties securing our loans. If hazardous substances were discovered on any of these properties, we could be liable to governmental entities or third parties for the costs of remediation of the hazard, as well as for personal injury and property damage. Many environmental laws can impose liability regardless of whether we knew of, or were responsible for, the contamination. In addition, if we arrange for the disposal of hazardous or toxic substances at another site, we may be liable for the costs of cleaning up and removing those substances from the site even if we neither own nor operate the disposal site. Environmental laws may require us to incur substantial expenses and may materially limit use of properties we acquire through foreclosure, reduce their value or limit our ability
39
Table of Contents
to sell them in the event of a default on the loans they secure. In addition, future laws or more stringent interpretations or enforcement policies with respect to existing laws may increase our exposure to environmental liability.
Failure to implement new technologies in our operations may adversely affect our growth or profits.
The market for financial services, including banking services and consumer finance services, is increasingly affected by advances in technology, including developments in telecommunications, data processing, computers, automation, Internet-based banking and telebanking. Our ability to compete successfully in our markets may depend on the extent to which we are able to exploit such technological changes. However, we can provide no assurance that we will be able properly or timely to anticipate or implement such technologies or properly train our staff to use such technologies. Any failure to adapt to new technologies could adversely affect our business, financial condition or operating results.
Item 6. Exhibits.
|
| 3(i) | | Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant |
| | | (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3(i) to the Registrant’s |
| | | Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed on November 10, 2005) |
|
| 3(ii) | | By-laws of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3(ii) |
| | | to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed on |
| | | November 10, 2005) |
|
| 10.1 | | Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Severance Agreement |
| | | between The Town Bank and Edwin Wojtaszek, dated as of |
| | | September 20, 2006 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to |
| | | the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on September 25, |
| | | 2006) |
|
| 10.2 | | Amendment No. 1 to Amended and Restated Severance Agreement |
| | | between The Town Bank and Robert W. Dowens, Sr., dated as of |
| | | September 20, 2006 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to |
| | | the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on September 25, |
| | | 2006) |
|
| 31.1 | * | Certification of Barry B. Davall, chief executive officer of the |
| | | Company, pursuant to Securities Exchange Act Rule 13a-14(a) |
|
| 31.2 | * | Certification of Michael J. Gormley, chief financial officer of the |
| | | Company, pursuant to Securities Exchange Act Rule 13a-14(a) |
|
| 32 | * | Certifications pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted |
| | | pursuant to Section 906 of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, signed |
| | | by Barry B. Davall, chief executive officer of the Company, and |
| | | Michael J. Gormley, chief financial officer of the Company |
40
Table of Contents
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 thereunto duly authorized.
| COMMUNITY PARTNERS BANCORP |
|
Date: November 10, 2006 | By: | /s/ BARRY B. DAVALL |
| | Barry B. Davall |
| | President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) |
| | |
| | |
| | |
Date: November 10, 2006 | By: | /s/ MICHAEL J. GORMLEY |
| | Michael J. Gormley |
| | Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer) |
41