THE INFORMATION IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS IS NOT COMPLETE AND MAY BE CHANGED. A REGISTRATION STATEMENT RELATING TO THESE SECURITIES HAS BEEN FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION. THESE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE ISSUED UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT IS EFFECTIVE. THIS PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL THESE SECURITIES AND IT IS NOT SOLICITING AN OFFER TO BUY THESE SECURITIES IN ANY STATE WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.
PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS—SUBJECT TO COMPLETION—DATED SEPTEMBER 20, 2021
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MERGER PROPOSAL – YOUR VOTE IS VERY IMPORTANT
Farmers National Banc Corp. (“Farmers”), FMNB Merger Subsidiary IV, LLC, a newly-formed wholly-owned subsidiary of Farmers (“Merger Sub”) and Cortland Bancorp (“Cortland”), have entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of June 22, 2021 (the “Merger Agreement”), which provides for the merger of Cortland with and into Merger Sub (the “Merger”). Consummation of the Merger is subject to certain conditions, including, but not limited to, obtaining the requisite vote of the shareholders of Cortland and the approval of the Merger by various regulatory agencies. A copy of the Merger Agreement is attached as Annex B to this proxy statement/prospectus.
Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, holders of shares of Cortland common stock will be entitled to receive from Farmers, after the Merger is completed, Merger consideration payable in the form of a combination of cash and Farmers common shares to be calculated as set forth in the Merger Agreement. At the effective time of the Merger, each Cortland common share will be converted into the right to receive either: (i) 1.75 common shares, without par value, of Farmers, or (ii) $28.00 in cash, subject to certain allocation procedures set forth in the Merger Agreement intended to ensure that 75% of the outstanding shares of Cortland common stock are converted into the right to receive Farmers common shares and the remaining outstanding shares of Cortland common stock are converted into the right to receive cash. Additionally, if at the effective time of the Merger (i) the Effective Time Book Value (as defined in, and calculated pursuant to, the Merger Agreement) of Cortland is less than $75 million (the “Target Book Value Floor” and the dollar amount of such shortfall, the “Shortfall”), the cash consideration payable with respect to each Cortland common share will be reduced by a per share amount determined by dividing the dollar amount of the Shortfall by the number of Cortland common shares outstanding immediately prior to the effective time that are eligible to receive the cash consideration; or (ii) the Effective Time Book Value of Cortland exceeds $81 million (the “Target Book Value Ceiling” and the dollar amount of such excess, the “Excess Amount”), the cash consideration payable with respect to each Cortland common share will be increased by a per share amount determined by dividing the dollar amount of the Excess Amount by the number of Cortland common shares outstanding immediately prior to the effective time that are eligible to receive the cash consideration. If the effective time of the Merger is after October 1, 2021, the Target Book Value Floor and the Target Book Value Ceiling will be adjusted upward by an amount equal to the product of $26,000 and the number of days from October 1, 2021 until the effective time, less any dividends paid by Cortland after October 1, 2021. See “SUMMARY – What Cortland shareholders will receive in the Merger.”
Farmers will not issue any fractional common shares in connection with the Merger. Instead, each holder of shares of Cortland common stock who would otherwise be entitled to receive a fraction of a Farmers common share (after taking into account all Cortland common stock owned by such holder at the effective time of the Merger) will receive cash (rounded to the nearest cent), without interest, in an amount equal to the Farmers fractional common share to which such holder would otherwise be entitled (rounded to the nearest thousandth when expressed in decimal form), multiplied by the volume-weighted average, rounded to the nearest one tenth of a cent, of the closing sale prices of Farmers common shares based on information reported by The NASDAQ Capital Market (“NASDAQ”) for the five trading days ending on the penultimate trading day preceding the effective time.
Cortland will hold a special meeting of its common shareholders to vote on the adoption and approval of the Merger Agreement. The special meeting of Cortland’s common shareholders will be held at: 11:00 a.m., local time, on October 26, 2021, at Squaw Creek Country Club, 761 Youngstown Kingsville Road S., Vienna, Ohio 44473.
At the special meeting, Cortland’s common shareholders will be asked to approve and adopt the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the Merger. The common shareholders will also be asked to approve a proposal to approve, on an advisory basis, specified compensation that may be payable to the named executive officers of Cortland in connection with the Merger, and a proposal to approve the adjournment of the special meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies in favor of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the Merger.
This document is a proxy statement of Cortland that it is using to solicit proxies for use at the special meeting of common shareholders to vote on the Merger. It is also a prospectus relating to Farmers’ issuance of its common shares in connection with the Merger. This proxy statement/prospectus describes Cortland’s special meeting, the Merger proposal and other related matters. The solicitation will be by mail, telephone, and electronic means, the cost of which will be borne by Cortland.
The board of directors of Cortland has unanimously approved the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the Merger, and recommends that Cortland’s common shareholders vote “FOR” the adoption and approval of the Merger Agreement, “FOR” the approval of the specified compensation and “FOR” the approval of the adjournment of the special meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies in the event there are not sufficient votes at the time of the special meeting to adopt and approve the Merger Agreement.
Farmers’ common shares are traded on NASDAQ under the symbol “FMNB.” On June 22, 2021, the date of execution of the Merger Agreement, the closing price of Farmers common shares was $16.87 per share. On September 16, 2021, the closing price of Farmers common shares was $15.02 per share. The value of the Farmers common stock at the time of completion of the Merger could be greater than, less than or the same as the value of Farmers common stock on the date of this proxy statement/prospectus. We urge you to obtain current market quotations for Farmers common stock (trading symbol “FMNB”) and Cortland common stock (trading symbol “CLDB”)
You are encouraged to read this document, including the materials incorporated by reference into this document, carefully. In particular, you should read the “RISK FACTORS” section beginning on page 35 for a discussion of the risks related to the Merger and owning Farmers common shares after the Merger.
Whether or not you plan to attend the special meeting, you are urged to vote by completing, signing and returning the enclosed proxy card in the enclosed postage-paid envelope.
If you are a Cortland common shareholder as of the record date of [●], 2021, and you do not vote your shares in favor of the adoption and approval of the Merger Agreement, under the Ohio General Corporation Law (“OGCL”), you will have the right to demand the fair cash value for your shares of Cortland common stock. To exercise your “dissenters’ rights,” you must adhere to the specific requirements of the OGCL. See “DISSENTERS’ RIGHTS” on page 46 of this proxy statement/prospectus and the complete text of the applicable sections of the OGCL attached to this proxy statement/prospectus as Annex A. No holder of Farmers common shares is entitled to exercise any rights of a dissenting shareholder under the OGCL.