UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM8-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) August 20, 2018
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
| Ohio | 001-38084 | 34-1469491 | ||
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (IRS Employer Identification No.) | ||
| 307 North Defiance Street, Archbold, Ohio | 43502 | |||
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) | |||
Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code (419)446-2501
N/A
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
| ☒ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| ☐ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR240.14a-12) |
| ☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR240.14d-2(b)) |
| ☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act(17-CFR240.13e-4(c)) |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934(§240.12b-2 of this chapter)
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
| Item 8.01. | Other Events. |
On August 17, 2018, Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc., an Ohio corporation (“F&M”), and Limberlost Bancshares, Inc., an Indiana corporation (“LBI”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization and Merger (the “Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which LBI will, subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement, merge with and into F&M (the “Merger”). On August 20, 2018, F&M filed a Current Report on Form8-K to report the execution of the Merger Agreement and issued a press release. Attached as Exhibit 99.1 is a presentation regarding the Merger.
The information furnished under Item 8.01 of this Current Report shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This filing and the exhibit hereto may contain forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements can often, but not always, be identified by the use of words like “believe”, “continue”, “pattern”, “estimate”, “project”, “intend”, “anticipate”, “expect” and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “will”, would”, “should”, “could”, “might”, “can”, “may”, or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the expected timing and benefits of the proposed Merger, including future financial and operating results, cost savings, enhanced revenues, and accretion/dilution to reported earnings that may be realized from the Merger, as well as other statements of expectations regarding the Merger, and other statements of F&M’s goals, intentions and expectations; statements regarding F&M’s business plan and growth strategies; statements regarding the asset quality of F&M’s loan and investment portfolios; and estimates of F&M’s risks and future costs and benefits, whether with respect to the Merger or otherwise.
These forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks, assumptions and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in forward-looking statements, including, among other things: the risk that the businesses of F&M and LBI will not be integrated successfully or such integration may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; anticipated revenue synergies and cost savings from the Merger may not be fully realized or realized within the expected time frame; revenues following the Merger may be lower than expected; customer and employee relationships and business operations may be disrupted by the Merger; the ability to obtain required regulatory and shareholder approval, and the ability to complete the Merger on the expected timeframe; possible changes in economic and business conditions; the existence or exacerbation of general geopolitical instability and uncertainty; possible changes in monetary and fiscal policies, and laws and regulations; the effects of easing restrictions on participants in the financial services industry; the cost and other effects of legal
and administrative cases; possible changes in the creditworthiness of customers and the possible impairment of collectability of loans; fluctuations in market rates of interest; competitive factors in the banking industry; changes in the banking legislation or regulatory requirements of federal and state agencies applicable to bank holding companies and banks like Farmers & Merchants State Bank; continued availability of earnings and excess capital sufficient for the lawful and prudent declaration of dividends; changes in market, economic, operational, liquidity, credit and interest rate risks associated with F&M’s business; and other risks and factors identified in F&M’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
F&M does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, relating to the matters discussed in this filing. In addition, F&M’s and LBI’s past results of operations do not necessarily indicate either of their anticipated future results, whether the Merger is effectuated or not.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR LBI SHAREHOLDERS
This filing does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any proxy vote or approval. The proposed Merger will be submitted to LBI’s shareholders for their consideration. In connection with the proposed Merger, F&M will file with the SEC a Registration Statement on FormS-4 that will include a Proxy Statement for LBI and a Prospectus of F&M, as well as other relevant documents concerning the proposed transaction. LBI SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND THE CORRESPONDING PROXY STATEMENT-PROSPECTUS REGARDING THE MERGER WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS WELL AS ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC, TOGETHER WITH ALL AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
Once filed, you may obtain a free copy of the Proxy Statement – Prospectus, when it becomes available, as well as other filings containing information about F&M and LBI, at the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov). You may also obtain these documents, free of charge, by accessing F&M’s website (http://www.fm.bank) under the tab “About Us”, then to the heading “Investor Relations,” and finally under the link “SEC Filings and Documents”.
LBI and its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the shareholders of LBI in connection with the proposed Merger. Additional information regarding the interests of those participants and other persons who may be deemed participants in the transaction may be obtained by reading the Proxy Statement – Prospectus regarding the proposed Merger when it becomes available. Free copies of this document may be obtained as described in the preceding paragraph.
| Item 9.01. | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits.
| Exhibit No. | Description of Exhibit | |
| 99.1 | Additional information regarding the Merger, dated August 20, 2018. | |
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 authorized.
| FARMERS & MERCHANTS | ||||||
| BANCORP, INC. | ||||||
| (Registrant) | ||||||
Dated: August 21, 2018 | /s/ Paul S. Siebenmorgen | |||||
| Paul S. Siebenmorgen | ||||||
| President & Chief Executive Officer | ||||||
/s/ Barbara J. Britenriker | ||||||
| Barbara J. Britenriker | ||||||
| Executive Vice President & | ||||||
| Chief Financial Officer | ||||||
