JOLIET, IL--(Marketwire - February 17, 2011) - First Midwest Bank ("First Midwest"), the wholly owned subsidiary of Itasca-based First Midwest Bancorp, Inc. (
The 35th Annual Salute to Accomplishment Recognition Dinner was held recently at the Joliet Holiday Inn and Conference Center. The celebration this year marked the first-time the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce presented the award to only one financial institution. In 1984, the Chamber recognized all financial institution members of the Joliet Chamber, but no single bank has ever been acknowledged.
During the event, Mike Scudder, Chief Executive Officer of First Midwest Bancorp Inc., presented information on the history of the bank that began as the Union National Bank and Trust Company in Joliet in 1940 with 13 employees. The bank now boasts 1,800 employees with over 650 of them working in Will County. First Midwest was also acknowledged recently by the Chicago Tribune as one of the Top 20 Best Places to Work in Chicago among large employers.
Jim Roolf, Joliet Banking Center President at First Midwest, who is a very active and instrumental member of the Joliet community stated, "we are very honored and pleased to be the first bank selected solely on our own merit." Highlighted throughout the evening was the long-standing partnership and commitment formed between First Midwest and the Joliet community. This commitment was clearly evident as the event concluded with First Midwest's surprise donation of $7,500 to Mike Hennessey, President and Chief Executive Officer at United Way of Will County. "First Midwest may not be the largest bank in the community," Roolf said, "but there isn't a bigger bank in the community in terms of support for the community. We've tried to make sure people see our bank as a strong and trusted organization."
First Midwest is the premier relationship-based banking franchise in the growing Chicagoland banking market. As one of the Chicago metropolitan area's largest independent bank holding companies, First Midwest provides the full range of both business and retail banking and trust and investment management services through some 100 offices located in 65 communities, primarily in metropolitan Chicago.
Contact Information:
CONTACT:
Brian J. O'Meara
Executive Vice President
(630) 875-7260
First Midwest Bank
One Pierce Place, Suite 1500
Itasca, Illinois 60143
630.875.7450
www.firstmidwest.com