Equity Bank announces merger with Omaha-based Frontier Bank

“Partnering with Equity Bank positions us for long-term growth and strength in Nebraska,” Frontier Executive Chairman of the Board David Rogers said in a press release. “Equity’s resources and scale, combined with our deep community relationships, create a powerful platform for expansion and innovation. Together, we can deliver greater opportunities for our customers, invest in our markets and continue building on the legacy our team has established.”

Established in 1937, Omaha-based Frontier Bank had $1.4 billion in total assets as of June 30 and serves seven Nebraska locations, including two in Lincoln and one each in Omaha, Falls City, Madison, Norfolk and Pender.

Frontier Bank is expected to merge with and into Equity Bank in the fourth quarter in 2025, subject to regulatory and member approvals, the release said.

In the coming months, Nebraska’s Frontier Bank locations will be rebranded as Equity Bank, according to Equity’s public relations and communications manager, Russell Colburn.

The combination with Frontier will bring Equity Bank’s assets to $7.9 billion and mark Equity’s 26th strategic transaction since the company was founded in 2002. Since its initial public offering, the company has completed 14 whole bank acquisitions and is currently traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Following the merger announcement Friday morning, Equity Bank stock was down 1.7% while the S&P 500 was trading down 1.5%.

“We are excited to welcome Frontier Bank into the Equity family as we expand into Nebraska,” Equity Chairman and CEO Brad Elliott said.

“Frontier has built a strong reputation for serving its communities with integrity and personal service, values that align perfectly with ours. This acquisition allows us to expand our regional presence while continuing our commitment to relationship banking, local leadership, and delivering the resources of a larger institution with the heart of a community bank.”

Equity Bank currently serves customers in Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, offering commercial loans, consumer banking, mortgage loans, trust and wealth management services and treasury management services.

“Joining with Equity Bank allows us to enhance the way we serve our customers and communities by providing access to advanced technology, increased lending capacity and the strength of a larger organization,” Frontier Bank President Doug Ayer said.

“Just as important, our institutions share a common philosophy of community-focused lending, ensuring that our customers will continue to receive the same level of personal service, now supported by greater resources.”