End of an Era! Independent Bank Corp. and Rockland Trust Complete Meridian Bancorp, Inc. and East Boston Savings Bank Acquisition

1282
East Boston Savings Bank
Photo credit: EastBoston.com

November 12, 2021 04:10 PM Eastern Standard Time

ROCKLAND, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Independent Bank Corp. (Nasdaq Global Select Market: INDB), parent of Rockland Trust Company, today announced the closing of its acquisition of Meridian Bancorp, Inc., parent of East Boston Savings Bank, and Rockland Trust’s acquisition of East Boston Savings Bank.

The combination reinforces Rockland Trust’s position as the Boston area’s premier community-focused commercial bank.

“We heartily welcome the customers of East Boston Savings Bank to Rockland Trust, and we look forward to demonstrating our shared commitment to the highest standards of customer service. We remain excited about the strategic benefits of this transaction and are eager to get started unlocking the opportunities resulting from the combination of two leading franchises and increased scale, including expansion of Rockland’s broad financial product set to an expanded business and consumer customer base,” said Christopher Oddleifson, the Chief Executive Officer of Independent Bank Corp. and Rockland Trust Company.

The conversion of East Boston Savings Bank customer accounts to Rockland Trust’s systems will occur during this coming weekend and be completed prior to branches opening for business on November 15, 2021. Rockland Trust customers will not be impacted by the conversion.

At the effective time of the merger, which will occur today shortly before midnight, each Meridian Bancorp share will be exchanged for .2750 of a share of Independent’s common stock. Meridian Bancorp shareholders will receive cash in lieu of fractional shares in accordance with the merger agreement. As a result of the merger, former Meridian Bancorp shareholders will receive approximately 14.3 million shares of Independent common stock in the aggregate.

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, a Stifel Company, acted as financial advisor to Independent and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz served as legal counsel. Raymond James & Associates, Inc. acted as financial advisor to Meridian and Luse Gorman, PC served as legal counsel.

About Independent Bank Corp. and Rockland Trust

Independent Bank Corp. (NASDAQ Global Select Market: INDB) is the holding company for Rockland Trust Company, a full-service commercial bank headquartered in Massachusetts. Rockland Trust was named to The Boston Globe’s “Top Places to Work” 2020 list, an honor earned for the 12th consecutive year. In 2021, Rockland Trust was ranked the #1 Bank in Massachusetts according to Forbes World’s Best Banks list for the second year in a row. Rockland Trust has a longstanding commitment to equity and inclusion. This commitment is underscored by initiatives such as Diversity and Inclusion leadership training, a colleague Allyship mentoring program, and numerous Employee Resource Groups focused on providing colleague support and education, reinforcing a culture of mutual respect and advancing professional development, and Rockland Trust’s sponsorship of diverse community organizations through charitable giving and employee-based volunteerism. In addition, Rockland Trust is deeply committed to the communities it serves, as reflected in the overall “Outstanding” rating in its most recent Community Reinvestment Act performance evaluation. Rockland Trust offers a wide range of banking, investment, and insurance services. The Bank serves businesses and individuals through approximately 125 retail branches, commercial and residential lending centers, and investment management offices in eastern Massachusetts, including Greater Boston, the South Shore, Cape Cod and Islands, Worcester County, and Rhode Island. Rockland Trust also offers a full suite of mobile, online, and telephone banking services. Rockland Trust is an FDIC member and an Equal Housing Lender. To find out why Rockland Trust is the bank “Where Each Relationship Matters®,” please visit RocklandTrust.com.

Read more at Business Wire

Related News:
Boston Business Journal: Eastern Bank, Rockland Trust closing on major mergers (November 12, 2021)