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First Bank of Berne Breaks Ground in Van Wert, Ohio

Berne, IN —First Bank of Berne officials, a contractor's representative and several local officials broke ceremonial ground this morning on a new Van Wert branch office for First Bank of Berne. Contractor Brent Arnold said his crews will hopefully start breaking real ground as soon as the ground on the site dries up sufficiently. Completion of the facility is projected for March 2007.

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Photo captions: Shown tossing the first shovels of dirt for First Bank of Berne's Van Wert branch office are (from the left) Brent Arnold of Arnold Brothers Construction in Decatur, Ind.; Van Wert Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming; Mayor Don Farmer; FBB President/CEO Charles Isch; Van Wert Branch Manager Rob Gamble; FBB Executive Vice President Michael Bauserman; FBB Assistant Vice President/Marketing Director Teresa Flaugher; and Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Jodie Perry .

The new 4,500-square-foot facility is located just south of McDonald's on Christopher Crossing in the Towne Center shopping center. When announcing the new office in late May, Charles Isch, president and CEO of First Bank of Berne, called Van Wert "a kindred spirit" to Berne, adding that his bank has a small-town focus. Also during the initial announcement, David Baumgartner, chairman of First Bank of Berne's Board of Directors, said the bank excels in agriculture lending -- something he says makes it a good fit for the Van Wert community. When built, the full-service banking facility will have three drive-up lanes, as well as a drive-up Automated Teller Machine (ATM).

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Illustration-- An artist's conception of the new Van Wert branch office of First Bank of Berne.

Robert "Rob" Gamble Jr., son of Bob and Julie Gamble and a 1998 graduate of Van Wert High School, will be branch manager of the facility, once it's completed, and is currently staffing a loan office on East Main Street in downtown Van Wert until the new office is done. First Bank of Berne currently has approximately $387 million in assets and currently has three locations in Berne, two in Decatur, and one each in Bluffton and Portland. The company currently has approximately 100 employees. September 19, 2006