YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Bank mergers are outpacing past years, according to the Financial Times, and the banks serving the Mahoning and Shenango valleys are no exception.
Farmers National Bank, PNC, Huntington and WesBanco have all been part of recently announced mergers and acquisitions.
Amber Wallace, chief retail and marketing officer at Farmers, points out Farmers has been no stranger to the consolidations from the past 20 years and remains one of the only locally headquartered banks in the region.
She says that over the past 20 years, there has been a reduction from about 9,000 banks to 4,700 nationally.
Farmers will acquire Middlefield Banking Co. in 2026, allowing it to expand from 62 to 83 branches and add locations from Cleveland to Columbus to Pittsburgh.
By 2030, Wallace says Farmers aims to grow to 100 branches, while maintaining its local roots. Farmers completed a nearly $10 million expansion of its Canfield, Ohio, headquarters in 2025 and has been in the community for 138 years. But Kevin Helmick is only the ninth CEO in the bank’s history.
Huntington Bank, headquartered in Columbus, announced its plans to merge with Cadence Bank of Houston and Tupulo, Miss., in October, the same month it completed a merger with Veritex Holdings Inc. of Dallas.
“So we are now in 21 states, and when this is all finalized, we will be a top 10 bank,” says Sam Huston, Huntington’s market president for the Mahoning Valley region, adding there is a lot of excitement for growth at Huntington.
PNC announced in September it will acquire FirstBank in an acquisition expected to close in early 2026, expanding the PNC footprint in high-growth areas of Colorado and Arizona, according to Ted Schmidt, PNC regional president, Youngstown. He notes PNC also is making a $2 billion investment to build more than 300 new or renovated branches by 2030. The company is headquartered in Pittsburgh.
The 155-year-old WesBanco, based in Wheeling, W.Va., entered the local market with the acquisition of Premier Bank. Home Savings, which became Premier, had 130 years in the community.
Josh Toot, the Youngstown-Warren area market president for WesBanco, says the bank grew from a small regional to locations in nine states with 3,000 employees, $28 billion in total assets, 55,000 ATMs and 250 banking centers.
Brick and Mortar
PNC is transitioning from larger bank buildings to smaller, more customer friendly and concierge-style concepts, according to Schmidt. With more traditional transactions being completed through virtual banking, more bankers are learning those advisory roles for mortgages, retirement planning and other big transactions. Customers use virtual appointments.
“They’re replacing a teller window, really removing some of those physical barriers and getting more of that personal interaction with our customers,” Schmidt says.
Going with a hybrid approach allows PNC to attract younger customers while keeping older ones.
“Gen Z and the millennials, they expect banking to be fully integrated into their digital lives,” Schmidt says, adding nearly 99% of Gen Z use mobile banking apps.
Even those on the fence about digital banking before Covid have transitioned to going almost fully digital, according to WesBanco’s Toot. WesBanco adjusted by installing smarter ATMs and cross training employees on different services.
“So everybody can do everything, which makes everything more efficient and makes the client interaction that much better, even at peak times,” Toot says. “We want it to be effortless. Walk in and your needs or questions are answered. You walk out the door with a great experience.”
Toot says young people are growing up with the convenience of Venmo and an Amazon mentality of being able to click and order – even their banking services. Banks must adjust and blend modern digital experiences and personalized delivery.
But some people want the reliability of brick and mortar too.
“What we’re seeing is people still want the ability to go into a branch,” Huston says. “They want to talk to someone, but they also want ease of use, things like mobile and online banking and so we will continue to invest in those pieces.”
Wallace believes that in many cases, younger customers come to Farmers through their parents or an account opened by their grandparents. These legacy customers already know Farmers gives them access to important services in Canfield and at branches.
“We’re really unique in that wealth management arm we have. It’s huge,” Wallace says. “And that we’re able to house all of these brokers, investment representatives, private bankers and insurance reps and at these branches, that’s a real asset to customers.”
Toot also notes WesBanco is starting early on financial literacy and checking products for younger clients, teaching them about saving money and home buying.
Impact of AI
While AI has some downsides, banks are using it for fraud prevention and in other ways.
“With the increase in fraudulent activity, having AI just flag this and help us on the front lines, whether a customer is in front of us or in the back office when checks are coming through that could be fraudulent has been a huge asset,” Wallace says.
Farmers has a strategic committee analyzing how AI is working for the bank and evaluating its use in the future.
Toot says AI has been a hot topic at meetings at WesBanco, as well. In addition to fraud alert protection, Toot says he anticipates an AI digital platform will be developed that could help someone figure out their best financial structure for spending, loans and savings. An AI assistant could help with underwriting or addressing someone’s needs without a call for assistance.
“It’s definitely going to change banking and to be honest with you, we’re looking forward to it,” says Toot. “We have a great IT group and we’re looking to adapt into what our clients need and expect. I think AI is going to be a big part of that.”
Huston says Huntington is using AI to make things more efficient for the customers and employees, eliminating some of the mundane work and allowing them to process and access information more quickly.
“It’s going to be an improvement to the overall customer experience and it’s really going to allow our team to spend more time focused on our customers’ needs,” Huston says.
Huston does not see AI replacing people.
“If somebody’s giving you advice, you want to see them. You want to be able to look them in the eye,” Huston says.
PNC is using a prudent and responsible approach to AI, using it to enhance operations, create efficiencies for employees and enable them to better serve clients, according to a statement from PNC. By automating some routine tasks, what used to take hours to research or process can now be done in minutes, it says.
Schmidt notes PNC also is starting to use data analytics to offer services such as personalized savings plan rewards and card designs reflecting the personal interests of customers.
End of the Penny
The U.S. Mint pressed the last pennies Nov. 12, but because billions remain in circulation, local bankers don’t expect much of an impact yet.
Toot points to the $2 bills as comparison. It’s been years since they were printed but they remain in circulation. Wallace notes Farmers has stockpiled pennies. Yet she says the banking industry is viewing the end of the penny as a positive, pointing to the cost of having pennies delivered and sorted.
“We think down the road it will lead to cleaner balance sheets,” Wallace says, adding Farmers has always been a fast follower and will see how other banks iron out the details, such as rounding accounts.
Local banks are not delving into cryptocurrencies at this juncture.
Toot points out there are some larger banks starting to dabble in crypto, looking at ways they can charge fees or intertwine it with other services. But regional and community banks are not.
“I think there will probably come a day that intersects,” Toot says. “I don’t see that anytime soon, but again we’re trying to do whatever we can for our clients.”
Banks in a Decade
As digital and mobile banking continue to evolve, Schmidt says it will lead to the end of errors created by cash, checks and credit cards. Advanced payment technology is streamlining transactions, helping customers and businesses better manage their cash flow and safety.
Local bankers believe banks will continue to grow, while continuing to offer a local touch.
Huston notes Huntington will continue to evolve with new technology and products created by listening to customer feedback.
“At the root of it, we’re going to remain very committed to staying a people-first bank centered around the customers,” Huston says.
Wallace also sees Farmers committed to growing, both organically and through the addition of banking and wealth management partners.
Part of being a local bank is commitment to contribute to the local community, Wallace says, adding the bank contributes about $800,000 annually to the local communities.
Wallace refers to the Farmers’ tagline, “fiercely local, fiercely loyal.”
“We are really committed to that local banking model and that means supporting these communities and supporting so many associates that go out and volunteer and serve their communities,” she says.
Toot says it is tough to compete financially with banks that are online only and big tech companies starting to offer some financial services.
However, Toot notes that those banks don’t sponsor local events, give to the local United Ways or have someone local to address concerns when your account has been hacked and thousands of dollars are on the line.
Toot sees WesBanco continuing to grow slowly and steadily over the next 10 years, including the addition of more off-site loan offices in other states and cities and with a larger digital focus and presence. But overall technology will not replace local banking.
“I believe banking as we know it is here to stay because of the human interaction, trust, trusting relationships and we’re going to continue to focus on that, because it’s been successful for the bank for 155 years,” Toot says.
Even as PNC has grown from coast to coast and with services in 50 states, the bank continues to use a regional president and teams’ model to deliver what each region needs.
“We can deliver all those big bank capabilities and all the strength of a big bank, locally with local teams … working closely with the leaders within the community,” Schmidt says.