Paul Davis

Orange County Bancorp has identified two neighboring counties for expansion.

Brad Hanson has been with the South Dakota company since founding its payment services division in 2004.

The $45 million purchase will provide Peoples with eight branches and $244 million in deposits.

ATBancorp had an unusual footprint that included a small bank and a number of fee-based businesses. But it had to slim down before it could find a buyer.

Orrstown will pay $59 million in cash and stock to gain seven branches and $409 million in deposits.

A shifting C&I landscape, heated competition for deposits and red flags in consumer lending also took center stage in often testy exchanges between bankers and analysts on quarterly earnings calls.

The company said it is trying to improve shareholder returns as rising rates cut into its net interest margin.

The North Carolina company reported slightly lower costs and a stable net interest margin in the third quarter.

The company will pay $42 million for Oak Park River Forest Bancshares.

Many community banks face the same challenges that drove AJS Bancorp to become a seller, but few if any would go to the lengths that it did to seek a buyer.