Ohio

Greg Carmichael, who has been on the job nearly a year as Fifth Third's CEO, has started putting his stamp on the company by aggressively trimming branches in favor of mobile, seeking to build up its consumer credit business and retooling the balance sheet.

Fifth Third Bancorp in Cincinnati reported higher third-quarter profit on the termination of tax receivables from its Vantiv payments subsidiary and several other one-time items.

The $141 billion-asset company said in a press release Wednesday that it had appointed four managing directors to oversee designated regions for the lending group.

First Commonwealth Financial in Indiana, Pa., has agreed to buy DCB Financial in Lewis Center, Ohio, for $106 million in cash and stock.

Park National in Newark, Ohio, has agreed to pay $500,000 to settle Securities and Exchange Commission allegations that its loan-loss accounting underplayed credit problems at a troubled acquisition.

Community Savings in Caldwell, Ohio, has begun the process to convert from a mutual thrift to a stockholder-owned company.

Fifth Third Bancorp said Tuesday that it plans to close 44 branches, a cost-cutting move that follows its recent shutdown of more than 100 branches.

United Community Financial in Youngstown, Ohio, has agreed to buy Ohio Legacy Corp. in North Canton for $40.3 million, or $18 a share, in cash and stock.

First Financial Bancorp in Cincinnati has made Brad Ringwald its president of community banking; named Paul Silva the president of investment commercial real estate; tapped Rick Dennen to oversee the company's national lending businesses; and said Roddell McCullough, director of community development, will take on more responsibility helping determine the strategy for that area.

Activity to relieve stress/promote fun: To foster team-building, Civista sends employees who work in the same department out together after hours for dinner or bowling.