Ahmanson Closes Wells Deal, to Hike Business Banking

Home Savings of America, principal subsidiary of H.F. Ahmanson & Co., has completed its acquisition of 61 divested First Interstate Bank branches from Wells Fargo & Co.

"The assimilation of the First Interstate customer base into Home Savings accelerated our entry into business banking, which is a major element of our plan to become a real power in full-service consumer banking," said chairman and chief executive officer Charles R. Rinehart.

The branches, with about $2 billion of deposits, build Ahmanson's presence in 21 California counties. About 70% of the deposits are in San Diego, Sacramento, Kern, Riverside, and Ventura counties.

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.
MORE FROM AMERICAN BANKER