Harris and BMO Financial Group Complete Purchases of Wisconsin Banks

Acquisitions of Ozaukee Bank and Merchants & Manufacturers Bancorporation give Harris more than 270 locations in three Midwest states CHICAGO, March 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Harris and BMO FinancialGroup (NYSE, TSX: BMO) today announced the completion of the acquisitionsof Ozaukee Bank and Merchants and Manufacturers Bancorporation, Inc., bothbased in Wisconsin. The transactions were announced in 2007. Ozaukee Bank is a community bank with six full-service and twolimited-service locations in the northern part of the greater Milwaukeearea and is the deposit share leader in its market. Merchants andManufacturers operates 35 full-service and 11 limited-service locations inan area concentrated in Milwaukee, and extending into Green Bay to thenorth and LaCrosse to the west. "Over the past several months since announcing these transactions,we've had the opportunity to really get to know the teams at MMBC andOzaukee Bank and it's clear that we have a great opportunity to leveragestrengths from all three organizations to deliver an exceptional level ofbanking in the Wisconsin market," said Ellen Costello, Chief ExecutiveOfficer, Harris Bankcorp, Inc. "Collectively, we are determined to continuedelivering the exceptional service and outstanding community commitmentthat Wisconsin has come to expect from these two banks and for which Harrishas been known for over 125 years." Harris will introduce its brand into the market in the coming months asit works to bring MMBC and Ozaukee Bank onto its operating platforms.Effective immediately, Harris will begin to transition the banks to itsmanagement operating model and has divided the market into three regions.As previously announced, Tom Bolger is named President, Harris Wisconsin.He will direct integration and expansion activities in the market and willlead the Metro Region, covering Milwaukee and areas to the south. The MetroRegion will largely consist of the former Lincoln State Bank branches.Additionally:
-- Jim Rothenbach, formerly President and Chief Executive Officer, at Ozaukee Bank, will serve as Harris Regional President for the Wisconsin North Region, including the area just north of Milwaukee and north to Sheboygan Falls. It will include the Ozaukee Bank branches, as well as the former Grafton State Bank and Wisconsin State Bank branches. -- Mel Hahs, a Community Bank President at MMBC, is named Regional President for the State Region, covering the far west and far north branches, including the former Reedsburg Bank, Fortress Bank and Community Bank Financial branches. -- Mike Murry, former MMBC chairman, and Mal Hepburn, former Ozaukee Bank chairman, will continue to chair Harris Community Boards and will provide ongoing advice and business development support as we bring these banks together. With the closing of this acquisition, Harris now has more than 270full-service locations in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin and nearly 650Harris-branded ATMs, and is closer to its goal of 350 to 400 locationsacross the Midwest. Harris N.A. is the third-largest bank based on branches in the Chicagomarket, with $41.5 billion in assets and $29.5 billion in deposits.Additionally, Harris has affiliated wealth management offices in Arizona,California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Virginia and Washington. About Harris Harris is an integrated financial service organization providing morethan 1 million personal, business and corporate clients with banking,lending, investing and wealth management solutions. The organization is amember of the BMO Financial Group (NYSE, TSX: BMO), which also providescorporate and investment banking services in the U.S. under the BMO CapitalMarkets name. Harris(R) is a trade name used by various financial servicesubsidiaries of Harris Financial Corp. Banking products and services areprovided by Harris N.A., The Harris Bank, N.A. and their bank affiliates.Members FDIC. Brokerage products are offered through Harris InvestorServices, Inc. (HIS), a registered broker/dealer, member NASD/SIPC, and SECregistered investment adviser. Insurance and annuities are offered throughHarris Bancorp Insurance Services, Inc. (HBIS). Securities are provided byBMO Capital Markets Corp. (BMOCM), a registered broker dealer and memberNYSE, NASD and SIPC. HIS, HBIS and BMOCM are affiliated companies and arewholly owned subsidiaries of Harris Financial Corp. Products offered byHIS, HBIS and BMOCM are Not Insured by the FDIC or any Federal GovernmentAgency, Not a Deposit of or Guaranteed by Any Bank or Bank Affiliate, MayLose Value. The purchase of insurance or an annuity is not a condition toany bank loan or service. Financial planning and investment advisoryservices are provided by Sullivan, Bruyette, Speros & Blayney, Inc., an SECregistered investment adviser. Family Office Services are provided byHarris myCFO, Inc. Investment advisory services are offered by Harris myCFOInvestment Advisory Services LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser andwholly-owned subsidiary of Harris myCFO, Inc. Not all products and servicesare offered in every state and/or location.