Americas

The company's management team is confident it can build off a beachhead, making its case by referencing past forays into Baton Rouge, La., and Houston.

Keith Wilton previously served as an executive vice president at Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, which is now owned by UnionBanCal. Before that, he was president of the specialty finance group at Greater Bay Bancorp, which was sold to Wells Fargo (WFC) in 2007.

An investment firm in North Carolina has raised its stake in Republic First Bancorp (FRBK) in Philadelphia.

Home Federal Savings Bank in Rochester, Minn., has been freed from a supervisory agreement with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Vibra Bank in Chula Vista, Calif., has hired a president and chief executive.

Bond Street Holdings in Weston, Fla., plans to close four of the 25 branches it acquired from Great Florida Bank in Miami Lakes.

Douglas Biddle has succeeded Denise Portmann as CFO at Bank of the Pacific, the $705 million-asset company said in a press release Thursday.

First Trust in New Orleans has been freed from a written agreement with the Federal Reserve Board.

Peoples Financial Services in Scranton, Pa., reported a fourth-quarter loss tied to its merger with Penseco Financial Services. The $1.7 billion-asset company lost $2.8 million in the quarter, compared to Penseco's $2.7 million in profit a year earlier.

A Tampa homeowner is suing Bank of America (BAC) and U.S. Bancorp (USB), claiming that the banks delayed processing his mortgage payments in order to earn extra interest for themselves.