When starting up a bank or putting a branch in a new community, don't underestimate the benefits of luring popular employees from the established banks there.

For several years some California community banks have made themselves profit standouts by concentrating on the fast-growing Chinese-American and Korean-Americans communities, known for entrepreneurship and saving.

The $7.8 billion-asset Citizens Banking Corp. in Flint, Mich., said Monday that it had consolidated its two banking charters and renamed its Wisconsin subsidiary Citizens Bank.

Making good on its announcement of 10 days ago, Hudson United Bancorp of Mahwah, N.J., reported Monday that it earned $29.7 million, 66 cents a share, in the first quarter, 4% less than it did a year earlier.

Washington Trust Bancorp Inc. of Westerly, R.I., reported a 9% jump in first-quarter net income Monday, saying that revenue growth outpaced salary and benefit costs in the period.

F.N.B. Corp. of Hermitage, Pa., announced Monday that it would buy Erie County's second-oldest community bank, the $69 million-asset National Bank of North East.

Independent Bank Corp., of Ionia, Mich., announced first-quarter earnings Monday of $11.3 million, up 35% from the same quarter last year. Diluted earnings per share were of 53 cents were up 24% but missed the average of analysts' expectations by a penny.

When Houston's Anadarko Petroleum Corp. decided late last year to automate its process for verifying leases and paying property owners, it asked Southwest Bancorp. of Texas Inc., not a software company, to do the job.

The Federal Reserve Board said Civitas BankGroup Inc. of Franklin, Tenn., has signed an enforcement order in which it agreed to strengthen internal audit functions and hire a consultant to review its management and board.

Columbia Bancorp in Columbia, Md., announced Monday first-quarter earnings of $3.8 million, up 28.4% from a year earlier.

MB Financial Inc. of Chicago said Friday that its first-quarter earnings rose 17.7% from the same quarter last year, to $17.2 million.

Community Bancorp Inc. of Escondido, Calif., has agreed to buy the $113.8 million-asset Rancho Bernardo Community Bank for $33.2 million in cash and stock.

Nevada lawmakers are taking a second stab at legislation to prevent Wal-Mart Stores Inc. from obtaining an industrial loan company charter - even though the retail giant is not seeking one there.

Simmons First National Corp. in Pine Bluff, Ark., said Thursday that earnings in the first quarter rose 8.3% from a year earlier, to a record $5.9 million.

First Merit Corp. of Akron reported Thursday that first-quarter earnings were up 136% from a year earlier, to $30 million.

TCF Financial Corp. of Wayzata, Minn., announced Wednesday that first-quarter earnings rose 5% from a year earlier, to $63.5 million.

Lawrence B. Seidman has a well-documented history of shareholder activism, so when he disclosed that his investment group had bought a 5% stake in Interchange Financial Services Corp. of Saddle Brook, N.J., analysts and investors began buzzing that Interchange might soon be in play.

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