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PART I
ITEM 1.
General
Ames National Corporation (the "Company") is an Iowa corporation and bank holding company registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended. The Company owns 100% of the stock of five banking subsidiaries consisting of two national banks and three state-chartered banks, as described below. All of the Company’s operations are conducted in the State of Iowa and primarily within the central Iowa counties of Boone, Marshall, Polk and Story where the Company’s banking subsidiaries are located. The Company does not engage in any material business activities apart from its ownership of its banking subsidiaries. The principal executive offices of the Company are located at 405 5th Street, Ames, Iowa 50010. The Company’s telephone number is (515) 232-6251 and website address is www.amesnational.com.
The Company was organized and incorporated on January 21, 1975 under the laws of the State of Iowa to serve as a holding company for its principal banking subsidiary, First National Bank, Ames, Iowa ("First National") located in Ames, Iowa. In 1983, the Company acquired the stock of the State Bank & Trust Co. ("State Bank") located in Nevada, Iowa; in 1991, the Company, through a newly-chartered state bank known as Boone Bank & Trust Co. ("Boone Bank"), acquired certain assets and assumed certain liabilities of the former Boone State Bank & Trust Company located in Boone, Iowa; in 1995, the Company acquired the stock of the Randall-Story State Bank (”Randall-Story Bank”) located in Story City, Iowa; and in 2002, the Company chartered and commenced operations of a new national banking organization, United Bank & Trust NA (“United Bank”), located in Marshalltown, Iowa. First National, State Bank, Boone Bank, Randall-Story Bank and United Bank are each operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. These five financial institutions are referred to in this Form 10-K collectively as the “Banks” and individually as a “Bank”.
The principal sources of Company revenue are: (i) interest and fees earned on loans made by the Company and Banks; (ii) interest on fixed income investments held by the Company and the Banks; (iii) fees on trust services provided by those Banks exercising trust powers; (iv) service charges on deposit accounts maintained at the Banks; (v) gain on the sale of loans; and (vi) securities gains. The Company’s principal expenses are: (i) interest expense on deposit accounts and other borrowings; (ii) salaries and employee benefits; (iii) data processing costs associated with maintaining the Banks’ loan and deposit functions; (iv) occupancy expenses for maintaining the Banks’ facilities; and (v) FDIC insurance assessments. The largest component contributing to the Company’s net income is net interest income, which is the difference between interest earned on earning assets (primarily loans and investments) and interest paid on interest bearing liabilities (primarily deposit accounts and other borrowings). One of management’s principal functions is to manage the spread between interest earned on earning assets and interest paid on interest bearing liabilities in an effort to maximize net interest income while maintaining an appropriate level of interest rate risk.
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The Banks’ lending activities consist primarily of short-term and medium-term commercial real estate loans, residential real estate loans, agricultural and business operating loans and lines of credit, equipment loans, vehicle loans, personal loans and lines of credit, home improvement loans and origination of mortgage loans for sale into the secondary market. The Banks also offer a variety of demand, savings and time deposits, cash management services, merchant credit card processing, safe deposit boxes, wire transfers, direct deposit of payroll and social security checks and automated teller machine access. Four of the five Banks also offer trust services.
The Company provides various services to the Banks which include, but are not limited to, management assistance, internal auditing services, human resources services and administration, compliance management, marketing assistance and coordination, loan review and support with respect to computer systems and related procedures.
Banking Subsidiaries
First National Bank, Ames, Iowa. First National is a nationally-chartered, commercial bank insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”). It was organized in 1903 and became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company in 1975 through a bank holding company reorganization whereby the then shareholders of First National exchanged all of their First National stock for stock in the Company. First National provides full-service banking to businesses and residents within the Ames community and surrounding area. It provides a variety of products and services designed to meet the needs of the market it serves. It has an experienced staff of bank officers including many who have spent the majority of their banking careers with First National and who emphasize long-term customer relationships. First National conducts business out of three full-service offices, all located in the city of Ames and a full-service office in Ankeny, Iowa.
As of December 31, 2011, First National had capital of $61,741,000 and 94 full-time equivalent employees. Full-time equivalents represent the number of people a business would employ if all its employees were employed on a full-time basis. It is calculated by dividing the total number of hours worked by all full and part-time employees by the number of hours a full-time individual would work for a given period of time. First National had net income for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 of approximately $7,517,000, $6,869,000 and $5,309,000, respectively. Total assets as of December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 were approximately $560,753,000, $519,836,000 and $471,243,000, respectively.
State Bank & Trust Co., Nevada, Iowa. State Bank is an Iowa, state-chartered, FDIC insured commercial bank. State Bank was acquired by the Company in 1983 through a stock transaction whereby the then shareholders of State Bank exchanged all their State Bank stock for stock in the Company. State Bank was organized in 1939 and provides full-service banking to businesses and residents within the Nevada area from its main Nevada location and one office in Colo, Iowa. It has a strong presence in agricultural, commercial and residential real estate lending.
As of December 31, 2011, State Bank had capital of $15,697,000 and 25 full-time equivalent employees. State Bank had net income for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 of approximately $2,059,000, $2,465,000 and $1,462,000, respectively. Total assets as of December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 were approximately $148,839,000, $135,695,000 and $134,947,000, respectively.
Boone Bank & Trust Co., Boone, Iowa. Boone Bank is an Iowa, state-chartered, FDIC insured commercial bank. Boone Bank was organized in 1992 by the Company under a new state charter in connection with a purchase and assumption transaction whereby Boone Bank purchased certain assets and assumed certain liabilities of the former Boone State Bank & Trust Company in exchange for a cash payment. It provides full service banking to businesses and residents within the Boone community and surrounding area. It is actively engaged in agricultural, consumer and commercial lending, including real estate, operating and equipment loans. It conducts business from its main office and a full service office, both located in Boone.
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As of December 31, 2011, Boone Bank had capital of $13,915,000 and 26 full-time equivalent employees. Boone Bank had net income for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 of approximately $1,828,000, $1,736,000 and $1,473,000, respectively. Total assets as of December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009 were approximately $118,345,000, $105,089,000 and $104,957,000, respectively.