This Form 10-K contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are not historical facts and include expressions about management’s confidence and strategies and management’s expectations about new and existing programs and products, investments, relationships, opportunities and market conditions. These statements may be identified by such forward-looking terminology as “expect”, “look”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “may”, or similar statements or variations of such terms. Actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to those risks identified in the “Risk Factor” section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and:
The Corporation undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the Corporation’s expectations. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, the Corporation cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements.
PART I
Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation (the “Corporation”) is a bank holding company registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (“Holding Company Act”). The Corporation was organized under the laws of New Jersey in August 1997, by the Board of Directors of Peapack-Gladstone Bank (the “Bank”), its principal subsidiary, to become a holding company for the Bank. The Bank is a state chartered commercial bank founded in 1921 under the laws of the State of New Jersey. The Bank is a member of the Federal Reserve System. The Bank offers financial services through 23 full-service banking offices. The Bank maintains ten branches in Somerset County, six in Morris County, four in Hunterdon County, one in Middlesex County and two in Union County.
The Bank is primarily dedicated to providing quality, personalized financial, trust and investment services to individuals and small businesses.
Commercial loan customers of the Bank are business people, including merchants, architects, doctors, dentists, attorneys and building contractors as well as various service firms and other local retailers. Most forms of commercial lending are offered, including working capital lines of credit, term loans for fixed asset acquisitions, commercial mortgages and other forms of asset-based financing.
In addition to commercial lending activities, the Bank offers a wide range of consumer banking services, including: checking and savings accounts, money market and interest-bearing checking accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts held in certificates of deposit. The Bank also offers residential and construction mortgages, home equity lines of credit and other second mortgage loans. For children, the Bank offers a special pony club savings account. New Jersey Consumer Checking Accounts are offered to low income customers. In addition, the Bank provides foreign and domestic travelers’ checks, cashier’s checks and wire transfers. Automated teller machines are available at 23 locations. Via the automatic teller machine access card issued by the Bank, customers may pay for commodities at point-of-sale merchant locations. Internet banking is available to customers including an online bill payment option. The Corporation has no foreign operations.
The Bank has a Trust and Investment Department, PGB Trust and Investments, which offers personal investment management services, personal trust administration services, estate settlement, income tax services, custodial services and other financial planning services. Since its inception in 1972, market value of trust assets under administration have increased to $1.96 billion.
The Corporation makes its Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to such reports, available free of charge on its website at www.pgbank.com. Also available on the website are the Corporation’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, Corporate Governance Principles and charters for the Corporation’s Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating Committee.
Employees
As of December 31, 2011, the Corporation employed 295 full-time equivalent persons. Management considers relations with employees to be satisfactory.
Principal Market Areas
The Bank’s principal market for its deposit gathering activities includes Somerset, Morris, Hunterdon, Middlesex and Union Counties. The area is composed of upper-income single-family homes, moderate-income properties, some low-income housing and several large corporate campuses. There are numerous small retail businesses in each of the towns as well as offices for various professionals, i.e. attorneys, architects, interior decorators, physicians, etc. A portion of the market area is bisected by Interstate Highways 287 and 78 where numerous corporate offices have relocated over the past 25 years.
The Bank has expanded its service areas from one office in 1968 to the present 23 full-service banking locations by steadily opening new branches. Most of the communities that the Bank serves are demographically similar and contiguous to the main office.
Competition
The market for banking and bank-related services is highly competitive. The Bank competes with other providers of financial services such as other bank holding companies, commercial and savings banks, savings and loan associations, credit unions, money market and mutual funds, mortgage companies, and a growing list of other local, regional and national institutions which offer financial services. Mergers between financial institutions within New Jersey and in neighboring states have added competitive pressure. The Bank competes by offering quality products and convenient services at competitive prices. In order to maintain and enhance its competitive position, the Bank regularly reviews its products, locations and new branching prospects.
Governmental Policies and Legislation
The banking industry is highly regulated. Statutory and regulatory controls increase a bank holding company’s cost of doing business and limit the options of its management to deploy assets and maximize income. Proposals to change the laws and regulations governing the operations and taxation of banks, bank holding companies and other financial institutions are frequently made in Congress, in state legislatures and before various bank regulatory agencies. The likelihood of any major changes and the impact such changes might have on the Corporation or the Bank is impossible to predict. The following discussion is not intended to be a complete list of all the activities regulated by the banking laws or of the impact of such laws and regulations on the Bank. It is intended only to briefly summarize some material provisions.
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) was signed into law on July 21, 2010. Generally, the Act is effective the day after it was signed into law, but different effective dates apply to specific sections of the law. The Act, among other things: