TierOne to sell Omaha and other selected bank offices

TierOne Corporation, the holding company for TierOne Bank, has announced that the company and the bank have entered into a definitive agreement to sell deposits, selected loans and other assets associated with 32 of the bank's branch offices to Great Western Bank, a South Dakota-based subsidiary of National Australia Bank.

The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions, is expected to be completed as soon as late 2009.

Under the terms of the agreement, Great Western Bank will assume approximately $1.1 billion in deposits. The bank will transfer or sell to Great Western Bank approximately $800 million in loans, $20 million in real estate and other assets and the balance in cash or securities less a $55 million deposit premium paid.

The branch offices involved in the transaction are located in Broken Bow, Burwell, Callaway, Columbus (two), Gothenburg, Grand Island (two), Holdrege (two), Lexington (three), McCook, North Platte (two), O'Neill, Omaha (nine), Ord, Papillion and St Paul, Nebraska and three offices located in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Many of the branch offices being sold were acquired by the company in its 2004 acquisition of United Nebraska Bank. The remaining branches consist of other facilities the bank has built or acquired.

Upon completion of the transaction, TierOne Bank will have 37 banking offices located in Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas and approximately $2 billion in assets, or about the same asset size the bank was prior to its United Nebraska Bank acquisition.

Gilbert Lundstrom, chairman and CEO of TierOne, said: "After the branch office sale, TierOne Bank will return to its historic community bank footprint and will enhance its capital position. Completion of the transaction will fortify the bank's capital levels.

"This additional capital will strengthen our ability to continue to address selected asset quality issues and improve our capacity to manage through this challenging economic period. As we have in the past, we will continue to evaluate our loan portfolio and take necessary action to manage our balance sheet."

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