Today is a historic day for UMB. We will officially close on the largest acquisition in our 111-year history at 11:59 p.m. This is more than a milestone – this transaction will bring an expanded team,  expertise, and enhanced products, services and investments to our customers and communities.

Since entering into a definitive agreement to acquire Heartland Financial (HTLF) last April, I, along with many other leaders at UMB, have had the privilege of meeting HTLF associates, customers and community members in-person. We’ve truly enjoyed getting to know our new and expanded markets, and we look forward to more visits and conversations in the coming months and years.

As we embark on this new journey together, I would like to share some additional information regarding our newly combined company and what you can expect from us.

More of the same

First, UMB is excited to build upon HTLF’s success and to become even more ingrained as both a financial steward and community partner in all HTLF locations. HTLF customers are accustomed to working with a bank with a rich community history, and that will continue with UMB—we are a fourth-generation-led, super community bank that understands this critical role and responsibility.

More involvement and investment

One of the primary tenets of our 111-year-old organization is to support and give back to the communities in which we live and work. At the end of 2024, the UMB Charitable Foundation presented its annual end-of-year gifts totaling $2 million to nonprofits throughout our markets, bringing UMB Financial Corporation’s and the Foundation’s 2024 total giving to more than $5.8 million.

Included in this annual amount are several significant donations to deserving organizations and causes within HTLF cities that were made last year following our acquisition announcement. These donations—which include the Dubuque Community Y, the South Plains Food Bank and the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation—were given on behalf of the UMB Financial Corporation Charitable Foundation, as well as the William T. Kemper Foundation, which is one of several foundations started by my family with the intent to support the cities we serve.

As we grow our local presence and investment in our expanded markets, our business momentum will continue to benefit these individual communities.

More access and service

For now, the HTLF and UMB banking experience will remain the same for most customers, but as we transition in late 2025, more service and location options will be available. From a branch perspective, there is very little overlap, and our branch model will add more associates per branch, increasing the service and expertise at each location.

We also intend to strategically increase our staff and branch presence in the future—particularly within our new metros and neighborhoods.

More local empowerment

From a commercial customer perspective, while we are headquartered in Kansas City, we have an intentional model that empowers local decision-making and access to leadership, so our customers receive flexible, responsive, and personalized service. The power of our model is that we provide the financial services and products of a national bank, paired with the customer service and relationships of a community bank—all of which will serve the residents and businesses in our new locations.

I am so excited for the future of our newly combined company. I appreciate all the associates and teams who have so intentionally and professionally cared for HTLF’s communities and customers. UMB will provide the same outstanding service and community commitment, along with more products and services—which is truly a win-win for all.

Going forward, my commitment to you is that you will experience more of the same exceptional banking experience – with more resources, more options, more investment, and more support.

We look forward to working with you.

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