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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 10, 2014

Registration No. 333-            

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

County Bancorp, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

 

 

Wisconsin   6022   39-1850431
(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization)
  (Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)
  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

860 North Rapids Road

Manitowoc, Wisconsin 54221-0700

(920) 686-9998

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

Timothy J. Schneider

President

860 North Rapids Road

Manitowoc, Wisconsin 54221-0700

(920) 686-9998

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

Copies to:

 

John T. Reichert

C.J. Wauters

Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.

780 North Water Street

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202-3590

(414) 273-3500

 

Mark A. Miller

Secretary

860 North Rapids Road

Manitowoc, Wisconsin 54221-0700

(920) 686-9998

 

Jennifer Durham King

Daniel O’Rourke

Vedder Price P.C.

222 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2600

Chicago, Illinois 60601-1104

(312) 609-7500

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public : As soon as practicable after this registration statement becomes effective.

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box:   ¨

If this Form is filed to register additional shares for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering:   ¨

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering:   ¨

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering:   ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer   ¨    Accelerated filer   ¨
Non-accelerated filer  

¨   (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

   Smaller reporting company   x

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Title of each class of

securities to be registered

 

Proposed

maximum

aggregate
offering price (1)(2)

  Amount of
registration fee

Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share

  $23,000,000   $2,672.60

 

(1) Includes          shares of common stock that may be sold if the option to purchase additional shares by the issuer to the underwriters is exercised in the future.
(2) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. This amount represents the proposed maximum aggregate offering price of the securities registered hereunder to be sold by the registrant and the selling shareholders.

The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 


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The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. Neither we nor the selling shareholders may sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities, and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

PRELIMINARY—SUBJECT TO COMPLETION—DATED NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Prospectus

             Shares

County Bancorp, Inc.

This is an initial public offering of common stock of County Bancorp, Inc. We expect the initial public offering price to be between $         and $         per share. We are offering             shares of our common stock. The selling shareholders identified in this prospectus are selling an additional             shares of common stock. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the shares by the selling shareholders.

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock. We applied to list our common stock on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “ICBK.”

We are an “emerging growth company” as defined by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 and, as such, we have elected to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements for this prospectus and future filings.

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. See “ Risk Factors ” beginning on page 12 of this prospectus.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Shares of our common stock are not savings accounts, deposits or other obligations of any of our bank or non-bank subsidiaries and are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency.

 

     PER
SHARE
     TOTAL  

Initial public offering price

   $                    $                

Underwriting discounts and commissions (1)

   $         $     

Proceeds, before expenses, to us

   $         $     

Proceeds, before expenses, to selling shareholders

   $         $     

 

(1)   See “Underwriting” for a description of the compensation payable to the underwriters.

The underwriters expect to deliver the shares of common stock to purchasers on or about                     , 2014. We have granted the underwriters an option for a period of 30 days to purchase up to             additional shares of common stock solely to cover over-allotments, if any.

 

 

 

Baird   Sterne Agee

 

 

The date of this prospectus is                     , 2014.


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

Summary

     1   

Risk Factors

     12   

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

     26   

Use of Proceeds

     28   

Dividend Policy

     29   

Capitalization

     30   

Dilution

     32   

Business

     34   

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

     47   

Management

     73   

Executive and Director Compensation

     80   

Certain Relationships And Related Party Transactions

     90   

Principal and Selling Shareholders

     91   

Supervision and Regulation

     92   

Description of Capital Stock

     104   

Shares Eligible for Future Sale

     111   

Underwriting

     113   

Legal Matters

     117   

Experts

     117   

Where You Can Find Additional Information

     117   

Index to Consolidated Financial Statements of County Bancorp, Inc.

     F-1   

 

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus and any free writing prospectus prepared by us or on our behalf or to which we have referred you. Neither we nor the selling shareholders nor the underwriters have authorized anyone to provide you with information that is different. We and the selling shareholders are offering to sell shares of our common stock, and seeking offers to buy shares of our common stock, only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. The information in this prospectus is complete and accurate only as of the date on the front cover of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of shares of our common stock.

No action is being taken in any jurisdiction outside the United States to permit a public offering of our securities or possession or distribution of this prospectus in that jurisdiction. Persons who come into possession of this prospectus in jurisdictions outside the United States are required to inform themselves about, and to observe, any restrictions as to this offering and the distribution of this prospectus applicable to those jurisdictions.

 

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INDUSTRY AND MARKET DATA

This prospectus includes industry and market data that we obtained from periodic industry publications, third-party studies and surveys, filings of public companies in our industry and internal company surveys. These sources include government and industry sources. Industry publications and surveys generally state that the information contained therein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. Although we believe the industry and market data to be reliable as of the date of this prospectus, this information could prove to be inaccurate. Industry and market data could be wrong because of the method by which sources obtained their data and because information cannot always be verified with complete certainty due to the limits on the availability and reliability of raw data, the voluntary nature of the data gathering process and other limitations and uncertainties. In addition, we do not know all of the assumptions regarding general economic conditions or growth that were used in preparing the forecasts from the sources relied upon or cited herein.

 

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SUMMARY

This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the information you should consider before investing in our common stock. Before you decide to invest in our common stock, you should read this entire prospectus carefully, including our financial statements and the related notes thereto and the matters discussed in the “Risk Factors” section. Unless we state otherwise or the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus to “we,” “our,” “us,” and “the Company” refer to County Bancorp, Inc. and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, and references to “the Bank” refer to Investors Community Bank.

Overview

County Bancorp, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation and registered bank holding company founded in May 1996, and our wholly-owned subsidiary Investors Community Bank, a Wisconsin-chartered bank, are headquartered in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The state of Wisconsin is often referred to as “America’s Dairyland,” and one of the niches we have developed is providing financial services to agricultural businesses statewide, with a primary focus on dairy-related lending. We also serve business and retail customers throughout Wisconsin, with a focus on Northeastern and Central Wisconsin. Our customers are served from our full-service locations in Manitowoc and Stevens Point, and our loan production offices in Darlington, Eau Claire and Fond du Lac.

Our History and Performance

The Company was founded in 1996 by our leadership group consisting of William C. Censky, Timothy J. Schneider, Wayne D. Mueller and Mark R. Binversie, to meet the financial services needs of agricultural and business banking clients throughout Wisconsin. We have become one of the largest banks in the agricultural loan sector, and since inception have been one of the faster growing banks in the state through organic growth. At September 30, 2014, we had assets of $742.8 million, total loans of $591.6 million and deposits of $599.9 million. Our guiding principles have always been soundness, profitability then growth, and we believe our performance to date has validated our business model and approach to banking.

Profitability. The Company has been profitable on an annual basis since our first full year of operation, and we have had a consistent focus on maintaining high levels of profitability during various market conditions and cycles. Our net income was $5.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014, which represents an annualized return on average assets of 1.06%. For 2013, our net income was $7.0 million and our return on average assets was 0.94%.

Book Value Growth. We initially raised capital at a price of $1.60 per share, as adjusted to reflect a 10-for-1 stock split effected April 4, 2014. By consistently maintaining high levels of profitability and building shareholder value through retained earnings, our book value per share at December 31, 2013 was $14.28, representing a compound annual growth rate, or CAGR, of 14.4% for all full years since our inception. Our average return on average common equity, or ROACE, for the previous 15-year period was 14.2%. At September 30, 2014, our book value per share was $15.57.

Efficiency. Our operating model has focused on serving the needs of our customers without a dependence on a traditional branch network, allowing us to maintain lower operating costs than many of our peers. As a result, we have been able to consistently operate our business at attractive efficiency levels. For 2013 and the nine months ended September 30, 2014, our efficiency ratio on a consolidated basis was 47.43% and 52.87%, respectively, while our ratio of non-interest expense to average assets was 2.24% and 2.28%, respectively. According to Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC, statistics through June 30, 2014, for commercial banks with assets between $500 million and $1.0 billion, the average for efficiency ratios for 2013 and the six months ended June 30, 2014, was 69.0% and 67.5%, respectively, while industry average for non-interest expense to average assets was 3.17% and 3.01%, respectively.

 

 

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Non-Interest Income. Another significant driver of our profitability has been our ability to generate non-interest income through the sale of agricultural loans, and the fee income generated by servicing such loans. For 2013 and the nine months ended September 30, 2014, we had $414.1 million and $415.2 million, respectively, in loans that had been sold or participated for which we retained the servicing rights. As a result, for the corresponding periods, loan servicing income was $5.9 million and $3.6 million, respectively, representing approximately 66.6% and 70.3% of our total non-interest income, respectively.

Going forward, we intend to continue pursuing the strategies we have used successfully for more than 18 years and believe we can apply the strategies and principles described below in a manner that will allow us to grow into new markets and business segments profitably, while retaining the deliberate and prudent culture that has driven our performance thus far.

Our Management and Employees

Our performance and growth has been led by a dedicated executive management team that founded the Company and spent nearly two decades building a premier Wisconsin-focused agriculture and business bank. The addition of other key executive team members and managers over the years to build our organizational structure has also been instrumental to our success. Management has proven experience in pursuing, building and maintaining relationships with customers in the agricultural and commercial industries throughout Wisconsin. Our core focus is on establishing and maintaining a strong connection with our customers, and developing an in-depth knowledge of their financial needs so we can view the relationship from their perspective. We strive to provide a unique and customized solution that is mutually beneficial for the Bank and its customers.

The management of the Bank supports an active sales and marketing effort, which is counterbalanced by a disciplined credit culture. Our structure is one whereby customer-facing interaction takes place as close to the customer as possible, while non-customer-facing activities are centralized for efficiency and leverage. Additionally, we believe this emphasis on face-to-face interaction allows us to better monitor and address issues that may arise with our customers in a more responsive and timely manner.

Our executive management and board of directors have a meaningful ownership interest in the Company, owning approximately 42% of our common stock as of September 30, 2014. We believe this substantial ownership position has been a significant part of our success and aligns the interests of our executive management team and board with those of our shareholders.

Our Strategy

We are focused on the continued growth of our business and the creation of shareholder value through serving the financial service needs of our customers. We are committed to offering customized financial solutions to Wisconsin’s agricultural and closely held businesses. The following are the key components of our business strategy:

Continued Growth and Diversification of Lending

We focus on agricultural and business banking, and this focus contributes significantly to our profitability and growth. As of September 30, 2014, agricultural loans accounted for approximately 64% of our loan portfolio, with business loans representing 29% of our loan portfolio. Our agricultural lending is primarily focused on the dairy industry, as dairy-related loans accounted for approximately 90% of our agricultural loan portfolio. We believe that we have developed a strong brand and market reputation in agricultural and business banking within the markets we serve by focusing on our core competencies, including dairy-related lending, and serving small and mid-sized businesses across a variety of industries with banking solutions designed to meet their specific needs. We are committed to leveraging our existing business model and reputation to further grow and diversify our lending operations, both into new markets and into different business segments.

 

 

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We have a strong agricultural lending team comprised of experienced bankers with deep backgrounds in agriculture, most of whom grew up on farms. We originate agricultural loans throughout the state of Wisconsin, primarily to dairy farmers. Typically, this type of loan relationship consists of a combination of operating lines of credit secured by inventory and growing crops, intermediate term loans secured by equipment and livestock, and long term loans secured by farm real estate. These loans are usually cross-collateralized with all farm assets pledged to the Bank as collateral securing all notes. The customer also grants us a lien on the milk produced and the proceeds from its sale, allowing the Bank to be repaid on the loan as milk is sold to the dairy. We often use U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, or FSA, government-guaranteed loan programs to provide a source of credit risk mitigation and to secure long term fixed rates in the secondary market. This strategy has provided an additional level of security for both the Bank and the customer in situations where unforeseen weather and commodity price conditions temporarily strain a farm’s cash flow. The Bank is an FSA Preferred Lender, which streamlines the underwriting and approval process for FSA guaranteed loans.

In order to execute our lending strategies and achieve our lending goals, we plan to increase our commercial banking staff and sales efforts, emphasizing our multi-family and other commercial real estate banking businesses and comprehensive commercial and industrial banking program designed to service manufacturing businesses, professional service firms and privately owned businesses and their related business owners. We intend to continue our focus on specific niche areas where we already have established connections and understand our customers’ business models, such as the dairy industry supply network and cheese production.

Focus on Diversified, Low-Cost Funding Sources

Since inception, we have focused on building and growing a diversified and low all-in cost deposit base. While we typically pay higher rates for deposits in the markets we serve, and rely heavily on retail certificates of deposit, we have avoided the elevated operating expenses associated with an extensive branch network. Historically, we sourced deposits through our single location in Manitowoc, as well as other wholesale channels. As the Bank grew, we began to rely on wholesale funding more extensively. Recognizing this dynamic, we opened a branch in Stevens Point in 2010. This location has allowed us to attract local deposits, thus decreasing our dependency on wholesale funding.

We plan to apply the same strategic focus to funding that we have applied in the past, including judiciously establishing or acquiring branches and using brokered deposits and other wholesale funding sources as appropriate. We plan to continue to leverage our current markets and the relationships created by our agricultural and business bankers to pursue core retail deposit growth, including demand deposit accounts, money market accounts, and other similar deposit sources. We intend to continue to evaluate new funding opportunities as they arise.

Proactive and Disciplined Risk Management

Our Bank has been built on several key philosophies that we believe minimize risk and enhance success, including soundness, profitability and growth as priorities, in that order. We have consistently been proactive in our identification and mitigation of risk throughout the Bank. Examples of our disciplined risk management initiatives include: (1) enterprise risk management; (2) stress testing of our agricultural loan portfolio; (3) proactive credit quality analysis; (4) active asset/liability modeling; (5) balance sheet management; and (6) disciplined pursuit of strategic opportunities.

We intend to evaluate and employ these and other risk mitigation strategies on a continual basis and, as we have in the past, will seek to identify other new or evolving tools that we believe allow us to pursue profitable growth in a prudent and sound manner. For more information about our risk management, see the section of this prospectus entitled “ Business—Our Strategy—Proactive and Disciplined Risk Management.”

 

 

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Efficient Operating Model

We believe our highly efficient and scalable operating model, which is not dependent upon a traditional branch network, enables us to operate profitably, remain competitive, increase market share and develop new business while continuing to provide exceptional customer service. As of September 30, 2014, our assets per full-time equivalent employee were $7.9 million, versus an average of $4.8 million for commercial banks with assets between $500 million and $1 billion according to FDIC statistics as of June 30, 2014. Taking into account our total assets, plus loans serviced, which includes government guaranteed loans sold and loans participated, our assets plus loans serviced per full-time equivalent employee are $12.2 million. We believe that our focus on operational efficiency is critical to our profitability and future growth prospects. Our non-interest income is not derived from traditional sources, such as residential mortgage loan sales and servicing, but is and we believe will continue to be derived from sustainable loan servicing rights and fee income from guaranteed and participated loans. We believe our scalable systems, risk management infrastructure and operating model will better enable us to achieve further operational efficiencies as we grow our business. We believe that the personal contact of our bankers, specifically as it relates to our dairy-related loan customers, enables us to monitor our credits more effectively, while keeping our overhead expenses (namely, fixed assets) lower. Accordingly, we believe our growth depends more on attracting and retaining quality people than on adding brick and mortar.

Pursue Strategic Mergers and Acquisitions

While we are committed to growing our business by expanding our operations and lending strategy within Wisconsin organically, we expect to opportunistically pursue acquisitions consistent with our strategic objectives. We feel our model is scalable, and with our continued strong growth in the agricultural markets, we will seek to further expand our business by pursuing strategic partners that would offer us growth and diversification opportunities, ideally business banks and banks without extensive branch networks. We believe that significant consolidation opportunities exist in the Wisconsin market in particular for well-positioned and well-capitalized prospective acquirers with publicly-traded stock and access to the capital markets. According to FDIC data, as of June 30, 2014, the Wisconsin banking market consisted of over 200 banks and thrifts with assets less than $400 million headquartered in the state, while 15 banks with assets greater than $1 billion are headquartered in Wisconsin, of which only six are exchange-traded. As of the date of this prospectus, we do not have any agreements, arrangements or understandings regarding any possible future acquisitions or other similar transactions.

Our Markets

Our agricultural banking business, which is primarily dairy-related, extends throughout Wisconsin, with lending relationships in 61 of the state’s 72 counties as of September 30, 2014. We also serve business and retail customers throughout Wisconsin with a focus on Northeastern and Central Wisconsin.

The economy in Wisconsin represents a diverse range of industries. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, manufacturing, trade, agriculture, professional and business services, finance and insurance, and government industries accounted for approximately 50% of employment in the state in 2012. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the broader Wisconsin economy is growing at a pace on par with the United States as a whole and the overall unemployment rate has fallen below the national rate of unemployment. Agriculture, as defined by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, has grown faster than the U.S. economy as a whole, with real agricultural GDP growing at a compound annual rate of 3.4% nationally and 8.4% in Wisconsin from 2009 to 2013, compared to a CAGR of 2.0% for the overall economy during the same period. Further, according to a 2012 report from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, total revenue for the agricultural industry in Wisconsin was just over $59 billion in 2007 and had grown to $88.3 billion for 2012, representing approximately a 49% increase.

 

 

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Dairy-related business lending has proven to be a source of stability and steady growth for both the Bank and the state of Wisconsin. The economic impact of the dairy industry on Wisconsin is significant. According to a 2012 report from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as part of the overall Wisconsin agricultural economy, the dairy sector contributed $43.4 billion of revenue to the state’s economy. Steady growth in cheese and yogurt consumption has led to an increase of 19.2% in total dairy utilization from 2003 to 2013. In 2012, Wisconsin ranked first in total cheese production, accounting for 25.6% of U.S. output, and second in milk production with 13.6% of total output.

We believe increasing demand for agricultural products and changing agricultural industry dynamics will continue to drive the need for agricultural banking services in our markets while the broader business banking environment in Wisconsin continues to grow. We believe the Bank is well positioned to continue serving the banking needs of agricultural and business banking customers throughout Wisconsin.

Risks Associated with Our Business

Our ability to implement our business strategy is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. You should carefully consider all of the information set forth in this prospectus and, in particular, the information under the heading “Risk Factors,” prior to making an investment in our common stock. These risks include, among others, the following:

 

    We are subject to certain market risks due to our focus on agricultural lending;

 

    Our business strategy includes growth plans, and our financial condition and results of operations could be negatively affected if we fail to grow or fail to manage our growth effectively;

 

    We depend on our management team to implement our business strategy and we could be harmed by the loss of their services;

 

    If our allowance for loan losses is not sufficient to cover actual loan losses, our earnings and capital could decrease; and

 

    Changes in interest rates may hurt our profits and asset value.

Our Corporate Information

Our principal executive office is located at 860 North Rapids Road, Manitowoc, Wisconsin 54221-0700, and our telephone number is (920) 686-9998. Our primary asset is and the majority of our business is conducted through Investors Community Bank. Our website address is www.investorscommunitybank.com. Our website and the information contained on, or that can be accessed through, the website will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference in, and are not considered part of, this prospectus. You should not rely on any such information in making your decision whether to purchase our common stock.

Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company

As a company with less than $1.0 billion in gross revenue during our last fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. An emerging growth company may take advantage of reduced regulatory and reporting requirements that are otherwise generally applicable to public companies. As an emerging growth company:

 

    we may present only two years of audited financial statements and only two years of related Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in this prospectus;

 

    we are exempt from the requirement to obtain an audit of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act;

 

 

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    we are permitted to provide less extensive disclosure about our executive compensation arrangements; and

 

    we are not required to hold non-binding advisory votes on executive compensation or golden parachute arrangements.

We may take advantage of these exemptions until we are no longer an “emerging growth company.” We would cease to be an “emerging growth company” upon the earliest of: (i) the first fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of this offering; (ii) the first fiscal year after our annual gross revenues are $1 billion or more; (iii) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt securities; or (iv) as of the end of any fiscal year in which the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeded $700 million as of the end of the second quarter of that fiscal year.

The JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. Thus, an emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to avail ourselves of this extended transition period.

 

 

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THE OFFERING

 

Common stock to be offered by us

               shares
   (or             shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full)

Common stock to be offered by the selling shareholders

               shares

Common stock to be outstanding immediately following this offering

               shares (1)
   (or              shares if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full) (2)

Use of Proceeds

   We estimate that the net proceeds to us from the sale of our common stock in this offering will be approximately $             million, or approximately $             million if the underwriters elect to exercise in full their over-allotment option, assuming an initial public offering price of $             per share, the mid-point of the price range set forth on the cover of this prospectus, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and offering expenses. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of our common stock by the selling shareholders. We intend to use the net proceeds to us from this offering, in part, to support growth and expansion. We may also use the proceeds of the offering to: (i) serve as a source of additional capital for the Bank, as it may require from time to time; (ii) redeem Series C Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock (or the SBLF Preferred Stock) issued in connection with the Small Business Lending Fund Program (or the SBLF Program) and the Series B Nonvoting Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock (or the Series B Preferred Stock); (iii) enable the Company and the Bank to take advantage of strategic opportunities as they may present themselves in the marketplace; and (iv) provide additional working capital for the Company to service its ongoing overhead and interest expense, and other ongoing operations of the Company. For additional information, see “ Use of Proceeds .”

Dividends

   We intend to pay a cash dividend on a quarterly basis to holders of our common stock at an initial amount of approximately $0.04 per share starting in March 2015, subject to the prior approval of our board of directors. Although we expect to pay dividends as of the date of this prospectus, we may elect not to pay

 

 

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   dividends. Any declarations of dividends will be subject to legal, regulatory and contractual restrictions (including with respect to our SBLF Preferred Stock and our junior subordinated debentures (and related trust preferred securities, or TruPS), which are senior to our shares of preferred and common stock and have a preference on dividends) and will also be made at the discretion of our board of directors, where such determination may be based upon our results of operations, financial condition, capital requirements, business strategy and other factors that the board deems relevant. For additional information, see “ Dividend Policy .”

Rank

   Our common stock is subordinate to our junior subordinated debentures (and related TruPS) and our SBLF Preferred Stock with respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon liquidation. In addition, our common stock will be subordinate to any debt that we may issue in the future and may be subordinate to any series of preferred stock that we may issue in the future.

Risk factors

   You should read the “ Risk Factors ” section of this prospectus for a discussion of factors to carefully consider before deciding to invest in shares of our common stock.

NASDAQ listing

   We have applied to have our common stock approved for listing on the NASDAQ Global Market under the trading symbol “ICBK.”

 

(1) The number of shares of our common stock outstanding immediately following this offering set forth above is based on 4,463,790 shares of our common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2014. The number of shares of our common stock outstanding immediately following this offering excludes: (i) 376,051 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options at a weighted average exercise price of approximately $ 11.15 per share and a weighted average remaining contractual term of 4.39 years; and (ii) 231,049 shares of common stock reserved for issuance in connection with equity awards granted under our 2012 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan.
(2) Except as otherwise indicated, the information in this prospectus does not give effect to the exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase up to             additional shares of common stock from us solely to cover over-allotments, if any.

 

 

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SELECTED HISTORICAL CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

The selected historical consolidated financial data presented below is derived in part from our consolidated financial statements. The following is only a summary and you should read it in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes beginning on page F-1 and the sections of this prospectus titled “ Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ” and “Capitalization .” The information at December 31, 2013 and 2012, and for the years then ended, is derived in part from the audited consolidated financial statements that appear in this prospectus. The information at December 31, 2011 and prior is derived in part from audited consolidated financial statements that are not included in this prospectus. The information at September 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and for the nine months then ended that appear in this prospectus was not audited, but in the opinion of management, reflects all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation. All of these adjustments are normal and recurring. The performance and asset quality ratios are unaudited and derived from the audited financial statements as of and for the years presented. Average balances have been computed using daily averages. Our historical results of operations are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for any future period.

 

     At or for the Nine Months
Ended September 30,
(unaudited)
     At or for the Year Ended
December 31,
 
           2014                  2013            2013      2012      2011  
     (dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)  

SELECTED BALANCE SHEET DATA

              

Total assets

   $ 742,818       $ 745,934       $ 757,820       $ 755,237       $ 678,007   

Total loans

     591,623         578,506         569,138         613,490         575,061   

Allowance for loan losses

     10,374         10,243         10,495         12,521         9,090   

Securities available for sale

     77,673         67,020         73,007         62,098         48,570   

Deposits

     599,931         604,581         616,308         612,819         548,159   

Total shareholders’ equity

     77,522         71,283         71,809         65,851         60,332   

SELECTED INCOME STATEMENT DATA

              

Interest income

   $ 22,820       $ 24,130       $ 31,972       $ 33,801       $ 33,893   

Interest expense

     5,721         6,472         8,513         9,663         12,253   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net interest income

     17,099         17,658         23,459         24,138         21,640   

Provision for loan losses

     —           3,700         4,200         4,200         4,475   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net interest income after provision for loan losses

     17,099         13,958         19,259         19,938         17,165   

Non-interest income

     5,167         6,902         8,857         7,501         5,474   

Non-interest expense

     12,735         11,438         16,964         15,204         12,767   

Income tax expense

     3,603         3,530         4,140         4,601         3,615   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net income

   $ 5,928       $ 5,892       $ 7,012       $ 7,634       $ 6,257   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

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     At or for the Nine Months Ended
September 30,

(unaudited)
    At or for the Year Ended
December 31,
 
             2014                     2013             2013     2012     2011  

PER COMMON SHARE DATA

          

Basic earnings per common share

   $ 1.25      $ 1.23      $ 1.45      $ 1.56      $ 1.27   

Diluted earnings per share

     1.25        1.23        1.45        1.53        1.25   

Book value per common share

     15.57        14.02        14.28        13.02        11.55   

Basic weighted average common shares

     4,465,550        4,532,490        4,518,830        4,593,190        4,618,130   

Diluted weighted average common shares

     4,476,510        4,545,180        4,521,760        4,674,310        4,690,050   

SELECTED PERFORMANCE RATIOS (1)

          

Return on average assets

     1.06     1.06     0.94     1.09     0.92

Return on average common shareholders’ equity

     11.10     12.02     10.47     12.74     11.82

Net interest margin

     3.22     3.37     3.35     3.59     3.29

Efficiency ratio (2)

     52.87     49.05     47.43     50.00     46.17

SELECTED ASSET QUALITY RATIOS

          

Non-performing loans to total loans

     2.12     1.10     1.06     1.83     4.32

Non-performing assets to total assets (3)

     2.79     4.25     2.92     2.88     4.63

Allowance for loan losses to gross loans

     1.75     1.77     1.84     2.04     1.58

Allowance for loan losses to non-performing loans

     82.65     161.31     173.30     111.67     36.56

Net loan charge-offs to average loans

     0.02     1.00     1.05     0.13     1.47

CAPITAL RATIOS

    

Shareholders’ equity and SBLF Preferred Stock to assets

     12.46     11.57     11.46     10.71     11.11

Shareholders’ common equity to assets

     9.36     8.48     8.42     7.79     7.87

Tier 1 leverage ratio (Bank)

     13.74     13.00     12.81     12.31     12.29

Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio (Bank)

     16.58     15.71     16.18     14.32     14.15

Total risk-based capital ratio (Bank)

     17.84     16.97     17.44     15.58     15.41

 

(1) Operating ratios are annualized for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
(2) The efficiency ratio is not recognized under generally accepted accounting principles of the United States, or U.S. GAAP, and is therefore considered to be a non-GAAP financial measure. See below for a reconciliation of the efficiency ratio to its most comparable U.S. GAAP measures.
(3) Non-performing assets consist of nonaccrual loans and other real estate owned.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

“Efficiency ratio” is defined as non-interest expenses, excluding gains and losses, and writedown of other real estate owned, divided by operating revenue, which is equal to net interest income plus non-interest income excluding gains and losses on sales of securities. In our judgment, the adjustments made to non-interest expense allow investors to better assess our operating expenses in relation to our core operating revenue by removing the volatility that is associated with certain one-time items and other discrete items that are unrelated to our core business.

 

 

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The information provided below reconciles the efficiency ratio to its most comparable U.S. GAAP measure.

 

     For the Nine Months Ended
September 30,

(unaudited)
    For the Year Ended
December 31,
 
         2014             2013             2013             2012             2011      
     (dollars in thousands)  

Efficiency Ratio:

          

Total non-interest expense

   $ 12,735      $ 11,438      $ 16,964      $ 15,204      $ 12,767   

Less net (loss) gain on sale of OREO

     (964     609        (1,636     440        (249
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Adjusted non-interest expense (numerator)

   $ 11,771      $ 12,047      $ 15,328      $ 15,644      $ 12,518   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net interest income

   $ 17,099      $ 17,658      $ 23,459      $ 24,138      $ 21,640   

Non-interest income

     5,167        6,902        8,857        7,501        5,474   

Less: gains on sales of securities

     —          —          —          (354     —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Adjusted operating revenue (denominator)

   $ 22,266      $ 24,560      $ 32,316      $ 31,285      $ 27,114   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Efficiency Ratio

     52.87     49.05     47.43     50.00     46.17

 

 

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with the other information contained in this prospectus, including our consolidated financial statements and the related notes appearing at the end of this prospectus. If any of the following risks is realized, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In that event, the price of our common stock could decline and you could lose part or all of your investment.

Risks Related to Our Business

We are subject to specific market risks due to our focus on agricultural lending.

We primarily concentrate our lending activities in the state of Wisconsin, which is to some extent dominated by an agricultural economy. Historically, our senior management’s primary business lending experience has been in agricultural lending, with a specific expertise in and focus on dairy and dairy-related businesses. Although we attempt to maintain a diversified customer base and a diversified loan portfolio, we are more heavily dependent upon the agricultural economy than a typical commercial bank. At September 30, 2014, agricultural loans comprised $376.7 million or approximately 64% of our total loan portfolio. According to the American Bankers Association, at June 30, 2014, we were ranked the 39th largest farm lender bank in the United States measured by total dollar volume of farm loans. For more information about our market area and the competition we face, see the section of this prospectus entitled “ Business—Our Markets .” The agricultural economy is subject to certain risks that are either inherently volatile or are beyond our ability, or the ability of farmers or other participants in the agricultural economy, to predict or control. These risks include weather-related risks, the value of agricultural land, the market prices and the government regulation of prices and the availability of price supports for crops and other agricultural products (in particular, milk), federal and state regulation of farming, and the presence of diseases and other external factors which may affect any of the foregoing.

Our focus on local markets and agricultural lending creates credit concentration risks.

Credit concentration risk is primarily related to the risk that a borrower will not be able to repay some or all of its obligations to us. Concentrations of credit risk occur when the aggregate amount owed by one borrower, a group of related borrowers, or borrowers within the same or related markets, industries or groups, represent a relatively large percentage of the total capital or total credit extended by a bank. Although each loan in a concentration may be of sound quality, concentration risks represent a risk not present when the same loan amounts are extended to a more diversified group of borrowers. Loans concentrated in one borrower depend, to a large degree, upon the financial capability and character of the individual borrower. Loans made to a group of related borrowers can be susceptible to financial problems experienced by one or a few members of that group. Loans made to borrowers that are part of the same or related industries or groups, or that are located in the same market area, can all be adversely impacted with respect to their ability to repay some or all of their obligations when adverse conditions prevail in the broader economy generally, in the market specifically or even within just the respective industries or groups. For example, lenders who focused on certain types of real estate lending experienced greater financial difficulties during the recent recession than more diversified lenders or those with concentrations other than real estate lending.

Our lending is primarily to borrowers located or doing business in Wisconsin. Furthermore, at September 30, 2014, we had certain loan-type concentrations of credit risk, specifically in agricultural lending, which are described in more detail in the section of this prospectus entitled “ Business—Lending Activities” and “Business—Our Markets .

 

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Our business is dependent on local economy, and a regional or local economic downturn affecting Wisconsin may magnify the adverse effects and consequences to us.

We operate as a community-oriented business bank, with a focus on servicing both business customers and individuals in our market areas, which include our headquarters in Manitowoc, a full-service branch in Stevens Point, and a loan production office in each of Eau Claire, Fond du Lac and Darlington. Although we have a primary focus on agricultural and business banking, future growth opportunities will depend largely on market area penetration, market area growth and our ability to compete for traditional banking business within our market areas. We anticipate that as a result of this concentration, a downturn in the general economy in our market areas, including Wisconsin specifically, could increase the risk of loss associated with our loan portfolio. Although economic conditions in our markets have been generally stronger than those in other regions of the country recently, there can be no assurance that such conditions will continue to prevail.

Volatility in commodity prices may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

At September 30, 2014, approximately 64% of our total loan portfolio was comprised of agricultural loans. Volatility in certain commodity prices, including milk, could adversely impact the ability of those borrowers to perform under the terms of their borrowing arrangements with us. In terms of the dairy industry, milk prices have fluctuated. A decrease in milk prices may result in an increase in the number of non-performing loans in our agricultural portfolio, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, earnings and capital.

Our business is significantly dependent on the real estate markets where we operate, as a large portion of our loan portfolio is secured by real estate.

At September 30, 2014, approximately 64% of our aggregate loan portfolio, comprising our agriculture real estate loans (including agricultural construction loans), commercial real estate loans and residential real estate loans, was primarily secured by interests in real estate predominantly located in Wisconsin. Additionally, some of our other lending occasionally involves taking real estate as primary or secondary collateral. Real property values in Wisconsin may be different from, and in some instances worse than, real property values in other markets or in the United States as a whole, and may be affected by a variety of factors outside our control and the control of our borrowers, including national and local economic conditions generally. Declines in real property prices, including prices for farmland, commercial property and homes in Wisconsin could result in a deterioration of the credit quality of our borrowers, an increase in the number of loan delinquencies, defaults and charge-offs, and reduced demand for our products and services generally. Moreover, declines in real property values in Wisconsin could reduce the value of any collateral we realize following a default on these loans and could adversely affect our ability to continue to grow our loan portfolio consistent with our underwriting standards. Our failure to effectively mitigate these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or result of operations.

Strong competition could hurt our earnings and slow growth.

We face intense competition in making loans and attracting deposits. Price competition for loans and deposits sometimes results in us charging lower interest rates on our loans and paying higher interest rates on our deposits, which may reduce our net interest income. Competition also makes it more difficult and costly to attract and retain qualified employees. Many of the institutions with which we compete have substantially greater resources and lending limits than we have and may offer services that we do not provide. We also face competition for agricultural loans from participants in the nationwide Farm Credit System and much larger regional, national and global banks. We expect competition to increase in the future as a result of legislative, regulatory and technological changes and the continuing trend of non-bank competition in the financial services industry. If we are not able to effectively compete in our market areas and targeted business segments, our profitability may be negatively affected. For more information about our market area and the competition we face, see the section of this prospectus entitled “ Business—Our Markets ” and “ Business —Competition .”

 

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Our ability to maintain our reputation is critical to the success of our business, and the failure to do so may materially adversely affect our performance.

We have benefited from strong relationships with our customers, and also from our relationships with financial intermediaries. As a result, our reputation is an important component of our business. A key component of our business strategy is to leverage our reputation for customer service and knowledge of our customers’ needs and business to expand our presence by capturing new business opportunities from existing and prospective customers in and outside of our local market areas. We strive to conduct our business in a manner that enhances our reputation. We aim to enhance our reputation, in part, by recruiting, hiring and retaining employees who share our core values of being an integral part of the communities and markets we serve, who are able to connect with customers through on-site visits and knowledge of our customers’ business, and who care about and deliver superior service to our customers. If our reputation is negatively affected by the actions of our employees, by our inability to conduct our operations in a manner that is appealing to current or prospective customers, or by events beyond our control, our business and operating results may be adversely affected.

Our commercial real estate and commercial and industrial loans generally carry greater credit risk than loans secured by owner occupied one-to-four family real estate, and our credit risk may increase if we succeed in our plan to increase our commercial lending.

At September 30, 2014, $172.7 million, or approximately 29%, of our loan portfolio consisted of commercial real estate and commercial and industrial loans. Given their generally larger balances and the complexity of the underlying collateral, commercial real estate and commercial and industrial loans generally expose a lender to greater credit risk than loans secured by owner occupied one-to-four family real estate. For commercial real estate loans, the principal risk is that repayment is generally dependent on income from tenant leases being generated in amounts sufficient to cover operating expenses and debt service. For commercial and industrial loans, the principal risk is that repayment is generally dependent upon the successful operation of the borrower’s business. If loans that are collateralized by real estate or other business assets become troubled and the value of the collateral has been significantly impaired, then we may not be able to recover the full contractual amount of principal and interest that we anticipated at the time we originated the loan, which could cause us to increase our provision for loan losses and would adversely affect our operating results.

Changes in interest rates may hurt our earnings and asset value.

Like other financial institutions, we are subject to interest rate risk. Our primary source of income is net interest income, which is the difference between interest earned on loans and investments (consisting primarily of loans and securities) and the interest paid on interest-bearing liabilities (consisting primarily of deposits and borrowings). Changes in both the general level of interest rates and in the difference between short-term and long-term rates can affect our net interest income. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors, including government monetary policies, domestic and international economic and political conditions and other factors beyond our control.

While we pursue an asset/liability strategy designed to mitigate our risk from changes in interest rates, including by seeking to originate variable rate loans and balancing the respective terms of assets and liabilities, changes in interest rates may still have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Changes in the level of interest rates also may negatively affect our ability to originate loans, the value of our assets and liabilities and our ability to realize gains from the sale of our assets, all of which could affect our earnings. For further discussion of how changes in interest rates could impact us, see the section of this prospectus entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Market Risk Management.”

 

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If our allowance for loan losses is not sufficient to cover actual loan losses, our earnings and capital could decrease.

At September 30, 2014, our allowance for loan losses, totaled $10.4 million, which represented 1.75% of gross loans. We make various assumptions and judgments about the collectability of our loan portfolio, including the creditworthiness of our borrowers and the value of the real estate and other assets serving as collateral for our loans. In determining the amount of the allowance for loan losses, we review our loss and delinquency experience, and we evaluate other factors including, among other things, current economic conditions. If our assumptions are incorrect, or if delinquencies or non-performing loans increase, our allowance for loan losses may not be sufficient to cover losses inherent in our loan portfolio, which would require additions to our allowance, and could decrease our net income or reduce our capital.

In addition, our regulators, as an integral part of their examination process, periodically review the allowance for loan losses and may require us to increase the allowance for loan losses by recognizing additional provisions for loan losses charged to expense, or to charge off loans, which, net of any recoveries, would decrease the allowance for loan losses. Any such additional provisions for loan losses or charge-offs could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

The dividend rate on our SBLF Preferred Stock will increase to 9.0% during the first quarter of 2016 if we have not redeemed the SBLF Preferred Stock, which would impact the net income available to holders of our common stock and earnings per share of our common stock.

The per annum dividend rate on the 15,000 shares of our SBLF Preferred Stock we sold to the U.S. Department of Treasury, or the U.S. Treasury, in connection with our participation in the SBLF Program is currently 1.0%. During the first quarter of 2016, the per annum dividend rate will increase to a fixed rate of 9.0% if any SBLF Preferred Stock remains outstanding at that time. The total dividends paid on our SBLF Preferred Stock for the year ended December 31, 2013 were $150,000. Assuming the increased dividend rate of 9.0% per annum and assuming we have not redeemed any of our SBLF Preferred Stock, the total dividends payable on our SBLF Preferred Stock would be $1.3 million for the 12-month period beginning in February 2016. Depending on our financial condition at the time, any such increase in the dividend rate could have a material negative effect on our financial condition, including reducing our net income available to holders of our common stock and our earnings per share.

Failure to pay dividends on our SBLF Preferred Stock may have negative consequences, including limiting our ability to pay dividends in the future.

Our SBLF Preferred Stock pays a noncumulative quarterly dividend in arrears. Such dividends are not cumulative but we may only declare and pay dividends on our common stock (or any other equity securities junior to the SBLF Preferred Stock) if we have declared and paid dividends on the SBLF Preferred Stock for the current dividend period. Moreover, our ability to pay dividends is always subject to legal and regulatory restrictions. Any payment of dividends in the future will depend, in large part, on our earnings, capital requirements, financial condition and other factors considered relevant by the our board of directors. There is no assurance that we will pay dividends on our common stock in the future, or that if we do pay dividends, that such dividends will continue.

We rely on the accuracy and completeness of information about our customers and counterparties, and inaccurate or incomplete information could subject us to various risks.

In deciding whether to extend credit or enter into other transactions with our customers and counterparties, we may rely on information furnished by or on behalf of customers and counterparties, including financial statements and other financial information. We may also rely on representations as to the accuracy and completeness of such information and, with respect to financial statements, on reports of independent auditors.

 

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While we strive to verify the accuracy and sufficiency of such information, if this information is inaccurate or incomplete, we may be subject to loan losses, regulatory action, reputational harm, or other adverse effects on the operation of our business, results of operations, or financial condition.

We depend on our management team to implement our business strategy and on our relationship managers to maintain and grow our agricultural and commercial relationships; we could be harmed by the loss of their services.

We are dependent upon the services and expertise of our founders and the other members of our management team who direct our strategy and operations, especially relating to our agricultural lending focus, and, we have benefited from our management’s extensive banking knowledge and experience in this regard. We also rely heavily upon the talents, experience and customer relationships of our loan officers and have benefited from their expertise and relationship-building skills, especially with respect to our agricultural and commercial lending. Members of our executive management team and our seasoned loan officers could be difficult to replace. Our loss of the services of one or more of these persons, or our inability to hire additional qualified personnel, could impact our ability to implement our business strategy and could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Limits on our ability to use brokered deposits as part of our funding strategy may adversely affect our ability to grow .

A “brokered deposit” is any deposit that is obtained from or through the mediation or assistance of a deposit broker, which includes larger correspondent banks and securities brokerage firms. These deposit brokers attract deposits from individuals and companies throughout the country and internationally whose deposit decisions are based almost exclusively on obtaining the highest interest rates. We have used brokered deposits in the past, and we intend to continue to use brokered deposits as one of our funding sources to support future growth. At September 30, 2014, brokered deposits represented approximately 22% of our total deposits and equaled $131.4 million. There are risks associated with using brokered deposits. In order to continue to maintain our level of brokered deposits, we may be forced to pay higher interest rates than contemplated by our asset-liability pricing strategy. In addition, banks that become less than “well capitalized” under applicable regulatory capital requirements may be restricted in their ability to accept or prohibited from accepting brokered deposits. If this funding source becomes more difficult to access, we will have to seek alternative funding sources in order to continue to fund our growth. This may include increasing our reliance on the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, or FHLB, borrowings, attempting to attract non-brokered deposits, reducing our available for sale securities portfolio and selling loans. There can be no assurance that brokered deposits will be available, or if available, sufficient to support our continued growth.

A lack of liquidity could adversely affect our ability to fund operations and meet our obligations as they become due.

Liquidity is essential to our business. Liquidity risk is the potential that we will be unable to meet our obligations as they come due because of an inability to liquidate assets or obtain adequate funding. The primary sources of our liquidity are customer deposits and loan repayments, in addition to borrowings. Our access to deposits and other funding sources in adequate amounts and on acceptable terms is affected by a number of factors, including rates paid by competitors, returns available to customers on alternative investments and general economic conditions. Any decline in available funding could adversely impact our ability to originate loans, invest in securities, meet our expenses, pay dividends to our shareholders, or to fulfill obligations such as repaying our borrowings or meeting deposit withdrawal demands, any of which could have a material adverse impact on all business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.

 

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We will incur increased costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management will devote substantial time to new compliance initiatives because we will need to implement additional financial and accounting systems, procedures and controls in order to satisfy our new public company reporting requirements.

As a public company, we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company, and these expenses may increase even more after we are no longer an “emerging growth company.” We have made, and will continue to make, changes to our internal controls and procedures for financial reporting and accounting systems to meet our reporting obligations as a stand-alone public company, and we expect that the obligations of being a public company, including the substantial public reporting obligations, will require significant expenditures and place additional demands on our management team. These obligations will increase our operating expenses and could divert management’s attention from other aspects of our business. However, the measures we take may not be sufficient to satisfy our obligations as a public company. We will be subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, or the Dodd-Frank Act, as well as rules adopted, and to be adopted, by the Securities Exchange Commission, or the SEC, and the NASDAQ Global Market, except for such requirements that we may elect not to comply with during the period we are an emerging growth company, which could require us to further upgrade our systems and/or hire additional staff, which would increase our operating costs. Our management and other personnel will need to devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives. Moreover, we expect these rules and regulations to substantially increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some activities more time-consuming and costly. The increased costs may cause us to incur losses. For example, we expect these rules and regulations to make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance and we may be required to incur substantial costs to maintain the sufficient coverage. We cannot predict or estimate the amount or timing of additional costs we may incur to respond to these requirements. The impact of these requirements could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our board of directors, our board committees or as executive officers.

We are dependent on our information technology and telecommunications systems and third-party service providers, and systems failures, interruptions or breaches of security could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations and damage our reputation.

Our business is highly dependent on the successful and uninterrupted functioning of our information technology and telecommunications systems and third-party service providers. We outsource many of our major systems, such as data processing and deposit processing systems. The failure of these systems, or the termination of a third-party software license or service agreement on which any of these systems is based, could interrupt our operations. Because our information technology and telecommunications systems interface with and depend on third-party systems, we could experience service denials if demand for such services exceeds capacity or such third-party systems fail or experience interruptions. If sustained or repeated, a system failure or service denial could result in a deterioration of our ability to provide customer service, compromise our ability to operate effectively, damage our reputation, result in a loss of customer business and/or subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny and possible financial liability, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, we provide our customers the ability to bank remotely, including online over the internet. The secure transmission of confidential information is a critical element of remote banking. Our network could be vulnerable to unauthorized access, computer viruses, phishing schemes, spam attacks, human error, natural disasters, power loss and other security breaches. We may be required to spend significant capital and other resources to protect against the threat of security breaches and computer viruses, or to alleviate problems caused by these incidents. Further, we outsource some of the data processing functions used for remote banking, and accordingly we are dependent on the expertise and performance of our third-party providers. To the extent that our activities, the activities of our customers, or the activities of our third-party service providers involve the storage and transmission of confidential information, security breaches and viruses could expose us to claims,

 

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litigation and other possible liabilities. Any inability to prevent security breaches or computer viruses could also cause existing customers to lose confidence in our systems and could adversely affect our reputation, results of operations and ability to attract and maintain customers and businesses. In addition, a security breach could also subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny, expose us to civil litigation and possible financial liability and cause reputational damage, any or all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We rely on other companies to provide certain key components of our business infrastructure.

Third-party service providers provide certain key components of our business infrastructure, such as data processing and deposit processing systems, mobile payment systems, internet connections, and network access. While we have selected these third-party service providers carefully, we do not control their operations. Any failure by these third parties to perform or provide agreed-upon goods and services for any reason or their poor performance of services, could adversely affect our ability to deliver products and services to our customers and otherwise to conduct our business. Replacing these third-party service providers could also entail significant delay and expense.

We may face risks with respect to future acquisitions.

If we attempt to expand our business in Wisconsin or other states through mergers and acquisitions, we anticipate that we will seek targets that are culturally similar to us, have experienced management and possess either significant market presence or have potential for improved profitability through economies of scale or expanded services. In addition to the general risks associated with our growth plans, acquiring other banks, businesses or branches involves various risks commonly associated with acquisitions, including, among other things:

 

    the time and costs associated with identifying and evaluating potential acquisition and merger targets;

 

    unexpected delays, complications or expenses resulting from regulatory approval requirements or other conditions to closing;

 

    inaccuracies in the estimates and judgments used to evaluate credit, operations, management and market risks with respect to the target institution;

 

    the time and costs of evaluating new markets, hiring experienced local management, and the time lags between these activities and the generation of sufficient assets and deposits to support the costs of the expansion;

 

    our ability to finance an acquisition and possible dilution to our existing shareholders;

 

    the diversion of our management’s attention to the negotiation of a transaction;

 

    the incurrence of an impairment of goodwill associated with an acquisition and adverse effects on our results of operations;

 

    entry into new markets where we lack experience; and

 

    risks associated with integrating the operations and personnel of the acquired business in a manner that permits growth opportunities and does not materially disrupt existing customer relationships or result in decreased revenues resulting from any loss of customers.

With respect to the risks particularly associated with the integration of an acquired business, we may encounter a number of difficulties, such as: (1) customer loss and revenue loss; (2) the loss of key employees; (3) the disruption of our operations and business; (4) our inability to maintain and increase competitive presence; (5) possible inconsistencies in standards, control procedures and policies; and/or (6) unexpected problems with costs, operations, personnel, technology and credit.

 

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In addition to the risks posed by the integration process itself, the focus of management’s attention and effort on integration may result in a lack of sufficient management attention to other important issues, causing harm to our business. Also, general market and economic conditions or governmental actions affecting the financial industry generally may inhibit our successful integration of an acquired business.

We expect to continue to evaluate merger and acquisition opportunities that are presented to us and conduct due diligence activities related to possible transactions with other financial institutions. As a result, merger or acquisition discussions and, in some cases, negotiations may take place and future mergers or acquisitions involving cash, debt or equity securities may occur at any time. We do not expect to comment publicly on possible acquisitions or business combinations until we have signed a definitive agreement for the transaction. Historically, acquisitions of non-failed financial institutions involve the payment of a premium over book and market values, and, therefore, some dilution of our book value and net income per share may occur in connection with any future transaction. Failure to realize the expected revenue increases, cost savings, increases in geographic or product presence and/or other projected benefits from an acquisition could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.

If we fail to successfully keep pace with technological change, our business could be materially adversely affected.

The financial services industry is continually undergoing rapid technological change with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services. The effective use of technology increases efficiency and enables financial institutions to better serve customers and to reduce costs. Our future success depends, in part, upon our ability to address the needs of our customers by using technology to provide products and services that will satisfy customer demands, as well as to create additional efficiencies in our operations. Failure to successfully keep pace with technological change affecting the financial services industry generally, and virtual banking in particular, could have a material adverse impact on our business and, in turn, our financial condition and results of operations.

Our disclosure controls and procedures may not prevent or detect all errors or acts of fraud.

Upon completion of this offering, we will become subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. We designed our disclosure controls and procedures to reasonably assure that information we must disclose in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, and recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC. We believe that any disclosure controls and procedures or internal controls and procedures, no matter how well-conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met.

These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by an unauthorized override of the controls. Accordingly, because of the inherent limitations in our control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected and any failure or circumvention of our controls and procedures or failure to comply with regulations related to controls and procedures could have a material adverse effect on our business results of operations and financial condition.

If our risk management framework does not effectively identify or mitigate our risks, we could suffer losses.

Our risk management framework seeks to mitigate risk and appropriately balance risk and return. We have established processes and procedures intended to identify, measure, monitor and report the types of risk to which we are subject, including credit risk, operations risk, compliance risk, reputation risk, strategic risk, market risk

 

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and liquidity risk. We seek to monitor and control our risk exposure through a framework of policies, procedures, monitoring and reporting requirements. There may be risks that exist, or that develop in the future, that we have not appropriately anticipated, identified or mitigated. If our risk management framework does not effectively identify or mitigate our risks, we could suffer unexpected losses and could be materially adversely affected.

Risks Related to Our Industry

Financial reform legislation will result in new regulations that are expected to increase our costs of operations.

We are subject to extensive regulation, supervision and examination by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, or the Federal Reserve, the FDIC and the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, or the WDFI. Any change in such regulation and oversight, whether in the form of regulatory policy, regulations or legislation, could have a material impact on us and our operations.

The Dodd-Frank Act was enacted on July 21, 2010. The Dodd-Frank Act represented a significant overhaul of many aspects of the regulation of the financial-services industry. Among other things, the Dodd-Frank Act created a new federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, tightened capital standards, and generally increased oversight and regulation of financial institutions and financial activities.

In addition to the self-implementing provisions of the statute, the Dodd-Frank Act calls for more than 300 administrative rulemakings by various federal agencies to implement various parts of the legislation. While some rules have been finalized or issued in proposed form, many have yet to be proposed. It is impossible to predict when additional rules will be issued or finalized, and what the content of such rules will be. We will have to apply resources to ensure that we are in compliance with all applicable provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act and any implementing rules, which may increase our costs of operations and adversely impact our earnings. The Dodd-Frank Act and any implementing rules that are ultimately issued could have adverse implications on the financial industry, the competitive environment, and/or our ability to conduct business. For more information about the regulations to which we are subject, see the section of this prospectus entitled “ Supervision and Regulation .

We will become subject to more stringent capital requirements, which may adversely impact our return on equity or constrain us from paying dividends or repurchasing shares.

In July 2013, each of the U.S. federal banking agencies adopted final rules implementing the recommendations of the International Basel Committee on Bank Supervision to strengthen the regulatory capital requirements of all banking organizations in the United States. The new capital framework, referred to as Basel III, will replace the existing regulatory capital rules for all banks, savings associations and U.S. bank holding companies with greater than $500 million in total assets, and all savings and loan holding companies. The final Basel III rules became effective on January 1, 2014, although the Company and Bank will not be required to be in compliance with the final Basel III rules until January 1, 2015, and the rules will not be fully phased-in until January 1, 2019.

Basel III creates a new regulatory capital standard based on Tier 1 common equity and increases the minimum leverage and risk-based capital ratios applicable to all banking organizations. Basel III also changes how a number of the regulatory capital components are calculated. Any significant increase in our capital requirements could reduce our growth and profitability and materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. For more information about the regulations to which we are subject, see the section of this prospectus entitled “ Supervision and Regulation .

 

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Our growth or future losses may require us to raise additional capital in the future, but that capital may not be available when it is needed or the cost of that capital may be very high.

We are required by our regulators to maintain adequate levels of capital to support our operations. We believe the net proceeds that we raise in the offering will be sufficient to permit the Bank to maintain regulatory capital compliance for the foreseeable future. Nonetheless, we may at some point need to raise additional capital to support continued growth or to address losses.

Our ability to raise additional capital, if needed, will depend on conditions in the capital markets at that time, which are outside of our control, and on our financial condition and performance. Accordingly, we may not be able to raise additional capital if needed on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all. If we cannot raise additional capital when needed, our operations and our financial condition could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, if we are unable to raise additional capital when required by the Federal Reserve, we may be subject to adverse regulatory action. For more information about the regulations to which we are subject, see the section of this prospectus entitled “ Supervision and Regulation.

Increased FDIC insurance assessments could significantly increase our expenses.

The Dodd-Frank Act eliminated the maximum Deposit Insurance Fund ratio of 1.5% of estimated deposits, and the FDIC has established a long-term ratio of 2.0%. The FDIC has the authority to increase assessments in order to maintain the Deposit Insurance Fund ratio at particular levels. In addition, if our regulators issue downgraded ratings of the Bank in connection with their examinations, the FDIC could impose significant additional fees and assessments on us which could significantly increase our expenses.

We face a risk of noncompliance with and enforcement actions under the Bank Secrecy Act and other anti-money laundering statutes and regulations.

We maintain systems and procedures designed to ensure that we comply with applicable laws and regulations. The federal Bank Secrecy Act, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, or the PATRIOT Act, and other laws and regulations require financial institutions, among other duties, to institute and maintain effective anti-money laundering programs and file suspicious activity and currency transaction reports as appropriate. The federal Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, established by the U.S. Treasury to administer the Bank Secrecy Act, is authorized to impose significant civil money penalties for violations of those requirements and has recently engaged in coordinated enforcement efforts with the individual federal banking regulators, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration and Internal Revenue Service. Federal and state bank regulators also have begun to focus on compliance with Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering regulations. If our policies, procedures and systems are deemed deficient, we would be subject to liability, including fines and regulatory actions such as restrictions on our ability to pay dividends and the necessity to obtain regulatory approvals to proceed with certain aspects of our business plan, including future acquisition plans, which would negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. Failure to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist financing could also have serious reputational consequences for us.

Changes in accounting standards and policies may negatively affect our performance.

Our accounting policies and methods are fundamental to how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. From time to time there are changes in the financial accounting and reporting standards that govern the preparation of our financial statements. These changes can be difficult to predict and can materially impact how we report and record our financial condition and results of operations. In some cases, we could be required to apply a new or revised accounting standard retroactively, which could have a negative impact on our reported results.

 

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Our ability to pay dividends is dependent upon the Bank’s performance.

The Company’s only source of funds to pay dividends is dividends or other distributions it may receive directly from the Bank. The Company’s payment of dividends in the future, if any, will be subject to legal, regulatory and contractual restrictions (including with respect to our SBLF Preferred Stock and junior subordinated debentures (and related TruPS), which are senior to our shares of preferred and common stock and have a preference on dividends), and will also depend on the Bank’s earnings, capital requirements, financial condition and other factors considered relevant by our board of directors. Dividends are payable on shares at the discretion of our board of directors, subject to the provisions of the Wisconsin Business Corporation Law, or WBCL, and any regulatory restrictions. For more information on the restrictions on paying dividends, see “Supervision and Regulation—Dividends.

We are subject to examinations and challenges by tax authorities that may be costly and time-consuming and may require expensive remedial action or other costs.

In the normal course of business, the Company and the Bank are routinely subject to examinations and challenges from federal and state tax authorities regarding the amount of taxes due in connection with investments that both entities have made and the businesses in which they have engaged. Federal and state taxing authorities have over the past few years become increasingly aggressive in challenging tax positions taken by financial institutions. These tax positions may relate to tax compliance, sales and use, franchise, gross receipts, payroll, property and income tax issues, including tax base, apportionment and tax credit planning. The challenges made by tax authorities may result in adjustments to the timing or amount of taxable income or deductions or the allocation of income among tax jurisdictions. If not resolved in our favor, such challenges could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Related to an Investment in Our Common Stock

There may be a limited trading market in our common stock, which would hinder your ability to sell our common stock and may lower the market price of the stock.

There is no established market for our common stock. We expect that our common stock will be listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “ICBK,” subject to completion of the offering. The underwriters have advised us that they intend to make a market in our common stock following the offering, but they are under no obligation to do so or to continue to do so once it begins. The development of an active trading market depends on the existence of willing buyers and sellers, the presence of which is not within our control, or that of any market maker. The number of active buyers and sellers of the shares of common stock at any particular time may be limited. Under such circumstances, you could have difficulty selling your shares of common stock on short notice, and, therefore, you should not view the shares of common stock as a short-term investment. In addition, our public “float,” which is the total number of our outstanding shares less shares held by our directors and executive officers, if any, may be quite limited. As a result, it is unlikely that an active trading market for the common stock will develop or that, if it develops, it will continue. If you purchase shares of common stock, you may not be able to sell them at a price equal to or in excess of your per share purchase price. Purchasers of common stock in this stock offering should have long-term investment intent and should recognize that there will be a limited trading market in the common stock. The limited market for our stock may make it difficult to sell the common stock after the stock offering and may have an adverse impact on the price at which the common stock can be sold.

We have broad discretion in allocating the net proceeds of the offering. Our failure to effectively utilize such net proceeds may have an adverse effect on our financial performance and the value of our common stock.

Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering, and you will be relying on the judgment of our management regarding the application of these proceeds. You will not

 

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have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether we are using the proceeds appropriately. Our management might not apply our net proceeds in ways that ultimately increase the value of your investment. If we do not invest or apply the net proceeds from this offering in ways that enhance shareholder value, we may fail to achieve expected financial results, which could cause our stock price to decline. For additional information see the section of this prospectus entitled “ Use of Proceeds .”

Anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents and under Wisconsin law could make an acquisition of us, which may be beneficial to our shareholders, more difficult and may prevent attempts by our shareholders to replace or remove our current management and limit the market price of our common stock.

Provisions in our amended and restated articles of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control or changes in our management. Our amended and restated articles of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws include provisions that:

 

    authorize our board of directors to issue, without further action by the shareholders, up to 570,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock;

 

    establish an advance notice procedure for shareholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting of our shareholders, including proposed nominations of persons for election to our board of directors;

 

    establish that our board of directors is divided into two to three classes, with each class serving staggered three year terms;

 

    provide that our directors may be removed only for cause;

 

    provide that vacancies on our board of directors may be filled only by a majority of directors then in office, even though less than a quorum; and

 

    specify that no shareholder is permitted to cumulate votes at any election of directors.

These provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our shareholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for shareholders to replace members of our board of directors, which is responsible for appointing the members of our management. In addition, because we are incorporated in Wisconsin, the Wisconsin control share acquisition statute and Wisconsin’s “fair price” and “business combination” provisions, in addition to other provisions of Wisconsin law, would apply and limit the ability of an acquiring person to engage in certain transactions or to exercise the full voting power of acquired shares under certain circumstances. As a result, offers to acquire us, which may represent a premium over the available market price of our common stock, may be withdrawn or otherwise fail to be realized. For additional information, see the section of this prospectus entitled “ Description of Capital Stock—Antitakeover Effect of Governing Document and Applicable Law .”

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act and will be able to avail ourselves of reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies, which could make our common stock less attractive to investors and adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

For so long as we remain an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various requirements applicable to public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including:

 

    the provisions of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requiring that our independent registered public accounting firm audit the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting;

 

   

the “say on pay” provisions (requiring a non-binding shareholder vote to approve compensation of certain executive officers) and the “say on golden parachute” provisions (requiring a non-binding

 

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shareholder vote to approve golden parachute arrangements for certain executive officers in connection with mergers and certain other business combinations) of the Dodd-Frank Act and some of the disclosure requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act relating to compensation of our chief executive officer;

 

    the requirement to provide detailed compensation discussion and analysis in proxy statements and reports filed under the Exchange Act and instead provide a reduced level of disclosure concerning executive compensation; and

 

    any rules that the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or the PCAOB, may adopt requiring mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report on the financial statements.

We may take advantage of these exemptions until we are no longer an “emerging growth company.” We would cease to be an “emerging growth company” upon the earliest of: (i) the first fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of this offering; (ii) the first fiscal year after our annual gross revenues are $1 billion or more; (iii) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt securities; or (iv) as of the end of any fiscal year in which the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeded $700 million as of the end of the second quarter of that fiscal year.

We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock, and our stock price may be more volatile and may decline.

Our common stock is equity and will be subordinate to our existing and any future indebtedness.

Shares of our common stock will represent equity interests in us and do not constitute indebtedness. Accordingly, the shares of our common stock will be subordinate to our existing junior subordinated debentures with respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon liquidation and will rank junior to all of our existing and future indebtedness and to other non-equity claims against us with respect to assets available to satisfy claims against us, including in our liquidation.

Our board of directors may issue shares of preferred stock that would adversely affect the rights of our common shareholders.

Our authorized capital stock includes 600,000 shares of preferred stock, which includes: (i) 15,000 shares of Series B Preferred Stock that are authorized, of which 8,000 shares are outstanding; (ii) 15,000 shares of our SBLF Preferred Stock issued to the U.S. Treasury under the SBLF Program that are issued and outstanding; and (iii) 570,000 shares of Preferred Stock that are not classified. Our SBLF Preferred Stock has rights that may be adverse to our common shareholders, including priority with regard to any dividends paid by the Company and any payment received in liquidation. Our board of directors, in its sole discretion, may designate and issue one or more series of preferred stock from the authorized and unissued shares of preferred stock. Subject to limitations imposed by law or our articles of incorporation, our board of directors is empowered to determine:

 

    the designation of, and the number of, shares constituting each series of preferred stock;

 

    the dividend rate for each series;

 

    the terms and conditions of any voting, conversion and exchange rights for each series;

 

    the amounts payable on each series on redemption or our liquidation, dissolution or winding-up;

 

    the provisions of any sinking fund for the redemption or purchase of shares of any series; and

 

    the preferences and the relative rights among the series of preferred stock.

We could issue preferred stock with voting and conversion rights that could adversely affect the voting power of the shares of our common stock and with preferences over the common stock with respect to dividends and in liquidation.

 

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Our stock price may be volatile.

Stock price volatility may negatively impact the price at which our common stock may be sold, and may also negatively impact the timing of any sale. Our stock price may fluctuate widely in response to a variety of factors including the risk factors described herein and, among other things:

 

    actual or anticipated variations in quarterly operating results;

 

    recommendations by securities analysts, including estimates of our financial performance or lack of research and reports by industry analysts;

 

    operating and stock price performance of other companies that investors deem comparable to us;

 

    news reports relating to trends, concerns and other issues in the financial services industry, such as cyber-attacks;

 

    new technology used, or services offered, by competitors;

 

    variations in milk or other commodity prices;

 

    perceptions in the marketplace regarding us and/or our competitors;

 

    significant acquisitions or business combinations, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments by or involving us or our competitors;

 

    failure to integrate acquisitions or realize anticipated benefits from acquisitions;

 

    additional investments from third parties;

 

    issuance of additional shares of stock;

 

    changes in government regulations; or

 

    geo-political conditions such as acts or threats of terrorism, pandemics or military conflicts.

General market fluctuations, industry factors and general economic and political conditions and events, such as economic slowdowns or recessions, interest rate changes, credit loss trends or currency fluctuations, could also cause our stock price to decrease regardless of our operating results.

Shares of our common stock are not insured deposits and may lose value.

Shares of our common stock are not insured deposits or other obligations of any bank and are not insured by the FDIC or any other governmental agency and are subject to investment risk, including possible loss of principal.

Securities analysts may not initiate or continue coverage on our common stock.

Following the completion of this offering, the trading price of our common stock will depend in part on the research and reports that securities analysts publish about us and our business. We do not have any control over these securities analysts, and they may not cover our common stock. If securities analysts do not cover our common stock, the lack of research coverage may adversely affect our common stock’s market price. If we are covered by securities analysts, and our common stock is the subject of an unfavorable report, the price of our common stock may decline. If one or more of these analysts cease to cover us or fail to publish regular reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause the price or trading volume of our common stock to decline.

 

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Some of the statements made under “Summary,” “Risk Factors,” “Use of Proceeds,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” “Business” and elsewhere in this prospectus constitute forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “estimate,” “project,” “believe,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “plan,” “seek,” “expect,” “may,” “should,” “indicate,” “would,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “intend,” “target” and words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

 

    statements of our goals, intentions and expectations;

 

    statements regarding our business plans, prospects, growth and operating strategies;

 

    statements regarding the asset quality of our loan and investment portfolios; and

 

    estimates of our risks and future costs and benefits.

The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements:

 

    adverse changes in economic conditions in our market area;

 

    adverse changes to the agriculture market generally, dairy in particular;

 

    adverse changes in the financial industry, securities, credit and national and local real estate markets (including real estate values);

 

    competition among depository and other financial institutions;

 

    risks related to a high concentration of dairy-related collateral located in our market area;

 

    credit risks of lending activities, including changes in the level and trend of loan delinquencies and write-offs and in our allowance for loan losses and provision for loan losses;

 

    our success in implementing our business strategy, particularly increasing or diversifying our loan portfolio and sources of deposit funding;

 

    changes in interest rates generally, including changes in the relative differences between short term and long term interest rates and in deposit interest rates, that may affect our net interest margin and funding sources;

 

    our success in introducing new financial products;

 

    our ability to attract and maintain deposits;

 

    our ability to maintain our asset quality even as we increase our lending;

 

    significant increases in our loan losses, including as a result of our inability to resolve classified and non-performing assets or reduce risks associated with our loans, and management’s assumptions in determining the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses;

 

    availability to continue to sell loans and use government programs;

 

    fluctuations in the demand for loans, which may be affected by numerous factors, including commercial conditions in our market areas and by declines in the value of real estate in our market areas;

 

    changes in consumer spending, borrowing and saving habits;

 

    declines in the yield on our assets resulting from the current low interest rate environment;

 

    risks associated with acquisitions;

 

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    the results of examinations by our regulators, including the possibility that our regulators may, among other things, require us to increase our reserve for loan losses, write down assets, change our regulatory capital position, limit our ability to borrow funds or maintain or increase deposits, or prohibit us from paying dividends, which could adversely affect our dividends and earnings;

 

    our ability to enter new markets successfully and capitalize on growth opportunities;

 

    changes in laws or government regulations or policies affecting financial institutions, including the Dodd-Frank Act and the JOBS Act, which could result in, among other things, increased deposit insurance premiums and assessments, capital requirements (particularly the new capital regulations), regulatory fees and compliance costs and the resources we have available to address such changes;

 

    changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the bank regulatory agencies, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or the FASB, the SEC and the PCAOB;

 

    changes in our organization, compensation and benefit plans, and our ability to retain key members of our senior management team and to address staffing needs in response to product demand or to implement our strategic plans;

 

    loan delinquencies and changes in the underlying cash flows of our borrowers;

 

    our ability to control costs and expenses, particularly those associated with operating as a publicly traded company;

 

    the failure or security breaches of computer systems on which we depend;

 

    the ability of key third-party service providers to perform their obligations to us; and

 

    other economic, competitive, governmental, regulatory and operational factors affecting our operations, pricing, products and services described elsewhere in this prospectus.

These statements are only current predictions and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our or our industry’s actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements. We discuss many of these risks in greater detail under the section entitled “ Risk Factors ” and elsewhere in this prospectus. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events.

Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Except as required by law, after the date of this prospectus, we are under no duty to update or revise any of the forward-looking statements.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We estimate that the net proceeds to us from the sale of our common stock in this offering will be approximately $             million, or approximately $             million if the underwriters elect to exercise in full their over-allotment option, assuming an initial public offering price of $             per share, the mid-point of the price range set forth on the cover of this prospectus, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and offering expenses. Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us of this offering by $             million, or $             million if the underwriters elect to exercise in full their over-allotment option, assuming the number of shares we sell, as set forth on the cover of this prospectus, remains the same, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and offering expenses.

We intend to use the net proceeds of the offering, in part, to provide capital to support growth and expansion. We may also use the proceeds of the offering to: (i) serve as a source of additional capital for the Bank, as it may require from time to time; (ii) redeem SBLF Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock; (iii) enable the Company and the Bank to take advantage of strategic opportunities as they may present themselves in the marketplace; and (iv) provide additional working capital for the Company to service its ongoing overhead and interest expense, and other ongoing operations of the Company. We have not specifically allocated the amount of net proceeds to us that will be used for these purposes and our management will have broad discretion over how these proceeds are used. We are conducting this offering at this time because we believe that it will allow us to better execute our growth strategies.

We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of our common stock by the selling shareholders. Messrs. Censky and Binversie, both founders and directors of the Company and directors and executive officers of the Bank, will offer and sell approximately          and          shares of common stock, respectively, in our initial public offering. Following the offering, Messrs. Censky and Binversie will own     % and     %, respectively, of our outstanding common stock.

 

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DIVIDEND POLICY

Following this offering, we intend to pay quarterly cash dividends on our common stock at an initial amount of approximately $0.04 per share starting in March 2015, subject to the approval of our board of directors.

Although we expect to pay dividends according to our dividend policy as of the date of this prospectus, we may elect not to pay dividends. Any declarations of dividends will be at the discretion of our board of directors. In determining the amount of any future dividends, our board of directors will take into account: (i) our financial results; (ii) our available cash, as well as anticipated cash requirements (including debt servicing); (iii) our capital requirements and the capital requirements of our subsidiaries (including the Bank); (iv) contractual, legal, tax and regulatory restrictions on, and implications of, the payment of dividends by us to our shareholders or by the Bank to us; (v) general economic and business conditions; and (vi) any other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. Therefore, there can be no assurance that we will pay any dividends to holders of our stock, or as to the amount of any such dividends.

Under applicable Wisconsin law, we are prohibited from paying dividends if we are insolvent or if the payment of dividends would render us unable to pay debts as they come due in the usual course of business. The Federal Reserve has issued a policy statement providing that dividends should be paid only out of current earnings and only if our prospective rate of earnings retention is consistent with our capital needs, asset quality and overall financial condition. Regulatory guidance also provides for prior regulatory consultation with respect to capital distributions in certain circumstances, such as where the holding company’s net income for the past four quarters, net of dividends previously paid over that period, is insufficient to fully fund the dividend or the holding company’s overall rate of earnings retention is inconsistent with its capital needs and overall financial condition. In determining whether to pay a cash dividend in the future and the amount of any cash dividend, our board of directors is expected to take into account a number of factors, including: regulatory capital requirements; our financial conditions and results of operations; other uses of funds for long term value of shareholders; tax considerations; statutory, regulatory and contractual limitations; and general economic conditions.

Dividends we can declare and pay will depend primarily upon receipt of dividends from the Bank. See the section of this prospectus entitled “ Supervision and Regulation—Dividends .” In addition, beginning in 2016, the Bank’s ability to pay dividends will be limited if it does not have the capital conservation buffer required by the new capital rules, which may limit our ability to pay dividends to shareholders. See the sections of this prospectus entitled “ Supervision and Regulation—Capital Adequacy Guidelines .”

Any payment of dividends by the Bank to us that would be deemed to be drawn out of the Bank’s bad debt reserves would require a payment of taxes at the then-current tax rate by the Bank on the amount of earnings deemed to be removed from the reserves for such distribution. The Bank does not intend to make any distribution to us that would create such a federal tax liability.

In addition to the Bank, the Company has two subsidiaries: the County Bancorp Statutory Trust II and the County Bancorp Statutory Trust III, or the Trusts, which are both Delaware statutory trusts. The Trusts were created for the purpose of administering the Company’s issuances of TruPS. With respect to the payment of dividends, our common stock is subordinate to our debentures, which we issued to the Trusts in connection with our TruPS. Accordingly, we will be prohibited from declaring and paying dividends on our common stock (or any other equity security comprising our capital stock) if we (i) elect to defer interest payments on the debentures, or (ii) default on any of our obligations under the governing documents for the debentures. Examples of defaults under the governing documents for the debentures include, voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy of the Company, liquidation of the Trusts, failure to make specified payments on the debentures when due, and failure to make payment on our guarantee of the capital securities issued by the Trusts.

The SBLF Preferred Stock issued in connection with our participation in the SBLF Program pays a noncumulative quarterly dividend in arrears. Such dividends are not cumulative, but we may only declare and pay dividends on our common stock (or any other equity securities junior to the SBLF Preferred Stock) if we have declared and paid dividends on the SBLF Preferred Stock for the current dividend period.

 

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CAPITALIZATION

The following table shows our capitalization, including regulatory capital ratios, on a consolidated basis, as of September 30, 2014: (1) on an actual basis, and (2) on an as-adjusted basis as if the offering had been completed as of September 30, 2014, assuming the sale of                  shares of common stock by us and                  shares of common stock by the selling shareholders in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $         per share, the mid-point of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses.

The as-adjusted capitalization information below is illustrative only, and our cash and cash equivalents, common stock, additional paid-in capital, retained earnings, accumulated other comprehensive income, total shareholders’ equity, and total capitalization following the closing of this offering will be adjusted based on the actual initial public offering price and other terms of our initial public offering determined at pricing. You should read the following table in conjunction with the sections in this prospectus entitled “ Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data ,” and “ Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ,” and our consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

     As of September 30, 2014  
     Actual     As
Adjusted (1)
 
     (dollars in thousands
except share and per share
data)
 

Long-term borrowings and SBLF:

    

Subordinated debentures

   $ 12,372      $ 12,372   

SBLF redeemable preferred stock-variable rate, noncumulative, nonparticipating, $1,000 stated value; 15,000 shares authorized; 15,000 shares issued; $15,000 redemption amount

     15,000        15,000   

Shareholders’ equity:

    

Preferred stock-variable rate, noncumulative nonparticipating, $1,000 stated value; 15,000 shares authorized; 8,000 shares issued

     8,000        8,000   

Common stock and surplus, $0.001 par; 50,000,000 shares authorized; 4,868,560 shares issued, and 4,463,790 shares outstanding

     5     

Treasury stock, at cost 404,770 shares

     (4,495  

Surplus

     16,620     

Retained earnings

     57,090     

Accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax

     302     
  

 

 

   

Total shareholders’ equity

     77,522     
  

 

 

   

Total capitalization

   $ 104,894     
  

 

 

   

Book value per common share

   $ 15.57     

Consolidated capital ratio

    

Shareholders’ equity and SBLF to total assets

     12.46  

Bank capital ratios

    

Tier 1 leverage capital ratio

     13.74  

Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio

     16.58     

Total risk-based capital ratio

     17.84     

 

(1)

Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $             per share (the mid-point of the range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus) would increase (decrease) total shareholders’ equity and total capitalization by $             million, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and offering expenses. If the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase

 

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  additional shares to cover over-allotments, the pro forma as-adjusted amount of each of common stock, total shareholders’ equity and total capitalization would increase by approximately $             million, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and offering expenses, and we would have              shares of our common stock issued and outstanding, as adjusted.

The table above excludes the following shares as of September 30, 2014: (i) 376,051 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options at a weighted-average exercise price of approximately $11.15 per share and a weighted-average remaining contractual term of 4.39 years; and (ii) 231,049 shares of common stock reserved for issuance under our 2012 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan.

 

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DILUTION

If you invest in our common stock in this offering, your ownership interest will be immediately diluted to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per share of our common stock and the as adjusted net book value per share of our common stock immediately after this offering. Net book value per share of our common stock is determined at any date by subtracting our total liabilities from the amount of our total assets and dividing the difference by the number of shares of our common stock deemed to be outstanding at that date.

Our historical book value as of September 30, 2014, was approximately $69.5 million, or $15.57 per common share, based on 4,463,790 shares of common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2014. After giving effect to the sale of                  shares of our common stock offered in this offering at an assumed public offering price of $             per share (the mid-point of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus), after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our net book value as of September 30, 2014, would have been approximately $             million, or $             per share of common stock. This represents an immediate increase in net book value of $             per share to existing shareholders and an immediate dilution in net book value of $             per share to new investors purchasing shares of common stock in this offering at the assumed public offering price. The following table illustrates this dilution on a per share basis at the high-, mid- and low-points of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus:

 

    High     Mid     Low  

Assumed public offering price per share

  $        $        $     

Historical book value per common share as of September 30, 2014

    15.57        15.57        15.57   

Increase (decrease) in net book value per share attributable to new investors

     

As adjusted book value per common share after this offering

     

Dilution per share to new investors purchasing common stock in this offering

     

Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed public offering price of $             per share (the mid-point of the range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus), would increase (decrease) our as adjusted net book value after this offering by approximately $             million, or approximately $             per share, and the dilution per share to new investors by approximately $             per share, assuming that the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

The following table summarizes the total consideration paid to us and the average price paid per share by existing shareholders and investors purchasing common stock in this offering. This information is presented on an as-adjusted basis as of September 30, 2014, after giving effect to our sale of shares of common stock in this offering (assuming the underwriters do not exercise their purchase option) at an assumed public offering price of $             per share.

 

       Shares Purchased/Issued      Total Consideration    Average Price
per Share
       Number        Percent      Amount    Percent   

Shareholders as of September 30, 2014

              

New investors in this offering

              
  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

Total

              
  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

If the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full, the percentage of shares of common stock held by existing shareholders will decrease to approximately     % of the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding after this offering, and the number of shares held by new investors will increase to             , or     % of the total number of our shares of our common stock outstanding after this offering.

 

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The information discussed above is illustrative only and will adjust based on the actual public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. The number of shares of our common stock outstanding immediately following this offering is based on 4,463,790 shares of our common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2014. This number excludes: (i) 376,051 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options at a weight-average exercise price of approximately $11.15 per share and a weighted average remaining contractual term of 4.39 years; and (ii) 231,049 shares of common stock reserved for issuance in connection with equity awards granted under our 2012 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan.

 

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BUSINESS

Overview

County Bancorp, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation and registered bank holding company founded in May 1996, and our wholly-owned subsidiary Investors Community Bank, a Wisconsin-chartered bank, are headquartered in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The state of Wisconsin is often referred to as “America’s Dairyland,” and one of the niches we have developed is providing financial services to agricultural businesses statewide, with a primary focus on dairy-related lending. We also serve business and retail customers throughout Wisconsin, with a focus on Northeastern and Central Wisconsin. Our customers are served from our full-service locations in Manitowoc and Stevens Point, and our loan production offices in Darlington, Eau Claire and Fond du Lac.

Our History and Performance

The Company was founded in 1996 by our leadership group consisting of William C. Censky, Timothy J. Schneider, Wayne D. Mueller and Mark R. Binversie, to meet the financial services needs of agricultural and business banking clients throughout Wisconsin. We have become one of the largest banks in the agricultural loan sector, and since our inception have been one of the faster growing banks in the state through organic growth. At September 30, 2014, we had assets of $742.8 million, total loans of $591.6 million and deposits of $599.9 million. Our guiding principles have always been soundness, profitability then growth, and we believe our performance to date has validated our business model and approach to banking.

Profitability. The Company has been profitable on an annual basis since our first full year of operation, and we have had a consistent focus on maintaining high levels of profitability during various market conditions and cycles. Our net income was $5.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014, which represents an annualized return on average assets of 1.06%. For 2013, our net income was $7.0 million and our return on average assets was 0.94%.

Book Value Growth. We initially raised capital at a price of $1.60 per share, as adjusted to reflect a 10-for-1 stock split effected April 4, 2014. By consistently maintaining high levels of profitability and building shareholder value through retained earnings, our book value per share at December 31, 2013 was $14.28, representing a CAGR of 14.4% for all full years since our inception. Our average ROACE for the previous 15-year period was 14.2%. At September 30, 2014, our book value per share was $15.57.

Efficiency. Our operating model has focused on serving the needs of our customers without a dependence on a traditional branch network, allowing us to maintain lower operating costs than many of our peers. As a result, we have been able to consistently operate our business at attractive efficiency levels. For 2013 and the nine months ended September 30, 2014, our efficiency ratio was 47.43% and 52.87%, respectively, while our ratio of non-interest expense to average assets was 2.24% and 2.28%, respectively. According to FDIC statistics through June 30, 2014, for commercial banks with assets between $500 million and $1.0 billion, the average for efficiency ratios for 2013 and the six months ended June 30, 2014, was 69.0% and 67.5%, respectively, while industry average for non-interest expense to average assets was 3.17% and 3.01%, respectively.

Non-Interest Income. Another significant driver of our profitability has been our ability to generate non-interest income through the sale of agricultural loans, and the fee income generated by servicing such loans. For 2013 and the nine months ended September 30, 2014, we had $414.1 million and $415.2 million, respectively, in loans that had been sold or participated for which we retained the servicing rights. As a result, for the corresponding periods, loan servicing income was $5.9 million and $3.6 million, respectively, representing approximately 66.56% and 70.33% of our total non-interest income, respectively.

Going forward, we intend to continue pursuing the strategies we have used successfully for more than 18 years and believe we can apply the strategies and principles described below in a manner that will allow us to grow into new markets and business segments profitably, while retaining the deliberate and prudent culture that has driven our performance thus far.

 

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Our Management and Employees

Our performance and growth has been led by a dedicated executive management team that founded the Company and spent nearly two decades building a premier Wisconsin-focused agriculture and business bank. The addition of other key executive team members and managers over the years to build our organizational structure has also been instrumental to our success. Management has proven experience in pursuing, building and maintaining relationships with customers in the agricultural and commercial industries throughout Wisconsin. Our core focus is on establishing and maintaining a strong connection with our customers, and developing an in-depth knowledge of their financial needs so we can view the relationship from their perspective. We strive to provide a unique and customized solution that is mutually beneficial for the Bank and its customers.

The management of the Bank supports an active sales and marketing effort, which is counterbalanced by a disciplined credit culture. Our structure is one whereby customer-facing interaction takes place as close to the customer as possible, while non-customer-facing activities are centralized for efficiency and leverage. Additionally, we believe this emphasis on face-to-face interaction allows us to better monitor and address issues that may arise with our customers in a more responsive and timely manner.

Our executive management and board of directors have a meaningful ownership interest in the Company, owning approximately 42% of our common stock as of September 30, 2014. We believe this substantial ownership position has been a significant part of our success and aligns the interests of our executive management team and board with those of our shareholders.

Our Strategy

We are focused on the continued growth of our business and the creation of shareholder value through serving the financial service needs of our customers. We are committed to offering customized financial solutions to Wisconsin’s agricultural and closely held businesses. The following are the key components of our business strategy:

Continued Growth and Diversification of Lending

We focus on agricultural and business banking, and this focus contributes significantly to our profitability and growth. As of September 30, 2014, agricultural loans accounted for approximately 64% of our loan portfolio, with business loans representing 29% of our loan portfolio. Our agricultural lending is primarily focused on the dairy industry, as dairy-related loans accounted for approximately 90% of our agricultural loan portfolio. We believe that we have developed a strong brand and market reputation in agricultural and business banking within the markets we serve by focusing on our core competencies, including dairy-related lending, and serving small and mid-sized businesses across a variety of industries with banking solutions designed to meet their specific needs. We are committed to leveraging our existing business model and reputation to further grow and diversify our lending operations, both into new markets and into different business segments.

 

    Agricultural Lending . We have a strong agricultural lending team comprised of experienced bankers with deep backgrounds in agriculture, most of whom grew up on farms. We originate agricultural loans throughout the state of Wisconsin, primarily to dairy farmers. Typically, this type of loan relationship consists of a combination of operating lines of credit secured by inventory and growing crops, intermediate term loans secured by equipment and livestock, and long term loans secured by farm real estate. These loans are usually cross-collateralized with all farm assets pledged to the Bank as collateral securing all notes. The customer also grants us a lien on the milk produced and the proceeds from its sale, allowing the Bank to be repaid on the loan as milk is sold to the dairy. We often use the FSA government-guaranteed loan programs to provide a source of credit risk mitigation and to secure long term fixed rates in the secondary market. This strategy has provided an additional level of security for both the Bank and the customer in situations where unforeseen weather and commodity price conditions temporarily strain a farm’s cash flow. The Bank is an FSA Preferred Lender, which streamlines the underwriting and approval process for FSA guaranteed loans.

 

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    Commercial Lending . We believe commercial banking continues to be a key part of the Bank’s long-term future success. Historically, we have focused on a few targeted markets, including agricultural supply chain, manufacturing and commercial real estate. Our ongoing hiring of experienced business development officers and the expansion into Central Wisconsin through the opening of our Stevens Point branch provide continued opportunities for growth and diversification in our commercial banking business. Our commercial loan portfolio is comprised of a diversified mix of traditional commercial and industrial loans, with the use of Small Business Administration, or SBA, loan guarantees when appropriate. The Bank is an SBA Preferred Lender, which streamlines the underwriting and approval process for SBA guarantee loans. The majority of our commercial loans are priced on either a variable basis or fixed for terms of less than five years. Much of our new business comes from customer referrals, or our experienced business bankers’ strategic calling efforts. Geographically, the Manitowoc office targets a 75 mile radius that includes Milwaukee to the south, Green Bay to the north and the Fox Valley/Appleton area to the west. Our Stevens Point office targets businesses within a similar 75 mile radius of its office. Our geographic reach is further extended through the use of our three loan production offices. Our target customers are closely held businesses with annual sales of up to $50 million.

We plan to increase our commercial banking staff and sales efforts, emphasizing our multi-family and other commercial real estate banking businesses and comprehensive commercial and industrial banking program designed to service manufacturing businesses, professional service firms and privately owned businesses and their related business owners. We intend to continue our focus on specific niche areas where we already have established connections and understand our customers’ business models, such as the dairy industry supply network and cheese production.

Focus on Diversified, Low-Cost Funding Sources

Since inception, we have focused on building and growing a diversified and low all-in cost deposit base. While we typically pay higher rates for deposits in the markets we serve, and rely heavily on retail certificates of deposit, we have avoided the elevated operating expenses associated with an extensive branch network. Historically, we sourced deposits through our single location in Manitowoc, as well as other wholesale channels. As the Bank grew, we began to rely on wholesale funding more extensively. Recognizing this dynamic, we opened a branch in Stevens Point in 2010. This location has allowed us to attract local deposits, thus decreasing our dependency on wholesale funding.

We plan to apply the same strategic focus to funding that we have applied in the past, including judiciously establishing or acquiring branches and using brokered deposits and other wholesale funding sources as appropriate. We plan to continue to leverage our current markets and the relationships created by our agricultural and business bankers to pursue core retail deposit growth, including demand deposit accounts, money market accounts, and other similar deposit sources. We intend to continue to evaluate new funding opportunities as they arise.

Proactive and Disciplined Risk Management

Our Bank has been built on several key philosophies that we believe minimize risk and enhance success, including soundness, profitability and growth as priorities, in that order. We have consistently been proactive in our identification and mitigation of risk throughout the Bank. Examples of our disciplined risk management initiatives include:

 

    Enterprise Risk Management . For years, even before regulators began to emphasize the need and importance of ERM, we had a well-established ERM process, which is overseen by our board of directors. Our use of ERM has allowed the Bank to manage and prioritize its risk focus through a robust risk assessment process completed on an annual basis.

 

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    Stress Testing of Our Agricultural Loan Portfolio . We stress test our agriculture loan portfolio periodically to assess the risk associated with the occurrence of a number of possible adverse events, including: (i) declines in milk price; (ii) declines in real estate values; (iii) increases in operating expenses; and (iv) increases in interest rates. The portfolio is stressed at a 20% and 40% level for each of these events and each credit relationship is evaluated for the theoretical impact on its risk rating. Loans that would be downgraded to a criticized asset when all of these stresses occur are then evaluated for potential impairment. The total amount of potential impairment is used in the Bank’s capital plan modelling to evaluate its capital adequacy under various scenarios.

 

    Proactive Credit Quality Analysis . We have historically been proactive in monitoring credit quality and identifying credit deterioration and classification. This approach allows us to initiate remedial steps earlier in an effort to mitigate losses. Our five-year average loan charge-offs as a percentage of total loans is 0.74% versus an industry-wide average of 1.68% as of June 30, 2014 according to FDIC statistics. Our five-year agricultural real estate net charge-offs as a percentage of average agricultural real estate loans was 0.10% compared to 0.14% net charge-offs for our non-real estate agricultural loans. The five-year charge-off information for the Company in the preceding sentences is for the calendar year end for the periods ended December 31, 2009 through December 31, 2013. The leadership provided by our management team and our strong credit culture have resulted in significantly lower level of charge-offs than the banking industry as a whole through the recent credit cycle. Additionally, we have had a solid reputation and relationship with our regulators and auditors throughout our history.

 

    Active Asset/Liability Modeling . We have an active Asset-Liability Committee (ALCO), which models IRSA (the value of our interest-rate sensitive assets) on a regular basis. Our IRSA has reflected an asset sensitive position throughout the downturn as we have taken the longer term and more conservative approach to managing the interest rate risk in our portfolio. We believe this has positioned the Bank well in the current environment with historically low interest rates and expectations that rates will start rising in the future.

 

    Balance Sheet Management . We use a network of other financial institutions and the Farm Credit System for loan participations and the secondary market for government guaranteed loan sales. This approach provides liquidity and risk mitigation for the Bank from credit concentration, primarily in the agricultural loan portfolio.

 

    Disciplined Pursuit of Strategic Opportunities . Over the years, we have been deliberate and methodical in evaluating and pursuing strategic initiatives. Among other things, we are continually presented with opportunities to expand into new product lines, to acquire branches or whole banks, and to make investments in pools of loans or securities. We believe our disciplined approach has helped us to avoid or minimize many of the missteps similarly situated banks have encountered as they loosened their standards in the single-minded pursuit of growth or profits. At the same time, when an attractive opportunity presents itself, such as the ability to recruit the team in Stevens Point and establish a presence in that market, we have demonstrated the ability to act decisively and execute. 

We intend to evaluate and employ these and other risk mitigation strategies on a continual basis and, as we have in the past, will seek to identify other new or evolving tools that we believe allow us to pursue profitable growth in a prudent and sound manner.

Efficient Operating Model

We believe our highly efficient and scalable operating model, which is not dependent upon a traditional branch network, enables us to operate profitably, remain competitive, increase market share and develop new business while continuing to provide exceptional customer service. As of September 30, 2014, our assets per full-time equivalent employee were $7.9 million, versus an average of $4.8 million for commercial banks with assets between $500 million and $1 billion according to FDIC statistics as of June 30, 2014. Taking into account our total assets, plus loans serviced, which includes government guaranteed loans sold and loans participated, our assets plus loans serviced per full-time equivalent employee are $12.2 million. We believe that our focus on

 

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operational efficiency is critical to our profitability and future growth prospects. Our non-interest income is not derived from traditional sources, such as residential mortgage loan sales and servicing, but is and we believe will continue to be derived from sustainable loan servicing rights and fee income from guaranteed and participated loans. We believe our scalable systems, risk management infrastructure and operating model will better enable us to achieve further operational efficiencies as we grow our business. We believe that the personal contact of our bankers, specifically as it relates to our dairy-related loan customers, enables us to monitor our credits more effectively, while keeping our overhead expenses (namely, fixed assets) lower. Accordingly, we believe our growth depends more on attracting and retaining quality people than on adding brick and mortar.

Pursue Strategic Mergers and Acquisitions

While we are committed to growing our business by expanding our operations and lending strategy within Wisconsin organically, we expect to opportunistically pursue acquisitions consistent with our strategic objectives. We feel our model is scalable, and with our continued strong growth in the agricultural markets, we will seek to further expand our business by pursuing strategic partners that would offer us growth and diversification opportunities, ideally business banks and banks without extensive branch networks. We believe that significant consolidation opportunities exist in the Wisconsin market in particular for well-positioned and well-capitalized prospective acquirers with publicly-traded stock and access to the capital markets. According to FDIC data as of June 30, 2014, the Wisconsin banking market consisted of over 200 banks and thrifts with assets less than $400 million headquartered in the state, while 15 banks with assets greater than $1 billion are headquartered in Wisconsin, of which only six are exchange-traded. As of the date of this prospectus, we do not have any agreements, arrangements or understandings regarding any possible future acquisitions or other similar transactions.

Our Markets

Our agricultural banking business, which is primarily dairy-related, extends throughout Wisconsin, with lending relationships in 61 of the state’s 72 counties as of September 30, 2014. We also serve business and retail customers throughout Wisconsin with a focus on Northeastern and Central Wisconsin.

The economy in Wisconsin represents a diverse range of industries. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, manufacturing, trade, agriculture, professional and business services, finance and insurance, and government industries accounted for approximately 50% of employment in the state in 2012. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the broader Wisconsin economy is growing at a pace on par with the United States as a whole and the overall unemployment rate has fallen below the national rate of unemployment. Agriculture, as defined by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, has grown faster than the U.S. economy as a whole, with real agricultural GDP growing at a compound annual rate of 3.4% nationally and 8.4% in Wisconsin from 2009 to 2013, compared to a CAGR of 2.0% for the overall economy during the same period. Further, according to a 2012 report from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, total revenue for the agricultural industry in Wisconsin was just over $59 billion in 2007 and had grown to $88.3 billion for 2012, representing approximately a 49% increase.

Dairy-related business lending has proven to be a source of stability and steady growth for both the Bank and the state of Wisconsin. The economic impact of the dairy industry on Wisconsin is significant. According to a 2012 report from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as part of the overall Wisconsin agricultural economy, the dairy sector contributed $43.4 billion of revenue to the state’s economy. Steady growth in cheese and yogurt consumption has led to an increase of 19.2% in total dairy utilization from 2003 to 2013. In 2012, Wisconsin ranked first in total cheese production, accounting for 25.6% of U.S. output, and second in milk production with 13.6% of total output.

We believe increasing demand for agricultural products and changing agricultural industry dynamics will continue to drive the need for agricultural banking services in our markets while the broader business banking

 

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environment in Wisconsin continues to grow. We believe the Bank is well positioned to continue serving the banking needs of agricultural and business banking customers throughout Wisconsin.

Our Products and Services

The Bank provides a wide range of consumer and commercial banking services to individuals, businesses, and industries. The basic services offered by the Bank include: demand interest bearing and noninterest bearing accounts, money market deposit accounts, NOW accounts, time deposits, remote merchant deposit capture, internet banking, cash management services, safe deposit services, credit cards, debit cards, direct deposits, notary services, night depository, cashiers’ checks, drive-in tellers, banking by mail, and the full range of consumer loans, both collateralized and uncollateralized. In addition, the Bank makes secured and unsecured commercial loans as well as loans secured by residential and commercial real estate, and issues stand-by letters of credit. The Bank provides automated teller machine, or ATM, cards and is a member of the Pulse and Cirrus ATM networks thereby enabling customers to utilize the convenience of ATM access nationwide and internationally.

The revenues of the Bank are primarily derived from interest on loans and fees received in connection with loans, interest and dividends on its investment securities, and non-interest income primarily generated from loan sales and loan servicing rights. Most of the Bank’s investment portfolio is held in its wholly owned subsidiary of ICB Investment Corp. The principal sources of funds for the Bank’s lending activities are its deposits (primarily consumer deposits and brokered deposits), loan repayments, and income on and proceeds from the sale of investment securities. The Bank’s principal expenses are interest paid on deposits and operating and general administrative expenses. The Bank also generates non-interest income from Investors Insurance Services, LLC, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank. Investors Insurance Services, LLC, provides crop insurance products to the agricultural sector of Wisconsin.

As is the case with financial institutions generally, our operations are materially and significantly influenced by general economic conditions and by related monetary and fiscal policies of financial institution regulatory agencies, including the Federal Reserve, the FDIC and the WDFI Banking Division. Deposit flows and costs of funds are influenced by interest rates on competing investments and general market interest rates. Lending activities are affected by the demand for financing of real estate and other types of loans, which in turn is affected by the interest rates at which such financing may be offered and other factors affecting local demand and availability of funds. The Bank faces strong competition in the attraction of deposits and in the origination of loans. For additional information about the competition we face, see the section of this prospectus entitled “Business—Competition.”

 

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Lending Activities

Loans

A significant source of our revenues is the interest earned on the Bank’s loan portfolio. At September 30, 2014, our total assets were $742.8 million and our total loans were $591.6 million or 79.7% of total assets. At December 31, 2013, our total assets were $757.8 million and our total loans were $569.1 million or 75.1% of total assets. At December 31, 2012, our total assets were $755.2 million and its total loans were $613.5 million or 81.2% of total assets. The increase in total loans from December 31, 2013 to September 30, 2014, was $22.5 million (4.0%) and from December 31, 2012 to December 31, 2013, total loans decreased $44.4 million (7.2%). For the periods indicated below, the net change in total loans (excluding the allowance for loan losses) was as follows:

 

     Nine Months Ended
September 30, 2014
    Year Ended December 31,  
     2013     2012  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Total loans:

      

Balance at beginning of period

   $ 569,138      $ 613,490      $ 575,061   

Loan originations, net of repayments

     25,061        38,269        91,835   

Less: Loans sold, net of repayments

     (1,037     (51,154     (43,418

Less: Loans charged-off, net

     (218     (6,438     (1,520

Less: Transfers to other real estate owned

     (1,321     (25,029     (8,468
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at end of period

   $ 591,623      $ 569,138      $ 613,490   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

For more information about our loan portfolio, see the section of this prospectus entitled “Management Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Comparison of Financial Condition at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 and 2012—Net Loans.”

Lending activities are conducted pursuant to a written policy adopted by the Bank. Each loan officer has defined lending authority beyond which loans, depending upon their type and size, must be reviewed and approved by the management loan committee or the board loan committee, depending on the size and risk classification of the loan.

At September 30, 2014, and December 31, 2013 and 2012, the composition of our loan portfolio was as follows:

 

           As of December 31,  
     As of September 30, 2014     2013     2012  
         Amount         % of
    Loans    
    Amount     % of
Loans
    Amount     % of
Loans
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

Loans:

            

Agricultural loans

   $ 376,737        63.7   $ 375,240        65.9   $ 381,893        62.3

Commercial real estate loans

     120,542        20.3        102,645        18.0        123,499        20.1   

Commercial loans

     52,172        8.8        51,008        9.0        57,928        9.4   

Residential real estate loans

     41,812        7.1        39,901        7.0        49,050        8.0   

Installment and consumer other

     360        0.1        344        0.1        1,120        0.2   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total loans

   $ 591,623        100.0   $ 569,138        100.0   $ 613,490        100.0
    

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Less: Allowance for loan losses

     (10,374       (10,495       (12,521  
  

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

   

Net loans

   $ 581,249        $ 558,643        $ 600,969     
  

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

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Loan Portfolio Concentrations

Our agricultural loan portfolio, while heavily dependent on the dairy industry, is the beneficiary of a number of mitigating factors to this concentration risk. First, our farm customers are diversified geographically throughout the state of Wisconsin, which we believe helps mitigate the weather-related risk impacting feed availability and cost. Secondly, the USDA provides government support for a number of insurance type products that dairy producers can purchase, which we believe substantially mitigate weather and pricing risks for crops and pricing risks for milk. The availability of these types of products in addition to the ability to use the futures markets to hedge both milk price and feed cost brings some additional stability and predictability to the cash flow of farmers.

We originate and maintain large credit relationships with a number of customers in the ordinary course of our business. We have established a formal, internal house lending limit on loans to one borrower of $6 million, which is significantly lower than our legal lending limit of approximately $18.9 million as of September 30, 2014. Exceptions to this limit may be made in the case of particularly strong credits. As of September 30, 2014, only nine relationships exceeded our internal house lending limit with total combined credit risk exposure of $69.4 million, or 63.2%, of total risk-based capital, and only two of these relationships exceeded $10 million, with the largest being $10.8 million.

Loan Underwriting

Management seeks to maintain a high quality of loans through sound underwriting and lending practices. We believe the most relevant measurement for monitoring overall credit quality of our loan portfolio is the ratio of non-performing assets to total assets as nonperforming loans may ultimately progress to OREO. Accordingly, the initial underwriting of loans is vital. Our non-performing assets to total assets as of September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012 were 2.79%, 2.92% and 2.88%, respectively. We have customized our loan underwriting to reflect the risks that are specific to each product type as described below.

Agricultural Lending. Our agricultural banking team consists of bankers, most of whom grew up on farms in Wisconsin, which provides a solid understanding of the nuances of the industry. As of the date of this prospectus, we have ten agricultural banking officers driving the relationships with our customers, as well as two crop insurance sales representatives. Our philosophy is to bring the Bank to the customer, and most contacts are made on the farm. The deep relationships our team has with our agricultural customers, and the value each team member provides given his or her strong agricultural roots creates a barrier to entry for our competitors. We believe this regular personal contact with our customers provides a high level of service and allows our bankers to monitor our credits more effectively.

Our relationships with our agricultural customers typically involve their entire primary banking needs. We lend money to our customers for short term needs, such as planting crops or buying feed, as needed. We also provide intermediate-term loans to fund cattle or equipment needs, as well as longer-term real estate loans to provide funds to purchase real estate or improve existing real estate. Collateral for these loans will typically involve cross collateralization of all of a farm’s assets and will be in a primary lien position. We apply a consistent credit philosophy when underwriting agricultural loans, which focuses on repayment of credit facilities from current and historical cash flow analysis, both cash and accrual. Other factors considered in granting credit are management capability, collateral quality and adequacy, and balance sheet leverage.

Commercial Lending. Our commercial and industrial loans, or C&I loans, are offered to established businesses by business bankers who have extensive experience in making commercial loans. Our commercial loan portfolio is comprised of conventional term loans, lines of credit and government guaranteed loans, primarily SBA loans. These loans have either adjustable or fixed rates typically with terms of five years or less, longer with SBA guarantees. C&I loans are underwritten on the basis of the borrower’s ability to make repayment for the cash flow of its business and generally are collateralized by business assets, such as accounts receivable, equipment and inventory, as well as personal guarantees of the principals. The availability of funds

 

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for the repayment of commercial loans is substantially dependent on the success of the business itself, which is subject to adverse economic conditions. Commercial loans often involve larger loan balances to single borrowers or a related group of borrowers, resulting in a more concentrated loan portfolio.

Commercial real estate mortgage loans, or CRE loans, in our portfolio consist of fixed and adjustable interest rate loans that were originated at prevailing market interest rates. Our policy has been to originate CRE loans predominantly in our primary market area. CRE loans consist primarily of multi-family investment properties and investment retail, office, mini-storage and warehouse loans. These loans are generally underwritten to a maximum loan-to-value of 75% of the lower of appraised value or purchase price of the property securing the loan. In making CRE loans, we primarily considers the net operating income generated by the real estate to support the debt service, the financial resources and income level and managerial expertise of the borrower, the marketability of the collateral and our lending experience with the borrower. CRE loans entail significant additional risks compared to residential mortgage loans. The collateral underlying CRE loans may depreciate over time, cannot be appraised with as much precision as residential real estate, and may fluctuate in value based on the success of the tenants.

Consumer Lending. While not a primary focus of ours, we do provide consumer and personal loans on a collateralized and non-collateralized basis. These loans are most often collateralized by primary residences, secondary residences, automobiles and recreational vehicles. Consumer loans are priced at prevailing market rates and are made to the individuals responsible for making the scheduled payments. Consumer and personal loans generally have a term of five years or less, with amortizations that match the useful life of the asset(s) being financed. Consumer loans represent approximately 2% of our overall loan portfolio.

Concentrations. Loan concentrations are defined as amounts loaned to multiple borrowers engaged in similar activities that could cause them to be similarly impacted by economic or other conditions. We, on a routine basis, monitor these concentrations in order to consider adjustments in our lending practices to reflect economic conditions, loan to deposit ratios, and industry trends. As of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 and 2012, except for agricultural real estate and agricultural production loans, which together comprised approximately 64%, 66% and 62%, respectively, of our loan portfolio on each of those dates, no concentration of loans within any portfolio category to any group of borrowers engaged in similar activities or in a similar business exceeded 25% of total loans.

The loan committee of the board of directors of the Bank concentrates its efforts and resources, and that of its senior management and lending officers, on loan review and underwriting procedures. Internal controls include ongoing reviews of loans made to monitor documentation and the existence and valuations of collateral. In addition, management of the Bank has established a review process with the objective of identifying, evaluating, and initiating necessary corrective action for marginal loans. The goal of the loan review process is to address classified and non-performing loans as early as possible.

For additional information concerning our risk management, see “ Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Risk Management .”

Loan Servicing

As part of our growth and risk management strategy, we have actively developed a loan participation and loan sales network. Our ability to sell loan participations and whole loans benefits us by freeing up capital and funding to lend to new customers but, because we continue to service these loans, we are able to maintain a relationship with the customer. Additionally, we typically earn a gain on the sale of loans sold and receive a servicing fee that generally exceeds the cost of administering the loan and maintaining the customer relationship.

 

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The following table shows the total portfolio of loans and loans serviced for the periods indicated below:

 

     As of September 30,     As of December 31,  
     2014     2013     2013     2012  
           (dollars in thousands)  

Total loans

   $ 591,623      $ 578,506      $ 569,138      $ 613,490   

Less: nonqualified loan sales included below

     (9,347     (14,360     (14,169     (18,396

Loans serviced

        

Agricultural

     399,694        372,033        382,094        308,514   

Commercial

     10,479        25,799        25,822        37,969   

Commercial real estate

     4,992        6,269        6,213        16,491   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total loans serviced

     415,165        404,101        414,129        362,974   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total loans and loans serviced

   $ 997,441      $ 968,246      $ 969,098      $ 958,068   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Classification of Assets

Interest on loans accrues and is credited to income based upon the principal balance outstanding. It is management’s policy to discontinue the accrual of interest income and classify a loan as nonaccrual when principal or interest is past due 90 days or more unless, in the opinion of management, the credit is well secured and in the process of collection. Loans may also be placed on nonaccrual status when, in management’s opinion, repayment is not likely to be paid in accordance with the terms of the obligation is not likely. Consumer installment loans are generally charged-off after 90 days of delinquency unless adequately collateralized and in the process of collection. Loans are not returned to accrual status until principal and interest payments are brought current and future payments appear reasonably certain. Interest accrued and unpaid at the time a loan is placed on nonaccrual status is charged against interest income.

Real estate acquired by us as a result of foreclosure or by deed in lieu of foreclosure is classified as other real estate owned or, OREO. OREO properties are recorded on the balance sheet at the lower of cost or fair value less estimated selling costs, and the estimated loss, if any, is charged to the allowance for loan losses at the time it is transferred to OREO. Further write-downs in OREO are recorded at the time management believes additional deterioration in value has occurred and are charged to non-interest expense. At September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 and 2012, we have OREO of $8.1 million, $16.1 and $10.5 million, respectively.

Loans on nonaccrual status and OREO and certain other related information was as follows:

 

     As of September 30, 2014     As of December 31, 2013     As of December 31, 2012  
     Amount      Percent
of Loans
    Amount      Percent
of Loans
    Amount      Percent
of Loans
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

Total loans on nonaccrual status

   $ 12,550         2.12   $ 6,056         1.06   $ 11,212         1.83

Total loans 90+ days past due still accruing

     —           —          —           —          —           —     

Other real estate owned

     8,149         1.38        16,083         2.83        10,517         1.71   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total non-performing assets

   $ 20,699         3.50   $ 22,139         3.89   $ 21,729         3.54
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Loans past-due 30-89 days

   $ 211         0.04   $ 312         0.05   $ 1,917         0.31

As a % of total assets

               

Total non-performing loans

        1.69           0.80           1.48   

Total non-performing assets

        2.79           2.92           2.88   

Allowance for loan losses as a % of

               

Total loans

        1.75           1.84           2.04   

Non-performing loans

        82.66           173.30           111.67   

 

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At September 30, 2014, loans 30 to 89 days delinquent comprised four customer relationships, which totaled $211 thousand. Management continually evaluates the collectability of its non-performing loans and the adequacy of its allowance for loan losses to absorb the identified and unidentified losses inherent in the loan portfolio. As a result of these evaluations, loans considered uncollectible are charged-off and adjustments to the reserve considered necessary are provided through a provision charged against earnings. These evaluations consider the current economic environment, the real estate market and its impact on underlying collateral values, trends in the level of non-performing and past-due loans, and changes in the size and composition of the loan portfolio.

No provision for loan losses was taken for the nine months ended September 30, 2014, while for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 the provision for loan losses totaled $4.2 million and $4.2 million, respectively. For such periods, net loans charged-off totaled $121 thousand, $6.2 million and $769 thousand, respectively. At September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 and 2012, we had non-performing loans (i.e., nonaccrual loans and loans 90 days or more past due) of $12.6 million, $6.1 million and $11.2 million, respectively. Considering the nature of our loan portfolio, management believes that the allowance for loan losses at September 30, 2014 was adequate.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2014, and the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, the activity in our allowance for loan losses was as follows:

 

     Nine Months Ended
September 30, 2014
    Year Ended December 31,  
           2013             2012      
     (dollars in thousands)  

Allowance for loan losses:

      

Beginning of period

   $ 10,495      $ 12,521      $ 9,090   

Actual charge-offs

     (218     (6,438     (1,520

Less: recoveries

     97        212        751   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net loan charge-offs

     (121     (6,226     (769

Provision for loan losses

     —          4,200        4,200   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

End of period

   $ 10,374      $ 10,495      $ 12,521   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Deposit Activities

Deposits are the major source of our funds for lending and other investment purposes. Deposits are attracted principally from within our primary market area through the offering of a broad variety of deposit instruments including checking accounts, money market accounts, regular savings accounts, term certificate accounts (including “jumbo” certificates in denominations of $100,000 or more) and retirement savings plans. As of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 and 2012, the distribution by type of deposit accounts was as follows:

 

           As of December 31,  
     As of September 30, 2014     2013     2012  
     Amount      % of
Deposits
    Amount      % of
Deposits
    Amount      % of
Deposits
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

Time deposits

   $ 296,347         49.4   $ 321,257         52.1   $ 313,168         51.1

Brokered deposits

     131,423         21.9        150,661         24.4        167,887         27.4   

Money market accounts

     71,374         11.9        52,961         8.6        53,604         8.7   

Demand, noninterest-bearing

     63,825         10.7        57,231         9.3        54,276         8.9   

NOW accounts and interest checking

     27,226         4.5        28,688         4.7        18,853         3.1   

Savings

     9,736         1.6        5,510         0.9        5,031         0.8   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total deposits

   $ 599,931         100.0   $ 616,308         100.0   $ 612,819         100.0
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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Our deposits decreased during the first nine months of 2014, from $616.3 million at December 31, 2013 to $599.9 million at September 30, 2014, a decrease of $16.4 million or 2.7%. This decrease in total deposits from December 31, 2013 to September 30, 2014 resulted from decreases in brokered and time deposits of $19.2 million and $24.9 million, respectively, offset by increases in other deposits of $27.8 million. Our deposits increased to $616.3 million at December 31, 2013, from $612.8 million at December 31, 2012, an increase of $3.5 million or 0.6%, reflecting an increase in time deposits of $8.1 million, a decrease in brokered deposits of $17.2 million, and an increase in other deposits of $12.6 million, respectively.

Maturity terms, service fees and withdrawal penalties are established by us on a periodic basis. The determination of rates and terms is predicated on funds acquisition and liquidity requirements, rates paid by competitors, growth goals and federal regulations.

Brokered and Other Deposits

We use various funding sources including: (i) core deposits consisting of traditional bank deposit products, such as demand deposits, money market accounts and certificates of deposit, and (ii) wholesale funds consisting of brokered deposits, national CDs and FHLB advances. Wholesale funding is used to supplement normal deposit accumulation by us and to assist in asset liability management. We use brokered deposits to obtain non-putable deposits (except for death and incompetence) with maturities and options that assist management of various balance sheet interest rate risks. These deposits may have a higher or lower interest rate than deposits obtained locally. As noted above, brokered deposit balances were $131.4 million, $150.7 million and $167.9 million at September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively.

FDIC regulations limit the ability of certain insured depository institutions to accept, renew, or roll over brokered deposits by offering rates of interest which are significantly higher than the prevailing rates of interest on deposits offered by other insured depository institutions having the same type of charter in such depository institutions’ normal market area. Under these regulations, “well capitalized” depository institutions may accept, renew, or roll over deposits at such rates without restriction, “adequately capitalized” depository institutions may accept, renew or roll over deposits at such rates with a waiver from the FDIC (subject to certain restrictions on payments of rates), and “undercapitalized” depository institutions may not accept, renew or roll over deposits at such rates. The regulations contemplate that the definitions of “well capitalized,” “adequately capitalized” and “undercapitalized” will be the same as the definitions adopted by the agencies to implement the prompt corrective action provisions of applicable law. For additional information, see the section in this prospectus entitled “Supervision and Regulation—Imposition of Liability for Undercapitalized Subsidiaries.” As of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the Bank met the definition of a “well capitalized” depository institution.

Time deposits of $100,000 and over, public fund deposits and other large deposit accounts tend to be short-term in nature and more sensitive to changes in interest rates than other types of deposits and, therefore, may be a less stable source of funds. In the event that existing short-term deposits are not renewed, the resulting loss of the deposited funds could adversely affect our liquidity. In a rising interest rate market, such short-term deposits may prove to be a costly source of funds because their short-term nature facilitates renewal at increasingly higher interest rates, which may adversely affect our earnings. However, the converse is true in a falling interest-rate market where such short-term deposits are more favorable to us.

 

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The following table sets forth the maturity of time deposits, including brokered time deposits as of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 and 2012.

 

     As of September 30,
2014
     As of December 31,  
        2013      2012  
     (dollars in thousands)  

3 months or less

   $ 53,455       $ 55,896       $ 72,358   

Over 3 months through 12 months

     133,279         98,953         127,458   

Over 1 year through 3 years

     155,479         181,522         159,749   

Over 3 years

     49,534         96,333         92,468   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total certificates

   $ 391,747       $ 432,704       $ 452,033   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Competition

We encounter strong competition both in making loans and in attracting deposits. The deregulation of the banking industry and the widespread enactment of state laws that permit multi-bank holding companies as well as an increasing level of interstate banking have created a highly competitive environment for commercial banking. In one or more aspects of our business, we compete with other commercial banks, savings and loan associations, credit unions, finance companies, mutual funds, insurance companies, brokerage and investment banking companies and other financial intermediaries. Most of these competitors, some of which are affiliated with bank holding companies, have substantially greater resources and lending limits, and may offer certain services that we do not currently provide.

In addition, many of our non-bank competitors are not subject to the same extensive federal regulations that govern bank holding companies and federally insured banks. Recent federal and state legislation has heightened the competitive environment in which financial institutions must conduct their business, and the potential for competition among financial institutions of all types has increased significantly. There is no assurance that increased competition from other financial institutions will not have an adverse effect on our operations.

To compete, we rely upon specialized services, responsive handling of customer needs, and personal contacts by our officers, directors, and staff. Large multi-branch banking competitors tend to compete primarily by rate and the number and locations of branches while smaller, independent financial institutions tend to compete primarily by rate and personal service.

Employees

At September 30, 2014, we had 89 full-time employees and 15 part-time employees. Our employees are not represented by a collective bargaining unit. We consider our relations with our employees to be good.

Properties

Our main office is located at 860 North Rapids Road in Manitowoc, Wisconsin 54221. The 24,000-square foot building, which is owned by the Bank, houses our executive offices and teller lobby. The building has four drive-up teller windows and a night depository. The building was built in 1997 and is in very good condition. We consider the building to be adequate for our needs presently and in the foreseeable future. In addition, the Bank has one full-service branch at 3273 Church Street in Stevens Point, Wisconsin 54481, and three loan production offices, located in Darlington, Eau Claire and Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, respectively.

Legal Proceedings

From time to time, we are subject to certain legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of business. We are not presently party to any legal proceedings the resolution of which we believe would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results or cash flows. We establish reserves for specific legal matters when we determine that the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome is probable and the loss is reasonably estimable.

 

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus. The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates and beliefs. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences are discussed in the sections titled “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” “Industry and Market Data” and “Risk Factors.”

General

The following discussion and analysis presents our financial condition and results of operations on a consolidated basis. However, because we conduct all of our material business operations through the Bank, the discussion and analysis relates to activities primarily conducted at the Bank.

Executive Overview

We are the holding company for Investors Community Bank, which is headquartered in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Our results of operations depend primarily on our net interest income. Net interest income is the difference between the interest income we earn on our interest-earning assets, such as loans, and the interest we pay on interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits. We generate most of our revenue from interest on loans and investments and loan- and deposit-related fees. Our loan portfolio consists of a mix of agricultural, commercial real estate, commercial and industrial, multi-family and construction, residential real estate and consumer loans. Our primary source of funding is deposits. Our largest expenses are interest on these deposits and salaries and related employee benefits. We measure our performance through various metrics, including our pre-tax net income, net interest margin, efficiency ratio, return on average assets and return on average common shareholders’ equity, earnings per share, and non-performing loans to total loans. We must also maintain appropriate regulatory leverage and risk-based capital ratios. The following table sets forth the key financial metrics we use to measure our performance.

 

     As of or for the Nine Months
Ended

September 30,
    As of or for the Year Ended
December 31,
 
         2014             2013         2013     2012     2011  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Pre-tax income

   $ 9,531      $ 9,422      $ 11,152      $ 12,235      $ 9,873   

Net interest margin (2)

     3.22     3.37     3.35     3.59     3.29

Efficiency ratio (1)

     52.87     49.05     47.43     50.00     46.17

Return on average assets (2)

     1.06     1.06     0.94     1.09     0.92

Return on average common shareholders’ equity (2)

     11.10     12.02     10.47     12.74     11.82

Basic earnings per common share

   $ 1.25      $ 1.23      $ 1.45      $ 1.56      $ 1.27   

Diluted earnings per share

   $ 1.25      $ 1.23      $ 1.45      $ 1.53      $ 1.25   

Non-performing assets to total assets (3)

     2.79     4.25     2.92     2.88     4.63

 

(1) This measure is not recognized under U.S. GAAP and is therefore considered to be a non-U.S. GAAP financial measure. See “Summary—Selected Historical Consolidated Financial Data—Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of this measure to its most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure.
(2) Annualized for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
(3) Non-performing assets are defined as nonaccrual loans plus OREO.

 

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Certain of our accounting policies are important to the portrayal of our financial condition, since they require management to make difficult, complex or subjective judgments, some of which may relate to matters that are inherently uncertain. Estimates associated with these policies are susceptible to material changes as a result of changes in facts and circumstances. Facts and circumstances which could affect these judgments include, but are not limited to, changes in interest rates, changes in the performance of the economy and changes in the financial condition of borrowers. Our significant accounting policies are discussed in detail in Note 1 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. Those significant accounting policies that we consider to be most critical are described below. Our policies with respect to the methodology for the determination of the allowance for loan losses, OREO and fair value of financial instruments involves a degree of complexity and requires management to make difficult and subjective judgments which often require assumptions or estimates about highly uncertain matters. Changes in these judgments, assumptions or estimates could materially impact results of operations. These critical policies and their application are reviewed with the board of directors annually and prior to any change in policy.

Allowance for Loan Losses

The allowance for loan losses is established through a provision for loan losses charged to expense, which affects our earnings directly. Loans are charged against the allowance for loan losses when management believes that the collectability of all or some of the principal is unlikely. Subsequent recoveries are added to the allowance. The allowance is an amount that reflects management’s estimate of the level of probable incurred losses in the loan portfolio. Factors considered by management in determining the adequacy of the allowance include, but are not limited to, detailed reviews of individual loans, historical and current trends in loan charge-offs for the various portfolio segments evaluated, the level of the allowance in relation to total loans and to historical loss levels, levels and trends in non-performing and past due loans, volume of and migratory direction of adversely graded loans, external factors including regulatory, reputation, and competition, and management’s assessment of economic conditions. Our board of directors reviews the recommendations of management regarding the appropriate level for the allowance for loan losses based upon these factors.

The provision for loan losses is the charge to operating earnings necessary to maintain an adequate allowance for loan losses. We have developed policies and procedures for evaluating the overall quality of our loan portfolio and the timely identification of problem credits. Management continuously reviews these policies and procedures and makes further improvements as needed. The adequacy of our allowance for loan losses and the effectiveness of our internal policies and procedures are also reviewed periodically by our regulators and our auditors and external loan review personnel. Our regulators may advise us to recognize additions to the allowance based upon their judgments about information available to them at the time of their examination. Such regulatory guidance is taken under consideration by management, and we may recognize additions to the allowance as a result.

We continually refine our methodology for determining the allowance for loan losses by comparing historical loss ratios utilized to actual experience and by classifying loans for analysis based on similar risk characteristics. Cash receipts for accruing loans are applied to principal and interest under the contractual terms of the loan agreements; however, cash receipts on impaired and nonaccrual loans for which the accrual of interest has been discontinued are applied to principal and interest income depending upon the overall risk of principal loss to us.

Other Real Estate Owned

Assets acquired through or in lieu of loan foreclosure are initially recorded at lower of cost or fair value less estimated costs to sell, establishing a new cost basis. Subsequent to foreclosure, independent valuations are performed annually and the assets are carried at the lower of carrying amount or fair value less estimated costs to sell. Revenue and expenses from operations and changes in the valuation allowance are included in other non-interest expense. Costs related to the development and improvement of real estate owned is capitalized.

 

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Fair Value of Financial Instruments

A significant portion of the Company’s assets are financial instruments carried at fair value. This includes securities available for sale and certain impaired loans. The majority of assets carried at fair value are based on either quoted market prices or market prices for similar instruments. See Note 18 “Fair Value Measurements” in the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” herein for additional disclosures regarding the fair value of financial instruments.

JOBS Act Transition Period

The JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. Thus, an emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to avail ourselves of this extended transition period.

Comparison of Financial Condition at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 and 2012

Total Assets . Total assets decreased $15.0 million, or 1.99%, from $757.8 million at December 31, 2013 to $742.8 million at September 30, 2014. Total assets decreased while loans increased by $22.5 million offset by a decrease in cash and due from banks of $28.1 million.

Total assets increased $2.6 million, or 0.3%, from $755.2 million at December 31, 2012 to $757.8 million at December 31, 2013. Total assets were generally flat for the year with a decrease in total net loans of $42.3 million, partially offset by an increase in cash and cash equivalents of $27.1 million and an increase in investment securities of $10.9 million.

Net Loans . Total net loans increased by $22.6 million, or 4.1%, from $558.6 million at December 31, 2013 to $581.2 million at September 30, 2014. The increase in loans was due primarily to growth in the commercial real estate loans and commercial and industrial portfolios and reduced loan sale activity.

Total net loans decreased by $42.3 million, or 7.0%, from $601.0 million at December 31, 2012 to $558.6 million at December 31, 2013. The decrease in loans was due primarily to a decrease of $20.9 million, or 16.9%, in commercial real estate loans, and a decrease of $6.9 million or 11.9%, in commercial loans. The decrease in net loans reflects a transfer of $25.0 million in loans to OREO and a decrease of $51.2 million from the sale of primarily agricultural and C&I loans. Loan growth, adjusted for sales and OREO transfers, was $38.2 million or 6.2% in 2013 and $25.1 million or 4.4% for the nine months ended September 30, 2014. This overall loan growth reflects our continuing emphasis on originating agricultural and commercial loans by taking advantage of increased loan demand. Sales of loans were strategically executed to take advantage of balance sheet management opportunities in consideration of our capital position and loan mix concentration.

 

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The following tables set forth the composition of our loan portfolio at the dates indicated:

 

    As of September 30,     As of December 31,  
    2014     2013     2012     2011  
    Amount     Percent     Amount     Percent     Amount     Percent     Amount     Percent  
(dollars in thousands)  

Agricultural loans

  $ 376,737        63.7   $ 375,240        65.9   $ 381,893        62.3   $ 317,486        55.2

Commercial real estate loans

    120,542        20.3        102,645        18.0        123,499        20.1        134,791        23.4   

Commercial loans

    52,172        8.8        51,008        9.0        57,928        9.4        55,560        9.7   

Residential real estate loans

    41,812        7.1        39,901        7.0        49,050        8.0        66,252        11.5   

Installment and consumer other

    360        0.1        344        0.1        1,120        0.2        973        0.2   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total gross loans

  $ 591,623        100.0   $ 569,138        100.0   $ 613,490        100.0   $ 575,062        100.0
   

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

 

Allowance for loan losses

  $ (10,374     $ (10,495     $ (12,521     $ (9,090  
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

   

Loans, net

  $ 581,249        $ 558,643        $ 600,969        $ 565,972     
 

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

     

 

 

   

The following table sets forth loan origination activity:

 

     As of September 30,     As of December 31,  
     2014     2013     2013     2012  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Total loans:

        

Balance at beginning of period

   $ 569,138      $ 613,490      $ 613,490      $ 575,061   

Add loan originations, net of repayments

     25,061        37,220        38,269        91,835   

Less loans sold, net of repayments

     (1,037     (41,126     (51,154     (43,418

Less loans charged-off, net

     (218     (6,049     (6,438     (1,520

Less transfers to other real estate owned

     (1,321     (25,029     (25,029     (8,468
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at end of period

   $ 591,623      $ 578,506      $ 569,138      $ 613,490   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Loan Servicing

As part of our growth and risk management strategy, we have actively developed a loan participation and loan sales network. Our ability to sell loan participations and whole loans benefits us by freeing up capital and funding to lend to new customers as well as to increase non-interest income through the recognition of loan sale and servicing revenue. Because we continue to service these loans, we are able to maintain a relationship with the customer. Additionally, we receive a servicing fee that offsets some of the cost of administering the loan, while maintaining the customer relationship.

The loan servicing portfolio is shown below:

 

     As of September 30,     As of December 31,  
     2014     2013     2013     2012  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Total loans

   $ 591,623      $ 578,506      $ 569,138      $ 613,490   

Less: nonqualified loan sales included below

     (9,347     (14,360     (14,169     (18,396

Loans serviced

        

Agricultural

     399,694        372,033        382,094        308,514   

Commercial

     10,479        25,799        25,822        37,969   

Commercial real estate

     4,992        6,269        6,213        16,491   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total loans serviced

     415,165        404,101        414,129        362,974   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total loans and loans serviced

   $ 997,441      $ 968,246      $ 969,098      $ 958,068   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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Loan Maturity . The following table sets forth certain information at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 regarding scheduled contractual maturities during the periods indicated. The tables do not include any estimate of prepayments, which significantly shorten the average life of all loans and may cause our actual repayment experience to differ from that shown below.

 

    As of September 30, 2014     As of December 31, 2013  
    Due In
One Year
or Less
    More than
One Year
to Five
Years
    More
than Five
Years to
Ten
Years
    Due
More
Than
Ten
Years
    Due
Under
One Year
    More than
One Year
to Five
Years
    More
than Five
Years to
Ten
Years
    Due
More
than Ten
Years
 
    (dollars in thousands)  

By Loan Portfolio Class:

               

Agricultural loans

  $ 244,963      $ 103,847      $ 17,807      $ 10,120      $ 252,598      $ 97,088      $ 13,994      $ 11,560   

Commercial real estate loans

    28,100        74,417        10,083        7,942        32,494        62,544        5,154        2,453   

Commercial loans

    28,513        13,068        6,651        3,940        30,025        16,736        2,421        1,826   

Residential real estate loans

    12,275        24,335        1,403        3,799        13,787        20,043        772        5,299   

Installment and consumer other

    201        76        —          83        224        102        —          18   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total loans

  $ 314,052      $ 215,743      $ 35,944      $ 25,884      $ 329,128      $ 196,513      $ 22,341      $ 21,156   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

By Interest Rate Type:

               

Fixed

  $ 253,712      $ 195,972      $ 27,831      $ 22,467      $ 267,465      $ 172,182      $ 17,517      $ 17,645   

Adjustable loans at floor

    22,291        8,011        5,999        —          40,344        14,438        3,658        257   

Adjustable

    38,049        11,760        2,114        3,417        21,319        9,893        1,166        3,254   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total loans

  $ 314,052      $ 215,743      $ 35,944      $ 25,884      $ 329,128      $ 196,513      $ 22,341      $ 21,156   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Securities . Our securities portfolio is predominately composed of municipal securities, investment grade mortgage-backed securities, and U.S. Government and agency securities. We classify substantially all of our securities as available for sale. We do not engage in active securities trading in carrying out our investment strategies.

Securities increased by $4.7 million, or 6.4%, to $77.7 million at September 30, 2014 from $73.0 million at December 31, 2013. The increase in the portfolio was due to additional investment security purchases less normal pay downs during the nine months ended September 30, 2014.

Securities increased by $10.9 million, or 17.57%, to $73.0 million at December 31, 2013, from $60.5 million at December 31, 2012. The increase in the portfolio was primarily due to increased investments in municipal notes and U.S. Agency mortgage-backed securities during the year ended December 31, 2013. We reinvested all of the cash flows from pay downs in new securities to strategically increase our on-balance sheet liquidity position.

The following table sets forth the amortized cost and fair values of our securities portfolio at the dates indicated.

 

    As of September 30,     As of December 31,  
    2014     2013     2012     2011  
    Amortized
Cost
    Fair
Value
    Amortized
Cost
    Fair
Value
    Amortized
Cost
    Fair
Value
    Amortized
Cost
    Fair
Value
 
    (dollars in thousands)  

Available for sale:

               

Municipal securities

  $ 39,186      $ 39,474      $ 33,449      $ 33,735      $ 28,858      $ 29,502      $ 19,594      $ 20,516   

Mortgage-backed securities

    35,983        36,190        37,601        37,255        28,154        29,134        21,425        22,763   

U.S. Government and agency securities

    2,006        2,009        2,008        2,017        3,458        3,462        5,244        5,291   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total available for sale

  $ 77,175      $ 77,673      $ 73,058      $ 73,007      $ 60,470      $ 62,098      $ 46,263      $ 48,570   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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At September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, we had no investments in a single company or entity (other than the U.S. government or an agency of the U.S. government), including both debt and equity securities, that had an aggregate book value in excess of 10% of our equity.

The following table sets forth the stated maturities and weighted average yields of investment securities at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013. Certain mortgage-backed securities have adjustable interest rates and will reprice periodically within the various maturity ranges. These repricing schedules are not reflected in the table below.

 

September 30, 2014   One Year
or Less
    More than
One Year to
Five Years
    More than
Five Years to
Ten Years
    More than
Ten Years
    Total  
    Amortized
Cost
    Weighted
Average
Yield
    Amortized
Cost
    Weighted
Average
Yield
    Amortized
Cost
    Weighted
Average
Yield
    Amortized
Cost
    Weighted
Average
Yield
    Amortized
Cost
    Weighted
Average
Yield
 
    (dollars in thousands)  

Municipal securities

  $ 3,058        2.83   $ 35,618        1.50   $ 510        2.30     —          —        $ 39,186        1.61

Mortgage-backed securities

    —          —          943        4.28        2,463        4.05      $ 32,577        2.19     35,983        2.37   

U.S. Government and agency securities

    —          —          2,006        0.70        —          —          —          —          2,006        0.70   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

  $ 3,058        2.83   $ 38,567        1.53   $ 2,973        3.75   $ 32,577        2.19   $ 77,175        1.84
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

December 31, 2013   One Year
or Less
    More than
One Year to
Five Years
    More than
Five Years to
Ten Years
    More than
Ten Years
    Total  
    Amortized
Cost
    Weighted
Average
Yield
    Amortized
Cost
    Weighted
Average
Yield
    Amortized
Cost
    Weighted
Average
Yield
    Amortized
Cost
    Weighted
Average
Yield
    Amortized
Cost
    Weighted
Average
Yield
 
    (dollars in thousands)  

Municipal securities

  $ 4,714        3.13   $ 26,231        1.68   $ 2,504        1.58     —          —        $ 33,449        1.88

Mortgage-backed securities

    —          —          —          —          2,552        4.39      $ 35,049        2.23     37,601        2.38   

U.S. Government and agency securities

    —          —          2,008        0.70        —          —          —          —          2,008        0.70   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

  $ 4,714        3.13   $ 28,239        1.61   $ 5,056        3.00   $ 35,049        2.23   $ 73,058        1.90
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Deposits . Deposits decreased $16.4 million, or 2.8% to $599.9 million at September 30, 2014 from $616.3 million at December 31, 2013. Deposits increased $3.5 million, or 0.6%, to $616.3 million at December 31, 2013 from $612.8 million at December 31, 2012. At September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, deposits other than certificates of deposit and brokered deposits were $172.2 million and $144.4 million, respectively, representing 28.7% and 23.4%, respectively, of total deposits. We have used brokered deposits, in addition to our core and time deposits, to help fund our loan demand. Brokered deposits at September 30, 2014 totaled $131.4 million or 21.9% of total deposits. The shift in our deposit balance mix shows our continued strategy to reduce brokered deposits and increase core deposit balances through our focus on customer relationships, in order to secure less volatile and less costly funding and cross-sell opportunities.

 

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     As of September 30,     As of December 31,  
     2014     2013     2012  
     Amount      Percent     Amount      Percent     Amount      Percent  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Time deposits

   $ 296,347         49.4   $ 321,257         52.1   $ 313,168         51.1

Brokered deposits

     131,423         21.9        150,661         24.4        167,887         27.4   

Money market accounts

     71,374         11.9        52,961         8.6        53,604         8.7   

Demand, noninterest-bearing

     63,825         10.7        57,231         9.3        54,276         8.9   

NOW accounts and interest checking

     27,226         4.5        28,688         4.7        18,853         3.1   

Savings

     9,736         1.6        5,510         0.9        5,031         0.8   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total deposits

   $ 599,931         100.0   $ 616,308         100.0   $ 612,819         100.0
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

The following table sets forth the average balances and weighted average rates of our deposit products at the dates indicated.

 

     For the Nine months Ended September 30,  
     2014  
     Average
    Balance    
         Percent         Weighted
Average
    Rate    
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

Time deposits

   $ 309,439         51.2     1.31

Brokered deposits

     141,384         23.4        1.25   

Money market accounts

     63,159         10.4        0.45   

Demand, noninterest-bearing

     56,733         9.4        —     

NOW accounts and interest checking

     28,455         4.7        0.34   

Savings

     5,572         0.9        0.18   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total deposits

   $ 604,742         100.0     1.14
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

    For the Years Ended December 31,  
    2013     2012     2011  
    Average
Balance
    Percent     Weighted
Average
Rate
    Average
Balance
    Percent     Weighted
Average
Rate
    Average
Balance
    Percent     Weighted
Average
Rate
 
    (dollars in thousands)  

Time deposits

  $ 316,751        52.9     1.34   $ 298,484        52.5     1.53   $ 276,719        49.3     2.01

Brokered deposits

    155,017        25.9        1.33        160,690        28.2        1.81        203,080        36.2        2.18   

Money market accounts

    53,078        8.9        0.51        46,632        8.2        0.67        34,410        6.1        0.96   

Demand, noninterest-bearing

    47,563        7.9        —          41,207        7.2        —          34,014        6.1        —     

NOW accounts and interest checking

    21,230        3.5        0.37        18,551        3.3        0.49        10,068        1.8        0.84   

Savings

    5,236        0.9        0.22        3,333        0.6        0.22        2,902        0.5        0.27   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total deposits

  $ 598,875        100.0     1.21   $ 568,897        100.0     1.50   $ 561,193        100.0     1.98
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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The following table sets forth the maturity of time deposits, including brokered time deposits as of September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012.

 

     As of
September 30,
2014
     As of
December 31,
2013
     As of
December 31,
2012
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

3 months or less

   $ 53,455       $ 55,896       $ 72,358   

Over 3 through 12 months

     133,279         98,953         127,458   

Over 1 year through 3 years

     155,479         181,522         159,749   

Over 3 years

     49,534         96,333         92,468   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 391,747       $ 432,704       $ 452,033   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Borrowings . The Bank had fixed rate advances outstanding from the FHLB-Chicago in the amount of $22 million, $22 million and $25 million on September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The terms of security agreements with the FHLB require the Bank to pledge collateral for such borrowings consisting of qualifying first mortgage loans, certain securities available for sale, and all stock in the FHLB. We did not have overnight advances with the FHLB at September 30, 2014 or December 30, 2013 or 2012.

In addition to the fixed rate FHLB borrowings, the Bank had an irrevocable letter of credit with FHLB dated September 14, 2009, totaling $600 thousand at September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012, and an irrevocable letter of credit with the FHLB dated June 20, 2010 totaling $4.14 million, $4.47 million and $4.63 million at September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. There was no amount outstanding under these letters of credit as of September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 or 2012. The letters of credit expire on September 13, 2019 and July 15, 2018, respectively.

As of September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Bank also had a $50 million line-of-credit available with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Borrowings under this line of credit are limited by the amount of securities pledged by the Bank as collateral, our available credit due to our pledged securities totaled $17.9 million, $18.3 million and $19.2 million at September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. We did not borrow from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago as of September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 or 2012.

We also have other borrowings as a result of sold loans that do not qualify for sale accounting. These agreements are recorded as financing transactions as we maintain effective control over the transferred loans. The dollar amount of the loans underlying the sale agreements continues to be carried in our loan portfolio and the transfer is reported as a secured borrowing with pledge of collateral.

The following table sets forth information concerning balances and interest rates on our borrowings at the dates and for the periods indicated.

 

     For the Nine
Months Ended
September 30,
    For the Years Ended December 31,  
     2014     2013     2012     2011  
     (dollars in thousands)  

FHLB Advances:

        

Balance outstanding at end of period

   $ 22,000      $ 22,000      $ 25,000      $ 22,850   

Average amount outstanding during the period

   $ 19,271      $ 24,121      $ 23,948      $ 24,016   

Maximum amount outstanding at any month end

   $ 22,000      $ 25,000      $ 25,000      $ 25,000   

Weighted average interest rate during the period

     1.61     1.80     2.73     2.81

Weighted average interest rate at end of period

     1.59     1.80     1.82     2.84

 

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Table of Contents
     For the Nine
Months Ended
September 30,
    For the Years Ended December 31,  
     2014     2013     2012     2011  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Other borrowings:

        

Balance outstanding at end of period

   $ 9,347      $ 14,169      $ 18,396      $ 14,716   

Average amount outstanding during the period

     12,377        17,500        11,883        12,281   

Maximum amount outstanding at any month end

     14,063        24,770        19,230        14,716   

Weighted average interest rate during the period

     4.99     4.96     4.99     5.41

Weighted average interest rate at end of period

     4.99     4.96     4.99     5.41

Subordinated Debentures . In September 2005 and June 2006, we formed two wholly owned subsidiary business trusts, County Bancorp Statutory Trust II (“Trust II”) and Statutory Trust III (“Trust III”), respectively, for the purpose of issuing capital securities which qualify as Tier 1 capital. Trust II issued at par $6.0 million of floating rate capital securities. The capital securities of Trust II are nonvoting, mandatorily redeemable in 2035, and are guaranteed by us. Trust III issued at par $6.0 million of floating rate capital securities. The capital securities of Trust III are nonvoting, mandatorily redeemable in 2036, and are also guaranteed by us.

We own all of the outstanding common securities of Trust II and Trust III. The trusts used the proceeds from the issuance of their capital securities to buy floating rate junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures (“debentures”) issued by the Company. These debentures are the Trusts’ only assets and interest payments from these debentures finance the distributions paid on the capital securities. These debentures are unsecured, rank junior, and are subordinate in the right of payment to all of our senior debt.

The capital securities of Trust II and Trust III have been structured to qualify as Tier 1 capital for regulatory purposes. However, the securities cannot be used to constitute more than 25% of the Company’s “core” Tier 1 capital according to regulatory requirements. We used the proceeds of the Trust II issue for general corporate purposes and we used the proceeds of the Trust III issue to redeem the securities of County Bancorp Statutory Trust I.

Comparison of Operating Results for the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2014 and 2013

Net Income . Net income was $5.93 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014, or $1.25 per share (basic and diluted), compared to $5.89 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2013, or $1.23 per share (basic and diluted), representing an increase of 0.68%. The slight increase in net income is primarily attributable to the reduction in provision for loan losses. We recorded no provision for loan losses for the current nine month period. The annualized return on average assets for each of the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 was 1.06%.

Interest and Dividend Income . Total interest and dividend income decreased $1.3 million, or 5.43%, to $22.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 compared to the same period in 2013. The decrease in interest income was primarily the result of a lower average rate of interest-earning assets and lower loan volumes. The average balance of loans during the nine months ended September 30, 2014 decreased $13.4 million, or 2.25%, to $582.6 million from $596.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2013, while the average yield on loans decreased by 21 basis points to 4.97% for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 from 5.18% for the nine months ended September 30, 2013. The decline in yield reflects the competitive rate environment and the general level of interest rates. The average balance of investment securities increased $9.8 million, or 15.1%, to $74.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 from $64.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2013, and the yield on investment securities decreased by 4 basis points to 1.84% for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 from 1.88% for the nine months ended September 30, 2013.

Interest Expense . Total interest expense decreased $751 thousand for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2013. Interest expense on interest- bearing deposit accounts for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 decreased $385 thousand, or 7.6%, to $4.7 million driven by lower interest rates paid on deposits given the current interest rate environment.

 

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Interest expense on FHLB advances decreased $102 thousand, or 30.5%, to $232 thousand for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 from $334 thousand for the nine months ended September 30, 2013. The average balance of FHLB advances decreased by $5.5 million, or 22.4%, to $19.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 from $24.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2013. The rate decreased 18 basis points to 1.61% for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 from 1.79% for the nine months ended September 30, 2013.

Also contributing to the decline in overall interest expense was the reduction in interest expense on other borrowings, which decreased $228 thousand during the nine months ended September 30, 2014 from the prior year period, largely as a result of a decline in the average balance of other borrowings of $6.2 million to $12.4 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2014 versus a comparable prior nine month period balance of $18.6 million.

Net Interest and Dividend Income . Net interest and dividend income declined $559 thousand, or 3.17%, to $17.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 from $17.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2013. The decrease resulted primarily from a $1.3 million decrease in interest income. Our average interest-earning assets increased slightly to $707.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 from $699.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2013, and our net interest rate spread decreased to 3.01% for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 from 3.17% for the nine months ended September 30, 2013. Our net interest margin declined to 3.22% for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 from 3.37% for the nine months ended September 30, 2013. The reduction in our interest rate spread and net interest margin reflected the competitive loan pricing environment offset in part by the benefit from the repricing of long-term certificates of deposit at maturity in the ordinary course, and a reduction in our reliance on certificates of deposits and an increase in our level of lower-cost checking accounts.

Provision for Loan Losses . Based on our analysis of the components of the allowance for loan losses described in “Risk Management—Allowance for Loan Losses,” we did not record a provision for loan losses for the nine months ended September 30, 2014, compared to a provision of $3.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2013. The allowance for loan losses was $10.4 million, or 1.75% of total loans at September 30, 2014, compared to $10.2 million, or 1.77% of total loans at September 30, 2013. Total non-performing loans, excluding performing troubled debt restructurings, were $12.6 million at September 30, 2014 compared to $6.4 million at September 30, 2013. The allowance for loan losses reflects the amount we believe to be appropriate to cover losses likely to be incurred in the loan portfolio at September 30, 2014 and 2013.

Non-Interest Income. Non-interest income decreased $1.7 million, or 25.1%, to $5.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 from $6.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2013. The decrease primarily reflected decreases in loan servicing rights income of $1.2 million and OREO recoveries of $404 thousand. The $1.2 million decrease in loan servicing rights income resulted from a reduction of loans sold net of repayments from $41.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 to $1.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014.

Non-Interest Expense . Non-interest expense increased $1.3 million, or 11.3%, to $12.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 from $11.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2013. The increase primarily reflected higher salaries and employee benefits expense of $345 thousand, and increased OREO expenses of $903 thousand.

Income Taxes . Income tax expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 increased to $3.6 million from $3.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2013, due to increased income before income taxes. The effective tax rate as a percent of pre-tax income was approximately 38% for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and approximately 37% for the nine months ended September 30, 2013.

 

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Comparison of Operating Results for the Years Ended December 31, 2013 and 2012

Net Income . Net income was $7.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, or $1.45 per share (basic and diluted), compared to $7.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2012, or $1.56 per share (basic) and $1.53 (diluted), a decrease of $620 thousand, or 8.1%. The decrease was primarily due to an increase in OREO expenses of $3.2 million, offset by an increase of $1.4 million in non-interest income, and a decrease of $837 thousand in salaries and employee benefits expense.

Net income before taxes was $11.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 compared to $12.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2012, a decrease of $1.0 million of 8.2%. Excluding the net costs associated with OREO, net income before taxes would have been $13.4 million and $12.4 million for the years ended 2013 and 2012, respectively, an increase of $1.0 million or 8.1%.

Interest and Dividend Income . Total interest and dividend income decreased $1.8 million, or 5.4%, to $32.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 compared to the same period in 2012. The decrease in total interest income was primarily the result of a $1.8 million decrease in interest on loans and a decrease of $101 thousand in interest on securities. The average balance of loans during the year ended December 31, 2013 increased $4.1 million, or 0.7%, to $590.3 million from $586.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2012, while the average yield on loans decreased by 33 basis points to 5.19% for the year ended December 31, 2013 from 5.52% for the year ended December 31, 2012. The average balance of investment securities increased $11.7 million, or 21.7%, to $65.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 from $53.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2012, and the yield on investment securities decreased by 60 basis points to 1.90% for the year ended December 31, 2013 from 2.50% for the year ended December 31, 2012.

Interest Expense . Total interest expense decreased $1.2 million, or 11.9%, to $8.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 from $9.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2012. Interest expense on interest-bearing deposit accounts decreased $1.2 million to $6.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 from $7.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2012. The decrease was primarily due to the impact of maturing certificates of deposit renewing at lower rates, a shift in deposit mix toward core deposits and deposit rate reductions in core deposits.

Interest expense on FHLB advances decreased $218 thousand, or 33.4%, to $435 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2013 from $653 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2012. The average rate decreased 93 basis points to 1.80% for the year ended December 31, 2013 from 2.73% for the year ended December 31, 2012.

The decrease in interest expense from FHLB advances was offset by the increase in interest expense from other borrowings of $275 thousand, largely as a result of an increase in the average balance of other borrowings of $5.6 million to $17.5 million during the year ended December 31, 2013 from the prior year period balance of $11.9 million.

Net Interest and Dividend Income . Net interest and dividend income decreased $679 thousand, or 2.81%, to $23.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 from $24.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2012. The decrease resulted primarily from a $1.8 million decrease in interest income offset by a $1.2 million decrease in interest expense. Our average interest-earning assets increased by $29.4 million, or 4.4%, to $701.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 from $671.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2012, and our net interest rate spread decreased 20 basis points to 3.15% for the year ended December 31, 2013 from 3.35% at December 31, 2012. Our net interest margin decreased 24 basis points to 3.35% for the year ended December 31, 2013 from 3.59% for the year ended December 31, 2012. The decrease in our interest rate spread and net interest margin reflects yields of interest-earning assets declining faster than yields of interest-bearing liabilities in this low rate environment.

 

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Provision for Loan Losses . Based on our analysis of the components of the allowance for loan losses described in “Risk Management—Allowance for Loan Losses,” we recorded a provision for loan losses of $4.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, and a provision of $4.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2012. The allowance for loan losses was $10.5 million, or 1.84% of total loans at December 31, 2013, compared to $12.5 million, or 2.04% of total loans at December 31, 2012. Total non-performing loans, excluding performing troubled debt restructurings, were $6.1 million at December 31, 2013 compared to $11.2 million at December 31, 2012. The allowance for loan losses reflects the estimate we believe to be appropriate to cover probable incurred losses inherent in the loan portfolio at December 31, 2013 and 2012.

Non-Interest Income . Non-interest income increased $1.4 million, or 18.1%, to $8.9 million during the year ended December 31, 2013 from $7.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2012. The increase is primarily attributed to increases of $950 thousand in loan servicing fees and $318 thousand in loan servicing rights income, offset in part by a reduction in gain on sale of securities of $354 thousand.

Non-Interest Expense . Non-interest expense increased $1.8 million, or 11.6%, to $17.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 from $15.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2012. The increase primarily reflected an increase of $2.0 million in expenses associated with OREO properties offset by decreases in salaries and employee benefits expense of $837 thousand as a result of lower performance based compensation.

Income Taxes . Income tax expense for the year ended December 31, 2013 decreased $0.5 million to $4.1 million from $4.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2012, primarily due to lower income before income taxes. The effective tax rate as a percent of pre-tax income was approximately 37% and 38% for the year ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

 

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Analysis of Net Interest Income

Net interest income represents the difference between income we earn on our interest-earning assets and the expense we pay on interest-bearing liabilities. Net interest income depends on the volume of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities and the interest rates earned on such assets and paid on such liabilities.

Average Balances and Yields . The following tables set forth average balance sheets, average yields and costs, and certain other information for the periods indicated. All average balances are daily average balances. Nonaccrual loans were included in the computation of average balances, but have been reflected in the table as loans carrying a zero yield. The yields set forth below include the effect of deferred fees, discounts and premiums that are amortized or accreted to interest income or expense.

 

     For the Nine Months Ended September 30,  
     2014     2013  
     Average
Balance (1)
    Interest      Average
Rate
    Average
Balance (1)
    Interest      Average
Rate
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

Interest-earning assets:

          

Investment securities

   $ 74,402      $ 1,026         1.84   $ 64,634      $ 911         1.88

Loans (2)

     582,616        21,704         4.97        596,016        23,148         5.18   

Federal funds sold and interest-bearing deposits with banks

     50,305        90         0.24        38,884        71         0.24   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total interest-earning assets:

     707,323      $ 22,820         4.30     699,534      $ 24,130         4.60
    

 

 

    

 

 

     

 

 

    

 

 

 

Allowance for loan losses

     (10,531          (12,461     

Non-interest earning assets

     48,750             51,849        
  

 

 

        

 

 

      

Total assets

   $ 745,542           $ 738,922        
  

 

 

        

 

 

      

Interest-bearing liabilities:

          

Savings, NOW, Money Market, Interest

          

Checking

   $ 130,884      $ 468         0.48   $ 105,792      $ 404         0.51   

Time deposits

     417,125        4,198         1.34        441,175        4,647         1.40   
  

 

 

   

 

 

      

 

 

   

 

 

    

Total interest-bearing deposits

     548,009        4,666         1.14        546,967        5,051         1.23   

Advances from FHLB

     19,271        232         1.61        24,835        334         1.79   

Other borrowings

     12,377        463         4.99        18,587        691         4.96   

Trust preferred securities

     12,372        360         3.88        12,372        396         4.27   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total interest-bearing liabilities

     592,029        5,721         1.29        602,761        6,472         1.43   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Non-interest-bearing deposits

     56,733             46,666        

Other liabilities

     6,828             5,735        

SBLF Preferred Stock

     15,000             15,000        

Shareholders’ equity

     74,952             68,760        
  

 

 

        

 

 

      

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

   $ 745,542           $ 738,922        
  

 

 

        

 

 

      

Net interest income

     $ 17,099         $ 17,658      
    

 

 

        

 

 

    

Interest rate spread (3)

          3.01             3.17   

Net interest margin (4)

          3.22          3.37
       

 

 

        

 

 

 

Ratio of interest-earning assets to interest-bearing liabilities

     1.19          1.16     

 

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    For the Year Ended December 31,  
    2013     2012     2011  
    Average
Outstanding
Balance (1)
    Interest     Average
Rate
    Average
Outstanding
Balance
    Interest     Average
Rate
    Average
Outstanding
Balance
    Interest     Average
Rate
 
    (dollars in thousands)  

Interest-earning assets:

                 

Investment securities

  $ 65,586      $ 1,246        1.90   $ 53,896      $ 1,347        2.50   $ 45,498      $ 1,562        3.43

Loans (2)

    590,270        30,614        5.19        586,188        32,381        5.52        585,339        32,275        5.51   

Federal funds sold and interest-bearing deposits with banks

    45,403        112        0.25        31,804        73        0.23        26,186        56        0.21   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total interest-earning assets

    701,259      $ 31,972        4.56        671,888      $ 33,801        5.03        657,023        33,893        5.16   

Allowance for loan losses

    (11,956         (10,932         (13,177    

Non-interest-earning assets

    54,427            41,601            35,512       
 

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

     

Total assets

  $ 743,730          $ 702,557          $ 679,358       
 

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

     

Interest-bearing liabilities:

                 

Savings, NOW, Money Market, Interest Checking

  $ 110,541        556        0.50      $ 70,934        435        0.61      $ 47,380      $ 424        0.89   

Time Deposits

    440,771        6,127        1.39        456,756        7,455        1.63        479,799        9,995        2.08   
 

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

Total interest-bearing deposits

    551,312        6,683        1.21        527,690        7,890        1.50        527,179        10,419        1.98   

Advances from FHLB

    24,121        435        1.80        23,948        653        2.73        24,016        675        2.81   

Other borrowings

    17,500        867        4.96        11,883        592        4.99        12,281        664        5.41   

Trust preferred securities

    12,372        528        4.27        12,372        528        4.27        12,372        495        4.00   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total interest-bearing liabilities

    605,305        8,513        1.41        575,893        9,663        1.68        575,848        12,253        2.13   

Non-interest-bearing deposits

    47,564            41,207            34,014       

Other liabilities

    5,782            6,232            7,208       

SBLF Preferred Stock

    15,000            15,000            5,769       

Shareholders’ equity

    70,079            64,225            56,519       
 

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

     

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

  $ 743,730          $ 702,557          $ 679,358       
 

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

     

Net interest income

    $ 23,459          $ 24,138          $ 21,640     
   

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

   

Interest rate spread (3)

        3.15            3.35            3.03   
     

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

 

Net interest margin (4)

        3.35         3.59         3.29
     

 

 

       

 

 

       

 

 

 

Ratio of interest-earning assets to interest-bearing liabilities

    1.16         1.17         1.14    

 

(1) Average balances are calculated on amortized cost.
(2) Includes loan fee income, nonaccruing loan balances and interest received on such loans.
(3) Interest rate spread represents the difference between the yield on average interest-earning assets and the cost of average interest-bearing liabilities.
(4) Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by average total interest-earning assets.

 

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Rate/Volume Analysis . The following table presents the effects of changing rates and volumes on our net interest income for the periods indicated. The rate column shows the effects attributable to changes in rate (changes in rate multiplied by prior volume). The volume column shows the effects attributable to changes in volume (changes in volume multiplied by prior rate). The net column represents the sum of the prior columns. For purposes of this table, changes attributable to both rate and volume, which cannot be segregated, have been allocated proportionately based on the changes due to rate and the changes due to volume.

 

     For the Nine Months Ended
September 30, 2014 v. 2013
    For the Year Ended
December 31, 2013 v. 2012
    For the Year Ended
December 31, 2012 v. 2011
 
     Increase (Decrease)
Due to Change in Average
    Increase (Decrease)
Due to Change in Average
    Increase (Decrease)
Due to Change in Average
 
     Volume     Rate     Net     Volume     Rate     Net     Volume     Rate     Net  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Interest Income:

                  

Investment securities

   $ 134      $ (19   $ 115      $ 946      $ (1,047   $ (101   $ 454      $ (669   $ (215

Loans

     (512     (932     (1,444     227        (1,994     (1,767     47        59        106   

Federal funds sold and interest-bearing deposits with banks

     20        (1     19        33        6        39        12        5        17   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total interest income

     (358     (952     (1,310     1,206        (3,035     (1,829     513        (605     (92
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Interest Expense:

                  

Savings, NOW, money market, interest checking

     87        (23     64        179        (58     121        31        (20     11   

Time deposits

     (247     (202     (449     (254     (1,074     (1,328     (461     (2,079     (2,540

FHLB

     (69     (33     (102     5        (223     (218     (2     (20     (22

Other borrowings

     (232     4        (228     278        (3     275        (21     (51     (72

Junior subordinated debentures

     —          (36     (36     —          —          —          —          33        33   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total interest expense

     (461     (290     (751     208        (1,358     (1,150     (453     (2,137     (2,590
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net interest income

   $ 103      $ (662   $ (559   $ $998      $ (1,677   $ (679   $ 966      $ 1,532      $ 2,498   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Risk Management

Overview . Managing risk is an essential part of successfully managing a financial institution. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Risk Factors.” Among our most prominent risk exposures are market risk, credit risk, interest rate risk and liquidity risk. Credit risk is the risk of not collecting the interest and/or the principal balance of a loan or security when it is due. Interest rate risk is the potential reduction of net interest income or the reduction in the value of assets and liabilities as a result of changes in interest rates. Market risk refers to potential losses arising from changes in interest rates, commodity prices, real estate prices and/or other relevant market rates or prices. Liquidity risk is the possible inability to fund obligations to depositors, lenders or borrowers when due. Other risks that we face are operational risk, technology risk, and reputation risk. Operational risks include risks related to fraud, regulatory compliance, processing errors, technology, and disaster recovery. Cyber-risk is the risk of technological intrusion resulting in loss of customer information, loss of data, denial of service attacks, and cyber-theft. Reputation risk is the risk that negative publicity or press, whether true or not, could cause a decline in our customer base or revenue.

Credit Risk Management . Our strategy for credit risk management focuses on having a layered approach to risk involving risk-taking, risk monitoring, and risk mitigation. In our target markets, we field an experienced lending staff supported by a centralized, robust risk management infrastructure working under well-defined credit

 

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policies and rigorous underwriting criteria. We have developed portfolio strategies and controls that are conducive to the development of a diversified loan portfolio including a variety of exposure control limits on different portfolio segments and have established an internal lending limit that is substantially below our legal lending limit. Regular total portfolio and loan level monitoring ensures timely risk recognition, provides early warning of potential problems and allows prompt attention to potential problem loans. This strategy emphasizes generally conservative loan-to-value ratios and full recourse to guarantors with substantial net worth on credit exposures. In addition to our portfolio monitoring practices, we have a comprehensive loan review system using both internal and external resources to review at least 30% of portfolio exposure annually. Formal management quarterly problem loan reviews include assessment of risk ratings and loan collateral valuation in order to identify impaired loans.

The Bank takes a proactive approach to managing problem loans. Delinquent loans greater than 15 days are reviewed by the management team weekly. When a borrower fails to make a required loan payment, management takes a number of steps to have the borrower cure the delinquency and restore the loan to a current status. Bankers make the initial contact with the borrower when the loan becomes 15 days past due. If payment is not then received by the 30th day of delinquency, additional letters and phone calls are generally made, the loan risk rating is reassessed, and a plan of collection is identified and pursued for each individual loan. The loan relationship may be downgraded and transferred to a special assets officer, depending on the prospects for the borrower bringing the loan current, the financial strength and commitment of any guarantors, the type and value of the collateral securing the loan and other factors. Collection efforts may lead to a demand of repayments, the initiation of litigation and/or foreclosure on collateral securing the loan. If a foreclosure action is instituted and the loan is not brought current, paid in full, or refinanced before the foreclosure sale, the assets or real property securing the loan generally are sold by the Bank in a commercially reasonable manner. While we develop loan workout arrangements for most problem loans, we also consider the sale of the non-performing loans. Management regularly informs the board of directors of the amount and status of delinquent loans, all loans rated special mention or worse, all nonaccrual loans, all troubled debt restructures, and all OREO. When a credit is downgraded to “special mention” and/or “substandard” it is generally transferred to a special assets officer.

Non-Performing Assets . We consider foreclosed assets and loans that are maintained on a nonaccrual basis to be non-performing assets. Loans are generally placed on nonaccrual status when collectability is judged to be uncertain or payments have become 90 days or more past due. On loans where the full collection of principal or interest payments is not probable, the accrual of interest income ceases and any already accrued interest is reversed. Interest income is not accrued on such loans until the borrower’s financial condition and payment record demonstrate an ability to service the debt. Payments received on a nonaccrual loan are first applied to the outstanding principal balance when collectability of principal is in doubt.

Real estate that we acquire as a result of foreclosure or by deed-in-lieu of foreclosure is classified as OREO until it is sold. Assets acquired through or in lieu of loan foreclosure are initially recorded at fair value less costs to sell. Upon acquiring a property, the Bank engages an independent third party realtor to assist in marketing and selling the property. Management reviews all OREO on a quarterly basis and makes adjustments to listing prices and marketing strategies as deemed appropriate. On an annual basis all OREO properties are re-appraised by independent third party appraisers. Any holding costs and declines in fair value after acquisition of the property result in charges against income.

Troubled debt restructurings occur when we grant borrowers concessions that we would not otherwise grant but for economic or legal reasons pertaining to the borrower’s financial difficulties. Generally, this occurs when the cash flows of the borrower are insufficient to service the loan under its original terms. We may modify the terms of a loan as a troubled debt restructuring by reducing the loan’s stated interest rate, extending the loan’s maturity or otherwise restructuring the loan terms to enable payment. We may consider permanently reducing the recorded investment in the loan or structuring a non-accruing secondary note in a troubled debt restructuring as well but we generally do not make such concessions. Modifications involving a reduction of the stated interest rate of loans are typically for periods ranging from six months to one year. These modifications are made only

 

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when there is a reasonable and attainable workout plan that has been agreed to by the borrower and that is in our best interests. Loans classified as troubled debt restructurings are rated “substandard” by the Bank. Once the borrower has demonstrated sustained performance with the modified terms, the loan may be removed from non-performing status. Any loans categorized as troubled debt restructurings will continue to retain that designation through the life of the loan.

The following table provides information with respect to our non-performing assets, including troubled debt restructurings, and loans 90 days or more past due and still accruing at the dates indicated.

 

     As of
September 30,
    As of December 31,  
     2014     2013     2012     2011  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Nonaccrual loans:

        

Agricultural loans

   $ 1,275      $ 1,076      $ 1,374      $ 3,875   

Commercial loans

     3,939        1,826        3,213        2,816   

Commercial real estate loans

     5,234        326        5,404        12,385   

Residential real estate loans

     2,102        2,828        1,221        5,739   

Installment and Consumer Other

     —          —          —          48   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total nonaccrual loans

     12,550        6,056        11,212        24,863   

Other real estate owned

     8,149        16,083        10,517        6,543   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total non-performing assets (1)

   $ 20,699      $ 22,139      $ 21,729      $ 31,406   

Loans 90+ days past due and still accruing

     —          —          —          —     

Performing troubled debt restructured loans

     918        4,020        5,147        10,868   

Non-performing loans to total loans

     2.12     1.06     1.83     4.32

Non-performing loans and loans past due 90 days and still accruing to total loans

     2.12     1.06     1.83     4.32

Non-performing assets to total assets (1)(2)

     2.79     2.92     2.88     4.63

Total non-performing assets and performing troubled debt restructurings to total assets

     2.91     3.45     3.56     6.24

 

(1) Non-performing assets are defined as nonaccrual loans plus OREO.
(2) Loans are presented before allowance for loan losses and do not include deferred loan origination costs (fees).

Interest income that would have been recorded for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, had nonaccrual loans been current according to their original terms amounted to $644 thousand, $497 thousand and $797 thousand, respectively. No income related to nonaccrual loans was included in interest income for the nine months ended September 30, 2014, and the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012.

Total nonaccrual loans increased from December 31, 2013 to September 30, 2014, primarily due to one commercial real estate relationship of approximately $4.7 million being downgraded to “substandard” and placed on nonaccrual. That credit is currently operating under a forbearance agreement. A portion of the loan balance has been charged off. Additional loss should be mitigated due to the collateral coverage and government guarantees. Total nonaccrual loans decreased from December 31, 2012 to December 31, 2013, primarily due to collection activities, loan payoffs and the completion of foreclosures and transfer of properties into OREO.

Total OREO peaked in September 2013 at $25 million. The Bank is actively managing the OREO portfolio and the number and dollar amount of OREO properties has declined each quarter since September 2013. As of September 30, 2014, OREO totaled $8.15 million compared to $16.1 million at December 31, 2013 and $10.5 million at December 31, 2012.

 

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Special Mention and Classified Loans . Federal regulations require us to review and classify loans on a regular basis. There are four classifications for problem loans: special mention, substandard, doubtful and loss. We categorize loans into these risk categories based on relevant information about the ability of borrowers and, if appropriate, guarantors to service their debts, and the quality and projected realizable value of collateral. We analyze loans through quarterly asset quality reviews based on observable risk criteria such as overdrafts, late payments, financial performance and collateral valuations.

“Substandard loans” are inadequately protected by the current sound net worth and paying capacity of the obligor or the collateral pledged. As such they have a well-defined weakness that jeopardizes the liquidation of the debt. They are characterized by the distinct possibility that we will sustain some loss if the deficiencies are not corrected. “Doubtful loans” have all the weaknesses inherent in substandard loans with the additional characteristic that the weaknesses make collection or liquidation in full on the basis of currently existing facts, conditions and values questionable, and there is a high possibility of loss. A loan classified as “loss” is considered uncollectible and of such little value that continuance as a loan of the institution is not warranted. When management classifies a loan as substandard or doubtful, a specific allowance for probable and reasonably estimable loan losses is established. If management classifies a loan as loss, an amount equal to 100% of the portion of the loan classified loss is charged to the allowance for loan losses.

The following table shows the aggregate amounts of our loans rated special mention or worse at the dates indicated.

 

     As of September 30,      As of December 31,  
     2014      2013      2012  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Classified and special mention loans:

        

Substandard

   $ 27,048       $ 23,980       $ 22,901   

Special mention

     10,111         28,103         38,302   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total classified and special mention loans

   $ 37,159       $ 52,083       $ 61,203   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Other than as disclosed in the above tables, there are no other loans where management has serious doubts about the ability of the borrowers to comply with the present loan repayment terms.

Delinquencies . The following table provides information about delinquencies in our loan portfolio at the dates indicated.

 

     As of September 30, 2014 Loans Delinquent For:        
     30-89 Days     90 Days or more     Total Delinquent Loans  
     Amount      % of
Delinquent Loans
30-89 Days
    Amount      % of
Delinquent Loans 90
Days or more
    Amount      % of
Delinquent
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

Agricultural loans

   $ 15         7.1   $ 210         2.3   $ 225         2.4

Commercial real estate loans

     180         85.3        4,397         48.6        4,577         49.4   

Commercial loans

     —           —          3,938         43.5        3,938         42.5   

Residential real estate

     16         7.6        510         5.6        526         5.7   

Installment and consumer other

     —           —          —           —          —           —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 211         100.0   $ 9,055         100.0   $ 9,266         100.0
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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     As of December 31, 2013 Loans Delinquent For:        
     30-89 Days     90 Days or more     Total Delinquent Loans  
     Amount      % of
Delinquent Loans
30-89 Days
    Amount      % of
Delinquent Loans 90
Days or more
    Amount      % of
Delinquent
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

Agricultural loans

   $ 68         21.9   $ 400         8.5   $ 468         9.5

Commercial real estate loans

     —           —          326         7.1        326         6.6   

Commercial loans

     —           —          1,826         39.4        1,826         36.9   

Residential real estate

     244         78.1        2,083         45.0        2,327         47.0   

Installment and consumer other

     —           —          —           —          —           —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 312         100.0   $ 4,635         100.0   $ 4,947         100.0
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

     As of December 31, 2012 Loans Delinquent For:        
     30-89 Days     90 Days or more     Total Delinquent Loans  
     Amount      % of
Delinquent Loans
30-89 Days
    Amount      % of
Delinquent Loans 90
Days or more
    Amount      % of
Delinquent
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

Agricultural loans

   $ 32         1.7   $ 927         14.5   $ 959         11.5

Commercial real estate loans

     1,567         81.8        1,060         16.5        2,627         31.5   

Commercial loans

     318         16.5        3,205         50.0        3,523         42.3   

Residential real estate

     —           —          1,221         19.0        1,221         14.7   

Installment and consumer other

     —           —          —           —          —           —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 1,917         100.0   $ 6,413         100.0   $ 8,330         100.0
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Allowance for Loan Losses

The allowance for loan losses is a valuation allowance for probable incurred credit losses inherent in the loan portfolio. This estimate includes losses associated with specifically identified loans, as well as estimated probable credit losses inherent in the remainder of the loan portfolio. Loan losses are charged against the allowance when, in our judgment, the uncollectability of all or a portion of the loan balance is confirmed. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance. Reductions to the allowance occur as loans are charged off. We estimate the required amount of the allowance using a number of factors, including past loan loss experience, the nature of the portfolio, environmental conditions, information about specific borrower situations, and estimated collateral values. We evaluate the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses on a quarterly basis, although we may increase the frequency of our reviews as necessary. When additional allowance for loan loss is necessary, a provision for loan losses is charged to earnings.

Our methodology for assessing the sufficiency of the allowance for loan losses consists of a general component related to the significant majority of the loan portfolio, a nonimpairment component, plus a specific component relating to loans that are individually classified as impaired together with a small unallocated portion. Although we determine the amount of each element of the allowance separately, the entire allowance for loan losses is available for the entire portfolio.

As disclosed in the notes to the financial statements, our allowance for loan losses our allowance for loan losses is comprised primarily of general reserves of $6.7 million with a limited amount of specific reserves totaling $3.7 million at September 30, 2014. This compares to $7.4 million of general reserves and $3.1 million of specific reserves at December 31, 2013.

General Component . The general component of the allowance for loan losses relates to loans that are not determined to be impaired. Management determines the appropriate loss factor for each segment of loans with

 

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similar risk characteristics within the portfolio based on that segment’s loss experience and several other quantitative, qualitative and environmental factors relevant to each segment. While loan segments generally represent groups of loans with similar risk characteristics, we may include loans categorized by loan grade, or any other characteristic that causes a loan’s risk profile to be similar to a group of loans. We consider estimated credit losses associated with each segment of our portfolio to differ from purely historical loss experience due to qualitative factors including changes in lending policies and procedures; changes in the nature and volume of the loan portfolio; and changes in our employees’ experience; quantitative factors including changes in the volume and severity of past due, nonaccrual, and adversely graded loans; changes in concentrations of credit; and changes in the value of underlying collateral for collateral dependent loans; and environmental factors including changes in economic or business conditions; and the effect of competition, legal and regulatory requirements on estimated credit losses. Our quantitative, qualitative, and environmental factors are reviewed on a quarterly basis for each loan segment and our historical loss experience is reviewed annually to ensure that our analysis is reflective of current conditions in our loan portfolio and economy.

Non-Impaired Component . Loans that have been downgraded to special mention or substandard, but are not currently impaired, are considered to have a higher inherent of risk of loss than pass rated loans. Management judgment is needed to estimate the additional risk of loss for these types of loans. Risk allocations on non-impaired special mention and substandard loans reflect management’s assessment of the increased risk of loss associated with adversely graded loans. The allocated reserve for these loans is based upon management’s assessment of loss history and risk migration analysis. Additionally, in determining the allocation, management considers the credit attributes of individual loans, including loan to value ratios, past due status, strength and willingness of the guarantors, and other relevant attributes generally found in these groups of loans.

Specific Component . The specific component of the allowance for loan losses relates to loans that are individually evaluated and determined to be impaired. The allowance for each impaired loan is determined by either the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate, the market price reasonably obtainable for the loans or, if the loan is collateral dependent, by the fair value of the collateral less estimated costs to sell. Impairment for other types of loans is measured using the fair value of the collateral less estimated costs to sell. We identify a loan as impaired when, based upon current information and events, it is probable that we will be unable to collect the scheduled payments of principal or interest when due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement. We consider a number of factors in determining impairment, including payment status, collateral value and the probability of collecting scheduled principal and interest payments when due. Loans that experience insignificant payment delays and payment shortfalls generally are not classified as impaired. Management determines the significance of payment delays on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration all of the circumstances surrounding the loan and the borrower.

Residential and consumer loans are individually evaluated for impairment when they reach non-performing status or become subject to a restructuring agreement.

Unallocated Component . In addition to the allowance as previously described, an “unallocated” reserve component may be maintained. This unallocated component is reflective of the fact that the allowance for loan losses is inherently imprecise and involves a high degree of management judgment with many variables to consider.

We identify loans that may need a full or partial charge-off by reviewing the circumstances of all impaired loans. Loan losses are charged against the allowance when we believe a portion of the loan balance is uncollectible. A borrower’s inability to make payments under the terms of the loan combined with a shortfall in collateral value would generally result in our charging off the loan to the extent of the loss deemed to be confirmed.

Discussion of Allowance for Loan Losses . At September 30, 2014, our allowance for loan losses was $10.4 million, or 1.75% of loans and 82.7% of nonaccrual loans. At December 31, 2013, our allowance for loan losses

 

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was $10.5 million, or 1.84% of loans and 173.3% of nonaccrual loans. Nonaccrual loans at September 30, 2014 were $12.6 million, or 2.12% of loans, compared to $6.1 million, or 1.06% of loans, at December 31, 2013 and $11.2 million, or 1.83% of loans, at December 31, 2012. The allowance for loan losses is maintained at a level that represents management’s best estimate of probable incurred losses in the loan portfolio at the balance sheet date. However, there can be no assurance that the allowance for loan losses will be adequate to cover losses which may be realized in the future or that additional provisions for loan losses will not be required.

The following table sets forth the breakdown of the allowance for loan losses by loan category at the dates indicated.

 

     As of September 30, 2014     As of December 31, 2013  
     Amount     % of ALL     % of
Loans in
Category
    Amount      % of ALL     % of
Loans in
Category
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

Agricultural loans

   $ 3,303        31.84     0.88   $ 3,144         29.95     0.84

Commercial real estate loans

     3,116        30.04        2.58        3,254         31.01        3.17   

Commercial loans

     2,618        25.24        5.02        2,172         20.70        4.26   

Residential real estate loans

     1,597        15.39        3.82        1,819         17.33        4.56   

Installment and consumer other

     4        0.04        1.11        3         0.03        0.87   

Unallocated

     (264     (2.55     —          103         0.98        —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

   $ 10,374        100.0     1.75   $ 10,495         100.0     1.84
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

     As of December 31, 2012     As of December 31, 2011  
     Amount      % of ALL     % of
Loans in
Category
    Amount      % of ALL     % of
Loans in
Category
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

Agricultural loans

   $ 3,333         26.62     0.87   $ 1,946         21.41     0.61

Commercial real estate loans

     4,838         38.64        3.92        3,766         41.42        2.79   

Commercial loans

     2,283         18.23        3.94        1,316         14.48        2.37   

Residential real estate loans

     1,755         14.02        3.58        1,954         21.50        2.95   

Installment and consumer other

     13         0.10        1.16        6         0.07        0.62   

Unallocated

     299         2.39        —          102         1.12        —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

   $ 12,521         100.0     2.04   $ 9,090         100.0     1.58
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

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Analysis of Loan Loss Experience . The following table sets forth an analysis of the allowance for loan losses for the periods indicated.

 

     For the Nine Months
Ended September 30,
    For the Year Ended December 31,  
     2014     2013     2013     2012     2011  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Balance at beginning of period

   $ 10,495      $ 12,521      $ 12,521      $ 9,090      $ 13,245   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Provision charged to operating expenses

     —          3,700        4,200        4,200        4,475   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Loans charged-off

          

Agricultural loans

     (115     —          —          —          (634

Commercial real estate loans

     —          (2,972     (3,361     (1,144     (2,441

Commercial loans

     (103     (132     (132     (94     (878

Residential real estate loans

     —          (2,945     (2,945     (282     (4,740

Installment and consumer other

     —          —          —          —          —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total charge-offs

     (218     (6,049     (6,438     (1,520     (8,693
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Recoveries of loans previously charged-off

          

Agricultural loans

     17        12        16        72        19   

Commercial real estate loans

     61        48        185        352        28   

Commercial loans

     18        3        3        296        16   

Residential real estate loans

     —          8        8        32        —     

Installment and consumer other

     1        —          —          (1     —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total recoveries

     97        71        212        751        63   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net charge-offs

     (121     (5,978     (6,226     (769     (8,630
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at end of period

   $ 10,374      $ 10,243      $ 10,495      $ 12,521      $ 9,090   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net charge-offs to average loans outstanding (annualized)

     0.04     2.01     1.05     0.13     1.47

Allowance for loan losses to period-end loans

     1.75     1.77     1.84     2.04     1.58

Market Risk Management

General. Market risk refers to potential losses arising from changes in interest rates, commodity prices, such as milk prices, and/or other relevant market rates or prices. We are exposed to market risk as a result of our banking activities. Our market risk is comprised primarily of interest rate risk. As a financial institution, the majority of our assets and liabilities are sensitive to changes in interest rates. Therefore, a principal part of our operations is to manage interest rate risk and limit our exposure to changes in market interest rates. We manage the interest rate sensitivity of our interest-bearing liabilities and interest-earning assets in an effort to minimize the adverse effects of changes in the interest rate environment.

A major source of interest rate risk is a difference in the repricing of assets, on the one hand, and liabilities on the other. First, there are differences in the timing of rate changes reflecting the maturity and/or repricing of assets and liabilities. For example, the rate earned on a commercial real estate loan may be fixed for 10 years, while the rate paid on a certificate of deposit may be fixed only for a few months. Due to these timing differences, net interest income is sensitive to changes in the level and shape of the yield curve. Second, there are differences in the drivers of rate changes of various assets and liabilities known as basis risk. For example, commercial loans may reprice based on one-month LIBOR or prime, while the rate paid on retail money market demand accounts may be only loosely correlated with LIBOR and depend on competitive demand for funds. Due to these basis differences, net interest income is sensitive to changes in spreads between certain indices or repricing rates.

 

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Another important source of interest rate risk relates to the potential exercise of explicit or embedded options. For example, most residential real estate loans can be prepaid without penalty, and most consumer deposits can be withdrawn without penalty. The exercise of such options by customers can exacerbate the timing differences discussed above.

Deposit accounts typically react more quickly to changes in market interest rates than loans because of the shorter maturities of deposits. However, given the asset sensitive nature of our balance sheet, a decrease in interest rates may adversely affect our earnings while increases in interest rates may beneficially affect our earnings. To reduce the potential volatility of our earnings, we have sought to improve the match between asset and liability maturities and rates, while maintaining an acceptable interest rate spread. Our strategy for managing interest rate risk emphasizes adjustable-rate loans for retention in our loan portfolio, promoting core deposit products and time deposits, adjusting the maturities of borrowings and adjusting the investment portfolio mix and duration.

We have an asset/liability committee, which includes members of management, to communicate, coordinate and control all aspects involving asset-liability management. The committee establishes and monitors the volume, maturities, pricing and mix of assets and funding sources with the objective of managing assets and funding sources to provide results that are consistent with liquidity, growth, risk limits and profitability goals.

Our goal is to manage asset and liability positions to moderate the effects of interest rate fluctuations on net interest income and net income and control exposure to interest rate risk within policy limits approved by our board of directors. These limits and guidelines reflect our tolerance for interest rate risk over both short-term and long-term horizons. We analyze our sensitivity to changes in interest rates through our net interest income simulation model. Exposures are reported on a monthly basis to the asset and liability committee and at meetings of our board of directors.

Net Interest Income Simulation Analysis . Net interest income is the difference between the interest income we earn on our interest-earning assets, such as loans and securities, and the interest we pay on our interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowings.

Income simulation is the primary tool for measuring the interest rate risk inherent in our balance sheet at a given point in time by showing the effect on net interest income, over specified time horizons, under a range of interest rateshock scenarios. These simulations take into account repricing, maturity and prepayment characteristics of individual products. We estimate what our net interest income would be for a one- and two-year horizon based on current interest rates. We then calculate what the net interest income would be for the same period under different interest rate assumptions.

These estimates require us to make certain assumptions, including loan and mortgage-related investment prepayment speeds, reinvestment rates, and deposit maturities and decay rates. These assumptions are inherently uncertain and, as a result, we cannot precisely predict the impact of changes in interest rates on our net interest income. Although the net interest income table below provides an indication of our interest rate risk exposure at a particular point in time, such estimates are not intended to, and do not, provide a precise forecast of the effect of changes in market interest rates on our net interest income and will differ from actual results.

 

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The following table shows the estimated impact on net interest income for the one- and two-year periods beginning September 30, 2014 resulting from potential changes in interest rates. The net interest income simulation analyses assume a static balance sheet and do not include possible future actions that management might undertake to mitigate this risk.

 

Rate Shift   

Net Interest Income

Year 1 Forecast

    

Year 1 Change

from Base

   

Net Interest Income

Year 2 Forecast

    

Year 2 Change

from Base

 
     (dollars in thousands)            (dollars in thousands)         

+400 bps

   $ 34,685         46.00   $ 77,449         63.38

+300 bps

     31,816         33.92     69,578         46.77

+200 bps

     28,943         21.83     61,703         30.16

+100 bps

     26,074         9.75     53,840         13.58

Base

     23,758         0.00     47,405         0.00

-100 bps

     23,493         -1.11     46,713         -1.46

As of September 30, 2014, net interest income simulation indicated that our exposure to changing interest rates was within our internal policy guidelines. As the table illustrates, our balance sheet is asset-sensitive over a one and two year time horizon and net interest income would increase as interest rates increase. It should be noted that the magnitude of any possible increase in interest rates is constrained by the low absolute starting levels of rates. While immediate, proportional and severe shifts in interest rates upward were used as part of this analysis, we believe that any actual shift in interest rates would likely be more gradual and would therefore have a more modest impact.

Depending on the relationship between long-term and short-term interest rates, market conditions and consumer preference, we may place greater emphasis on maximizing our net interest margin than on strictly matching the interest rate sensitivity of our assets and liabilities. We believe that our level of interest rate risk is acceptable using this approach.

Economic Value of Equity Analysis . We also analyze the sensitivity of our financial condition to changes in interest rates through our economic value of equity model. This analysis measures the difference between predicted changes in the present value of our assets and predicted changes in the present value of our liabilities assuming various changes in current interest rates. As with the net interest income simulation model, the estimates of changes in the economic value of our equity require certain assumptions to be made. These assumptions include loan and mortgage-related investment prepayment speeds, reinvestment rates, and deposit maturities and decay rates. These assumptions are inherently uncertain and, as a result, we cannot precisely predict the impact of changes in interest rates on the economic value of our equity. Although our economic value of equity analysis provides an indication of our interest rate risk exposure at a particular point in time, such estimates are not intended to, and do not, provide a precise forecast of the effect of changes in market interest rates on the economic value of our equity and will differ from actual results.

Our economic value of equity analysis as of September 30, 2014 is set forth below. The impact on our economic value of equity under all scenarios referenced in the table below are within policy guidelines.

 

Rate Shift (1)

   Economic Value
of Equity
     % Change In  
     (dollars in thousands)         

+400

   $ 130,463         14.76

+300

     126,848         11.58

+200

     122,792         8.02

+100

     118,304         4.07

Base

     113,680         0.00

-100

     111,605         -1.83

 

(1) The calculated changes assume an immediate and proportional shock of the static yield curve.

 

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Liquidity Management and Capital Resources

Liquidity is the ability to meet current and future financial obligations of a short-term and long-term nature. Our primary sources of funds consist of deposit inflows, loan repayments, maturities and sales of securities and borrowings from the FHLB. While maturities and scheduled amortization of loans and securities are predictable sources of funds, deposit flows, calls of investment securities and borrowed funds and prepayments on loans are greatly influenced by general interest rates, economic conditions and competition.

Management adjusts our investments in liquid assets based upon an assessment of (1) expected loan demand, (2) expected deposit flows, (3) yields available on interest-earning deposits and securities, (4) the objectives of our interest-rate risk and investment policies and (5) the risk tolerance of management and our board of directors.

Our cash flows are composed of three primary classifications: cash flows from operating activities, investing activities, and financing activities. Net cash provided by operating activities was $14.9 million, $16.0 million, $14.3 million, and $5.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities, which consists primarily of purchases of and proceeds from the sale, maturities/ calls, and principal repayments of securities available for sale, as well as loan purchases, sales and originations, net of repayments was $(21.1) million, $7.2 million, $16.8 million, and $(57.9) million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 and for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities, consisting primarily of the activity in deposit accounts and FHLB advances, was $(21.9) million, $(14.9) million, $(4.0) million, and $(68.5) million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 and for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

At September 30, 2014, the Bank exceeded all of its regulatory capital requirements with a Tier 1 leverage capital of $102.2 million, or 13.74% of adjusted total assets, which is above the required level of $37.2 million, or 5.0% of adjusted total assets, and total risk-based capital of $109.9 million, or 17.84% of risk-weighted assets, which is above the required level of $61.6 million, or 10.0% of risk-weighted assets. For a discussion of certain other sources of liquidity, please see “ Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Borrowing.”

At the holding company level, our primary sources of liquidity are dividends from the Bank, investment income and net proceeds from investment sales, borrowings and capital offerings. The main uses of liquidity are the payment of interest to holders of our junior subordinated debentures and interest and payment of dividends to preferred shareholders. There are certain restrictions on the payment of dividends by the Bank to us, which are described in the section captioned “Supervision and Regulation—Dividends.” At September 30, 2014, there were $57.1 million of retained earnings available for the payment of dividends by the Bank to us. The Bank paid us $1.2 million in dividends during the year ended December 31, 2013.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

In the normal course of operations, we engage in a variety of financial transactions that, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, are not recorded in our financial statements. These transactions involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit, interest rate and liquidity risk. Such transactions are used primarily to manage customers’ requests for funding and take the form of commitments to extend credit. For information about our off-balance sheet arrangements, see Note11 to our Consolidated Financial Statements located elsewhere in this prospectus.

At September 30, 2014, we had outstanding commitments to originate loans and unadvanced funds on loans of $229.8 million. We anticipate that we will have sufficient funds available to meet our current loan origination commitments. Certificates of deposit that are scheduled to mature in one year or less from September 30, 2014

 

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totaled $186.7 million. If a substantial portion of these deposits is not retained, we may utilize FHLB advances or raise interest rates on deposits to attract new accounts, which may result in higher levels of interest expense. At September 30, 2014, we had $4.9 million of irrevocable and stand-by-letters of credit from the FHLB.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2014, and years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, we did not engage in any off-balance sheet transactions reasonably likely to have a material effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Effect of Inflation and Changing Prices

The consolidated financial statements and related financial data presented in this prospectus have been prepared according to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, which require the measurement of financial position and operating results in terms of historical dollars without considering the change in the relative purchasing power of money over time due to inflation. The primary impact of inflation on our operations is reflected in increased operating costs and the effect that general inflation may have on both short-term and long-term interest rates. Virtually all the assets and liabilities of a financial institution are monetary in nature. As a result, interest rates generally have a more significant impact on a financial institution’s performance than do general levels of inflation. Although inflation expectations do affect interest rates, interest rates do not necessarily move in the same direction or to the same extent as the prices of goods and services.

 

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MANAGEMENT

Directors and Executive Officers

The following table sets forth information regarding the current directors and executive officers of the Company and the Bank and their ages as of October 31, 2014.

 

Name

   Age   

Position

William C. Censky    63    Chairman of the Board of the Company; Executive Chairman of the Board of the Bank
Timothy J. Schneider    48    President of the Company; Chief Executive Officer of the Bank; Director
Mark R. Binversie    55    President of the Bank; Director
Gary R. Abramowicz    57    Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Company; Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Bank
Carmen L. Chizek    72    Director
David A. Coggins    61    Executive Vice President of Agricultural Banking of the Bank
Lynn D. Davis    59    Director
Thomas D. Detienne    48    Executive Vice President of Business Banking of the Bank
Edson P. Foster    65    Director
Craig P. Mayo    52    Chief Credit Officer of the Bank
Mark A. Miller    57    Secretary of the Company; Vice President, Chief Risk Officer, Secretary and Counsel of the Bank
Wayne D. Mueller    61    Special Projects Officer of the Bank; Director
Andrew J. Steimle    45    Director
Kenneth R. Zacharias    51    Director
Gary J. Ziegelbauer    62    Director

The following includes a brief biography for each of our executive officers and for each member of our board of directors, including information regarding the experiences, qualifications, attributes or skills that caused our board of directors to determine that each member should serve as a director. There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers. Unless otherwise stated, each director and executive officer has held his or her current position or occupation for the last five years.

William C. Censky. Mr. Censky is one of our founders and has served as chairman of the board of the Company since 1996 as well as executive chairman of the Bank since 1997. Mr. Censky has served on our board of directors since the Company’s inception in May 1996, and his current term will expire in 2015. Mr. Censky previously served as president of the Company from 1997 to September 2014 and as chief executive officer of the Bank from 1997 to November 2013. Mr. Censky is an accomplished bank executive and leader with over 30 years of bank management experience ranging from being a bank chief executive officer, a founding chairman of a successful de novo bank, an organizing board member for two additional de novo banks, to being the chief financial and operations officer of an independent state charted bank. Mr. Censky holds a B.B.A. degree in finance and an M.B.A with concentrations in accounting and finance from the University of Wisconsin—Oshkosh.

Timothy J. Schneider . Mr. Schneider is one of our founders and has served as president of the Company since September 2014 and as chief executive officer of the Bank since November 2013. Mr. Schneider has previously served as our vice president from 1996 to September 2014, our secretary from 1996 to 2014, and chief operating officer and commercial and agricultural lender of the Bank from 1997 to 2013. Mr. Schneider has also served on our board of directors since May 1996, and his current term will expire in 2017. Mr. Schneider has been in the banking profession for over 24 years, during which time he gained expertise in agricultural and commercial banking as a commercial and agricultural lender. Mr. Schneider holds a Bachelor’s Degree of Business in management and economics from the University of Wisconsin—River Falls, and a degree from the Graduate School of Banking of the University of Wisconsin—Madison.

 

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Mark R. Binversie . Mr. Binversie is one of our founders and has served as president of the Bank since March 1997. Mr. Binversie has also served on our board of directors since May 1996, and his current term will expire in 2016. Prior to joining us, Mr. Binversie oversaw the Agricultural Department for Firstar Bank Manitowoc for 16 years. Mr. Binversie previously owned and operated Heartland Dairy, LLC, a dairy farm, for 15 years. His agricultural lending expertise has led to his involvement in redesigning the Farm Service Agency’s Guaranteed Loan Program and his assistance in the Wisconsin Housing Economic Development Authority’s Credit Relief Outreach Program for Wisconsin’s farmers. Mr. Binversie also served as president and chairman of the Agriculture Bankers Section of the Wisconsin Bankers Association. Mr. Binversie has operating, management and leadership experience in the Company and in the banking industry more generally, as well as his experience in the dairy farm sector. Mr. Binversie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Agri-Business and Economics from the University of Wisconsin—Platteville.

Gary R. Abramowicz . Mr. Abramowicz has been our chief financial officer and treasurer, as well as chief financial officer and executive vice president of the Bank, since May 2008. Mr. Abramowicz is a certified public accountant with over 30 years of banking experience in accounting, operations management and financial management in banking, including 15 years as a chief financial officer at a bank holding company. Mr. Abramowicz holds a B.B.A. degree in accounting from the University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire.

Carmen L. Chizek . Mr. Chizek has served on our board of directors since May 1996, and his current term will expire in 2016. In 1962, Mr. Chizek founded Chizek Elevator & Transport, Inc. (formerly known as Chizek Transport, Inc.), which is a 48-state carrier trained in truckload and multiple-drop deliveries, and has been vice president of Chizek Elevator & Transport, Inc. since January 2002. Mr. Chizek has significant business experience where he expanded Chizek Transport, Inc. from a local business that hauled agricultural products from the fields of Wisconsin to a 48-state carrier, which gives him both local and national business operating experience.

David A. Coggins . Mr. Coggins has been executive vice president of agricultural banking of the Bank since August 2009. Mr. Coggins has over 39 years of financial and banking experience with 34 years of prior progressive experience in lending, supervision and executive management in both agricultural and commercial lending institutions. Mr. Coggins holds a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

Lynn D. Davis, Ph.D. Dr. Davis has served on our board of directors since April 2014, and his current term will expire in 2017. Dr. Davis primarily works as a consulting dairy nutritionist for Nutrition Professionals, Inc. where he was a founding partner in 1983 and currently serves as president. Additionally, he is co-founder, shareholder and board member for Breeze Dairy Group, LLC, which owns two large dairy farms, Quality Roasting, Inc., a soybean processing facility and The Heifer Authority, LLC, a dairy heifer development lot. Dr. Davis understands the dairy industry by virtue of his experience as a consultant to dairy farms, as well as an owner of dairy farms. Dr. Davis has a B.S. in Animal Science from the University of Wisconsin—River Falls and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Nutritional Physiology from Iowa State University.

Thomas D. Detienne . Mr. Detienne has been the executive vice president of business banking of the Bank since joining the Bank in May 2001. Mr. Detienne has over 26 years of banking experience, more than 25 years of which have been on the commercial side of banking. Mr. Detienne holds a B.A. in Economics from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin and an Executive MBA from the Sheldon B. Lubar School of Business at University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee.

Edson P. Foster. Mr. Foster has served on our board of directors since April 2000, and his current term will expire in 2016. Mr. Foster has been president and chief executive officer of Foster Needle Co., Inc., a manufacturing company, since July 1977. Mr. Foster has significant national and international business experience that enables him to provide important insights in the areas of management and corporate governance. Mr. Foster holds an M.S. degree in accounting from Carroll University.

 

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Craig P. Mayo . Mr. Mayo has been with Investors Community Bank since October 2011 and Chief Credit Officer of the Bank since July 2014. He is a seasoned banking professional with 30 years of experience in credit and sales, with a strong credit background with formal credit training. Prior to his experience at the Bank, he was Vice President and Special Loans Officer at Citizens Bank in Green Bay, Wisconsin from 2009 to 2011. Mr. Mayo holds a B.A. degree from Middlebury College.

Mark A. Miller . Mr. Miller has been the secretary of the Company since March 2014, vice president and chief risk officer since January 2014 and counsel of the Bank since 2011. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Miller was president of Miller Advisors, LLC, a law firm advising company from 2010 to 2011. Mr. Miller was also the chief executive officer and a shareholder of Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., a full-service law firm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 2001 to 2009 and from 1994 to 2009, respectively. Mr. Miller was also President of Miller Implement Company, a farm equipment dealership, from 1992 to 2008. Mr. Miller holds an A.B. degree in History from the University of Chicago and a juris doctorate degree from Marquette University Law School.

Wayne D. Mueller . Mr. Mueller is one of our founders and has served as special operations officer of the Company since April 2014. Mr. Mueller has previously served as senior lender and executive vice president of agricultural lending as well as a lender of the Bank since 1997. Mr. Mueller has also served on our board of directors since May 1996, and his current term will expire in 2015. Mr. Mueller also served as a member and chair of the Wisconsin Agricultural Bankers Section, a group organized by the Wisconsin Bankers Association. Mr. Mueller has operating, management and leadership experience in the Company and in the banking industry more generally. Mr. Mueller holds a degree in marketing from Moraine Park Technical College.

Andrew J. Steimle . Mr. Steimle has served on our board of directors since April 2008, and his current term will expire in 2017. He is a business and real estate attorney practicing in Wisconsin and is a founding partner of Steimle Birschbach LLC, which was founded in June 2009 and is a boutique law firm concentrating in business, real estate and estate planning. Mr. Steimle chairs the firm’s business and real estate practice groups. Mr. Steimle represents closely held businesses throughout Wisconsin, which gives him insight and familiarity with issues that are important to our individual customers. Mr. Steimle holds a B.B.A degree in finance from the University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee and a juris doctorate degree from Marquette University Law School.

Kenneth R. Zacharias, CPA . Mr. Zacharias has served on our board of directors since April 2008, and his current term will expire in 2017. He has been a shareholder at Schenck S.C., which is a certified public accounting firm, since 1999. Mr. Zacharias has a broad background in the income tax and general business consulting areas and a focus in the commercial real estate sector. Mr. Zacharias holds a B.A. degree in accounting from St. Norbert College.

Gary J. Ziegelbauer. Mr. Ziegelbauer has served on our board of directors since May 1996, and his current term will expire in 2015. Mr. Ziegelbauer has been the president of Triangle Distributing Co., a Wisconsin beer distributor, since June 1972. Mr. Ziegelbauer has significant business experience, as well as longstanding business and personal relationships throughout Wisconsin. Mr. Ziegelbauer attended the University of Wisconsin—Whitewater and the University of Wisconsin—Green Bay.

Composition of our Board of Directors

Our amended and restated bylaws provides that the size of our board of directors will be determined from time to time by a majority of the then authorized number of directors, but in no case may be less than one director. The board of directors, which is divided into three classes, currently consists of ten directors, six of whom qualify as independent directors under the rules and regulations of the SEC and the NASDAQ Listing Rules. Independence information relating to certain committees of the board of directors is provided below.

 

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Independence of our Board of Directors and Board Committees

Under the rules of the NASDAQ Stock Market, independent directors must comprise a majority of our board of directors within a specified period of time of this offering. The rules of the NASDAQ Stock Market, as well as those of the SEC, also impose requirements with respect to the independence of our directors. Our board of directors has evaluated the independence of its members based upon the rules of the NASDAQ Stock Market and the SEC and the transactions referenced under the section of this prospectus titled “ Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions. ” Applying these standards, our board of directors determined that none of the directors who will serve immediately following the completion of this offering, other than Messrs. Schneider, Censky, Binversie and Mueller, have a relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director and that each of those directors is “independent” as that term is defined under Rule 5605(a)(2) of the NASDAQ Listing Rules. Messrs. Schneider, Censky, Binversie and Mueller are not considered independent because they are, or within the prior three years have been, officers of the Company and the Bank. Subject to certain permitted phase-in exceptions described below, our board of directors also determined that each director who will serve as a member of the audit, compensation, and nominating and corporate governance committees following completion of this offering satisfies the independence standards for such committees established by the SEC and the NASDAQ Listing Rules, as applicable.

Board Leadership Structure and the Role of the Board in Risk Oversight

Board Leadership Structure . The board has not adopted a formal policy regarding the separation of the roles of chairman of the board and president because the board believes that it is in our best interests to make that determination from time to time based on the position and direction of our organization and the composition of our board. Our amended and restated bylaws state that the Company’s president is also the Company’s chief executive officer. As of the date of this prospectus, the positions of the chairman of the board and the president are separated; however, Mr. Censky is an executive chairman. We believe this is appropriate because the board includes a number of seasoned independent directors. In concluding that having Mr. Censky serve as executive chairman of the board and Mr. Schneider serve as president represents the appropriate structure for us at this time, our board considered the benefits of having the executive chairman serve as a bridge between management and our board, ensuring that both groups act with a common purpose. Our board also considered Mr. Censky’s knowledge regarding our operations and the industry in which we compete and his ability to promote communication, to synchronize activities between our board and our senior management and to provide consistent leadership to both the board and the Company in coordinating our strategic objectives.

Although our amended and restated bylaws do not require the Company to separate the chairman of the board and president positions, our board of directors believes it is appropriate for these roles to be separate. Our board also recognizes that depending on the circumstances, other leadership models, such as combining the roles of chairman and president, may be appropriate. Accordingly, our board may periodically review its leadership structure.

Role of the Board in Risk Oversight . The board of directors is actively involved in oversight of risks that could affect us including credit risk, interest rate risk, liquidity risk, operational risk, strategic risk and reputation risk. This oversight is conducted in part through committees of the board of directors, but the full board of directors has retained responsibility for general oversight of risks. The board of directors satisfies this responsibility through full reports by each committee regarding its considerations and actions, regular reports directly from officers responsible for oversight of particular risks within the Company as well as through internal and external audits. Risks relating to the direct operations of the Bank are further overseen by the board of directors of the Bank, who are the same individuals who serve on the board of directors of the Company. Further, the board of directors oversees risks through the establishment of policies and procedures that are designed to guide daily operations in a manner consistent with applicable laws, regulations and risks acceptable to the organization, including our ERM procedures. For more information about our ERM procedures, see the section of this prospectus entitled “ Business—Our Strategy—Proactive and Disciplined Risk Management.”

 

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Committees of the Board

Our board of directors has established an audit committee, a compensation committee and a nominating and governance committee. The composition and responsibilities of each committee are described below. Members serve, and will serve, on committees until their resignation or until otherwise determined by our board. Each of these committees has adopted a written charter that satisfies the applicable standards of the SEC and the NASDAQ Listing Rules, which we will post on the investor relations section of our website upon completion of this offering.

Audit Committee . Our audit committee is comprised of Messrs. Foster, Steimle and Zacharias. Mr. Foster satisfies the heightened audit committee independence requirements under the NASDAQ Listing Rules and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act. Messrs. Steimle and Zacharias are not likely to be deemed independent in connection with their service on the audit committee under Rule 10A-3 because they received indirect compensation from the Company. We are permitted to phase-in our compliance with the independent audit committee member requirements set forth in the NASDAQ Listing Rules and relevant SEC rules as follows: (i) one independent member at the time of listing; (ii) a majority of independent members within 90 days of listing; and (iii) all independent members within one year of listing. Accordingly, we expect that the audit committee will, subject to the phase-in provisions, comply with the applicable independence requirements. We have determined that the fact that our audit committee is not entirely made of independent directors does not materially adversely affect the ability of the audit committee to act independently and to satisfy the other requirements of the SEC and NASDAQ.

Mr. Zacharias is the chairman of our audit committee. Mr. Zacharias is our audit committee financial expert, as that term is defined under SEC rules implementing Section 407 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and possesses the requisite financial sophistication, as defined under the applicable rules and regulations of NASDAQ. The audit committee operates under a written charter. Under its charter, our audit committee will be responsible for, among other things:

 

    overseeing accounting and financial reporting process;

 

    selecting, retaining and replacing independent auditors and evaluating their qualifications, independence and performance;

 

    reviewing and approving scope of the annual audit and audit fees;

 

    monitoring rotation of partners of independent auditors on engagement team as required by law;

 

    discussing with management and independent auditors the results of annual audit and review of quarterly financial statements;

 

    reviewing adequacy and effectiveness of internal control policies and procedures;

 

    approving retention of independent auditors to perform any proposed permissible non-audit services;

 

    overseeing internal audit functions and annually reviewing audit committee charter and committee performance;

 

    preparing the audit committee report that the SEC requires in our annual proxy statement; and

 

    reviewing and evaluating the performance of the audit committee, including compliance with its charter.

Compensation Committee . The members of the compensation committee are Messrs. Foster, Chizek and Steimle and Davis. Mr. Foster serves as chair of the compensation committee. Each member of the compensation committee is a non-employee director within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 of the rules promulgated under the Exchange Act and an outside director as defined by Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, and each will be an independent director as defined by the NASDAQ Listing Rules.

 

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Under its charter, our compensation committee will be responsible for, among other things:

 

    retaining or obtaining the advice of a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser, including ones that are not independent;

 

    determining cash compensation and cash compensation plans, including incentive compensation, amounts and terms of stock option or other equity awards, and terms of any agreements concerning employment, compensation or employment termination matters;

 

    reviewing and approving corporate goals and objectives relevant to compensation of our Chief Executive Officer and other executive officers and evaluating their performance in light of those goals and objectives;

 

    monitoring the application of retirement and other fringe benefit plans for the Chief Executive Officer, President and other executive officers, periodically reviewing succession plans for the Chief Executive Officer, President and other executive officers and acting on behalf of the board of directors with respect to welfare plans and employee retirement;

 

    administering the issuance of stock options and other awards under our 2012 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan and any other equity incentive plans;

 

    reviewing succession plans for our key executive officers;

 

    establishing, administering and certifying attainment of performance goals in order to comply with Section 162(m) of the Code as the committee deems appropriate;

 

    reviewing and recommending disclosures and providing reports for our annual proxy statement;

 

    periodically reporting to the board of directors regarding the committee’s activities; and

 

    reviewing and evaluating the performance of the compensation committee, including compliance with its charter.

To avoid violations of Section 162(m) requirements in the event that one or more of the members of the compensation committee are not outside directors, as defined under the Code, we may create a compensation subcommittee, which will be responsible for approving performance-based compensation, if any, as permitted by the committee’s charter.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee . Our nominating and governance committee is comprised of Messrs. Steimle and Ziegelbauer. Mr. Ziegelbauer is the chair of the committee. Under the nominating and corporate governance committee charter, the nominating and governance committee will be responsible for, among other things:

 

    periodically reviewing our board candidate nomination guidelines and recommending amendments to such guidelines as it deems appropriate;

 

    identifying new candidates for directorships and reviewing the qualifications of candidates;

 

    making recommendations to our board of directors regarding candidates for directorships;

 

    periodically reviewing the compensation arrangements in effect for the non-management members of the board of directors;

 

    coordinating the board self-evaluation process;

 

    overseeing our corporate governance guidelines and reporting and making recommendations to our board of directors concerning governance matters;

 

    developing and reviewing director succession plans; and

 

    reviewing and evaluating the performance of the nominating and governance committee, including compliance with its charter.

 

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Our board of directors has determined that each member of our nominating and governance committee is independent within the meaning of the independent director guidelines of the NASDAQ Listing Rules.

Other Committees . The Bank’s board of directors has also created a loan committee, which is comprised of the entire board of directors of the Bank. This committee concentrates its efforts on loan review and underwriting procedures. Each committee is permanently standing, active, and meets with management on a regular basis.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

None of our executive officers currently serves, or has served during the last year, as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving on our board of directors or compensation committee.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

We adopted a code of business conduct and ethics that applies to all of our employees, officers and directors including those officers responsible for financial reporting. Upon completion of this offering, we will post the code of business conduct and ethics on the investor relations section of our website. We intend to disclose future amendments to the code or any waivers of its requirements on our website or in filings under the Exchange Act.

 

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EXECUTIVE AND DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

Overview

This section provides compensation information about the following individuals:

 

    William C. Censky, our chairman and executive chairman of the Bank

 

    Timothy J. Schneider, our president, chief executive officer of the Bank and board member

 

    Mark R. Binversie, the president of the Bank and board member

 

    Gary A. Abramowicz, our chief financial officer and treasurer and executive vice president and chief financial officer of the Bank

In the discussion below, we referred to this group of executives as the “named executive officers.” This group includes the executive officers for whom disclosure is required under the applicable rules of the SEC. The remainder of this section provides a general summary of our compensation policies and practices and discusses the aggregate compensation we paid to our named executive officers in 2013. Unless otherwise specifically noted, the Bank actually paid all of the compensation of our named executive officers. As noted above, our named executive officers are also officers of the Bank and devote a substantial majority of their business time to the operations of the Bank. Accordingly, each executive’s compensation is paid largely to compensate him for rendering services to the Bank.

Executive Compensation

Summary Compensation Table . The following table sets forth information regarding compensation awarded to or earned by our named executive officers for service during the last completed fiscal year:

 

Name and Principal Positions

  Year     Salary
($)
    Bonus
($)
    Stock
Awards (1)
($)
    Option
Awards (1)
($)
    Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation (2)
($)
    All Other
Compensation (3)

($)
    Total
($)
 

William C. Censky

Chairman of the Board

    2013        292,000        —          —          —          92,299        21,686        405,985   

Timothy J. Schneider

Chief Executive Officer

    2013        251,200        —          —          —          56,496        20,982        328,672   

Mark R. Binversie

President

    2013        196,808        —          —          —          69,365        21,092        287,265   

Gary R. Abramowicz

Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President

    2013        169,745        —          23,484        70,452        22,923        12,522        299,126   

 

(1) The amounts in this column represent the grant date fair values of awards as computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 for the applicable fiscal year, disregarding the estimate of forfeitures for service-based vesting conditions. The assumptions used to determine these values are described in Note 16—Equity Incentive Plan to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
(2)

Amount reflects a 75% payout of the 2013 annual incentive and a 15% payout of the 2012 annual incentive which was deferred under our Annual Incentive Compensation Plan and subject to performance requirements in 2013. The amounts relating to the 2013 annual incentive and the 2012 annual incentive, respectively, for each executive are as follows: Censky-$45,139 and $47,160; Schneider-$19,416 and $37,080; Binversie-$25,353 and $44,012; and Abramowicz-$13,529 and $9,394. Under our Annual Incentive Compensation Plan, starting with the 2012 annual incentive, 25% of an executive’s annual

 

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  incentive award earned during any year is mandatorily deferred, with up to 15% of the award being paid out after the first year and the remaining amount paid out after the second year. The deferred payments are subject to both service and performance requirements.
(3) Amounts reflect 401(k) discretionary contributions, personal benefits and, as applicable, director fees, as set forth in the table below. The named executive officers participate in certain group life, health, disability insurance and medical reimbursement plans not disclosed in the Summary Compensation Table, that are generally available to salaried employees and do not discriminate in scope, terms, and operation.

 

Name and Principal Positions

   401(k)
Discretionary
Contributions

($)
     Directors
Fees

($)
     Life
Insurance
($)
     Perquisites
($)
     Total
($)
 

William C. Censky

Chairman of the Board

     16,575         4,200         911         —           21,686   

Timothy J. Schneider

Chief Executive Officer

     16,575         4,200         207         —           20,982   

Mark R. Binversie

President

     16,575         4,200         317         —           21,092   

Gary R. Abramowicz

Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President

     12,006         —           516         —           12,522   

Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End 2013 Table. The following table sets forth information regarding outstanding equity awards held by each of our named executive officers as of December 31, 2013:

 

     Option Awards      Stock Awards

Name

   Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
Exercisable

(#)
     Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options
Unexercisable

(#)
    Option
Exercise
Price

($)
     Option
Expiration
Date
     Number of
Shares or
Units of
Stock that
Have Not
Vested (#)
    Market
Value of
Shares or
Units of
Stock that
Have Not
Vested (8)
($)

William C. Censky

     10,000         $ 6.90         12/31/2014        
     10,000           8.40         12/31/2015        
     12,660           10.08         12/31/2016        
     13,860           11.63         12/31/2017        
        5,800 (1)       12.00         12/31/2018        
        9,120 (2)       12.00         12/31/2020        
                1,530 (9)    
                2,280 (10)    

Timothy J. Schneider

     10,000         $ 8.40         12/31/2015        
     13,100           10.08         12/31/2016        
     13,900           11.63         12/31/2017        
        6,080 (3)       12.00         12/31/2018        
        8,560 (4)       12.00         12/31/2020        
                1,600 (11)    
                2,140 (12)    

Mark R. Binversie

     13,630         $ 10.08         12/31/2016        
     13,700           11.63         12/31/2017        
        8,340 (5)       12.00         12/31/2018        
        9,120 (6)       12.00         12/31/2020        
                2,190 (13)    
                2,280 (14)    

Gary R. Abramowicz (4)

     10,000         $ 12.08         05/15/2018        
        21,640 (7)       13.02         01/30/2023        
                1,800 (15)    

 

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(1) Options vested on December 31, 2013.
(2) Options vest December 31, 2015.
(3) Options vested on December 31, 2013.
(4) Options vest December 31, 2015.
(5) Options vested on December 31, 2013.
(6) Options vest December 31, 2015.
(7) 33% vest January 30, 2014, 33% vest January 30, 2015, and the remaining options vest January 30, 2016.
(8) The market price for our stock is based on the assumed initial offering price of $ per share, which represents the mid-point price range set forth on the cover of this prospectus.
(9) Restricted stock vested on December 31, 2013.
(10) Restricted stock schedule vest on December 31, 2015.
(11) Restricted stock vested on December 31, 2013.
(12) Restricted stock scheduled to vest on December 31, 2015.
(13) Restricted stock vested on December 31, 2013.
(14) Restricted stock scheduled to vest on December 31, 2015.
(15) Restricted stock scheduled to vest on February 1, 2018.

Employment Agreements

The Bank has executed amended and restated employment agreements with each of our named executive officers, each effective as of November 5, 2014. Each agreement automatically renews for successive terms of one year, unless the Bank or the named executive officer provides 60 days’ written notice. Each named executive officer receives an annual base salary, as described in the table below. Each named executive officer is also eligible for equity awards, and will participate in certain employee fringe benefits comparable to those that other senior executives of the Bank are generally entitled.

If a named executive officer’s employment is terminated for cause, or due to death or disability, he will be entitled to receive all benefits and salary accrued through the date of termination. If a named executive officer’s employment is terminated by us without “cause” (as defined in the agreement), he will be entitled to receive accrued salary and benefits through the date of termination, plus a lump sum severance payment equal to his respective regular severance multiple, as described in the table below, times the sum of (i) the annual base salary in effect immediately prior to termination, and (ii) the historic bonus. For purposes of this description, the “historic bonus” is equal to the average annual incentive bonus earned by the named executive officer during the three most recent fiscal years.

If at any time during the term a named executive officer’s employment is terminated by us other than for cause within six months before or within two years after a “change in control,” he will be entitled to receive accrued salary and benefits through the date of termination, plus a lump sum severance payment equal to his change in control severance multiple, as described in the table below, times the sum of (i) the annual base salary in effect immediately prior to termination, and (ii) the historic bonus. The term “change in control” means: (i) certain acquisitions of beneficial ownership of 25% or more of either the then outstanding shares of our common stock or the combined voting power of our then outstanding voting securities entitle to vote generally in the election of directors; (ii) the members of the incumbent board cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the new board members; (iii) the consummation of certain mergers or consolidations to which the Company or the Bank is a party; (iv) the liquidation of dissolution of the Company or the Bank; and (v) a change in ownership of a substantial portion of the Company’s or the Bank’s assets.

A named executive officer may terminate his employment by giving us written notice of termination for “good reason” (as defined in the agreement). If the Bank were to materially breach any provision of the employment agreement and fail to timely cure such breach, the named executive officer would be entitled to terminate his employment for good reason and receive accrued salary and benefits through the date of termination, plus a lump sum severance payment equal to the regular severance multiple, as described in the table

 

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below, times the sum of (i) the annual base salary in effect immediately prior to termination, and (ii) the historic bonus. Within 90 days of termination for good reason within six months prior to or within two years following a change in control, the named executive officer is entitled to receive accrued salary and benefits through the date of termination, plus a lump sum severance payment equal to the change in control severance multiple times the sum of (i) the annual base salary in effect immediately prior to termination, and (ii) the historic bonus.

In the event the named executive officer terminates his employment with the Bank for reasons other than good reason or for no reason, he must give written notice of his termination, specifying a termination date not less than 60 calendar days after giving the notice. However, the Bank has the right to terminate the named executive before the specified termination date. Upon termination for no good reason or for no reason, the named executive will be entitled to receive accrued salary and benefits through the date of termination, plus, if terminated prior to the end of the notice period, the portion of the base salary that would otherwise have been earned by the named executive through the end of the notice period.

Each named executive officer has also agreed to certain non-disclosure and non-competition restrictions for our benefit, as described in the following table.

 

Name

   Annual Base
Salary
     Regular
Severance
Multiple
     Change in Control
Severance Multiple
     Non-Compete Restricted
Period after Termination
 

Timothy J. Schneider

   $ 292,000         2         3         2 years   

William C. Censky

   $ 250,000         2         3         2 years   

Mark R. Binversie

   $ 200,000         2         3         2 years   

Gary R. Abramowicz

   $ 174,825         1         2         1 year   

Retirement Benefits

401(k) Plan . The Bank currently sponsors the Investors Community Bank 401(k) Plan, or the 401(k) Plan. The 401(k) Plan is intended to qualify as a tax-qualified plan under Section 401 of the Code so that contributions to the 401(k) Plan and income earned on such contributions are not taxable to participants until withdrawn or distributed from the 401(k) Plan. With certain exceptions, all employees who have attained age 21 are eligible to make elective deferrals to the 401(k) Plan as of the beginning of the calendar quarter following 6 months of service and are eligible to receive matching contributions and/or profit-sharing contributions after their completion of 1000 hours of service during the plan year and be employed on the last day of the plan year.

A participant may contribute up to 100% of his or her compensation to the 401(k) Plan on a pre-tax and after-tax basis, subject to the contribution limits imposed by the Code. For 2014, the elective deferral contribution limit is $17,500; provided, however, that a participant over age 50 may contribute, on a pre-tax basis, an additional $5,500 to the 401(k) Plan. In addition to pre-tax and after-tax elective deferral contributions, the 401(k) Plan provides that the Bank may make discretionary matching contributions and/or profit-sharing contributions to each participant’s account. A participant is always 100% vested in his or her elective deferral contributions. However, participants will vest in their employer matching contributions and/or profit-sharing contributions, if any, at a rate of 20% per year, beginning after the completion of their second year of service, such that the participants will be 100% vested upon completion of six years of service. The 401(k) Plan permits a participant to direct the investment of his or her own account into various investment options.

Investors Community Bank Salary Continuation Agreements . Each of our named executive officers is party to a Salary Continuation Agreement with the Bank. The Salary Continuation Agreements generally provide for an annual benefit, payable to the officers for 15 years following the officer’s separation from service with the Bank. The annual benefit for each of the officers is generally $60,000. The annual benefit assumes the officer does not separate from service with the Bank until after he has reached age 65 (for Mr. Abramowicz, age 66). With the exception of the Salary Continuation Agreement with Mr. Abramowicz, in the event any of the officers

 

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separates from service with the Bank at an earlier date for any reason other than for cause, he will be entitled to a reduced annual benefit based on the amount the Bank has accrued towards the Salary Continuation Agreement benefit at the time of such early termination.

The Salary Continuation Agreement with Mr. Abramowicz does not provide for any early retirement benefit unless he separates from service after reaching age 62. However, Mr. Abramowicz is entitled to a reduced annual benefit in the event he separates from service prior to age 62 in connection with a “change in control” (as defined in his agreement) or due to disability. The reduced annual benefit in the case of any of the applicable early terminations prior to his reaching age 66 is based on the amount the Bank has accrued towards the Salary Continuation Agreement benefit at the time of such an early termination. In the event of Mr. Abramowicz’s death while employed, his beneficiaries would be entitled to the full annual benefit of $60,000 for 15 years.

Investors Community Bank Management Employees’ Elective Deferred Compensation Plan . The Bank offers its named executive officers, along with other eligible management employees, the ability to defer their compensation under a nonqualified deferred compensation plan named the Investors Community Bank Management Employees’ Elective Deferred Compensation Plan (the “Deferred Compensation Plan”). Under the Deferred Compensation Plan, a participant may elect to defer a portion of or all of their base salary and a portion of or their entire annual incentive bonus. There is no limitation on the amount participants may choose to defer.

The participant’s deferrals receive an annual return based on the prime rate minus 2.25%, unless the participant elects to direct his or her deferrals into an alternative investment vehicle. As of the date of this prospectus, the only alternative investment vehicle is a variable annuity offered through Minnesota Mutual Life. Amounts deferred under the Deferred Compensation Plan are payable to the participant in a lump following the participant’s separation from service.

Equity and Equity-Based Incentive Plans

County Bancorp, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan

General . On March 20, 2012, the Company’s board of directors and shareholders adopted the County Bancorp, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan, or the 2012 Plan, which was subsequently approved by the Company’s shareholders on April 24, 2012. The Company’s board of directors approved the amendment and restatement of the 2012 Plan on October 7, 2014. The purpose of the 2012 Plan is to promote the success and enhance the value of the Company by linking the personal interests of key employees to those of the Company’s shareholders, and by providing key employees with an incentive for outstanding performance. The 2012 Plan is further intended to provide flexibility to the Company in its ability to motivate, attract, and retain the services of key employees upon whose judgment, interest, and special effort the successful conduct of its operations is largely dependent. To this end, the 2012 Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options (or, ISOs), nonqualified stock options (or, NSOs), stock appreciation rights (or, SARs) and restricted stock (collectively, the Awards).

A summary of the material terms of the 2012 Plan is set forth below. The summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the 2012 Plan, which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

Administration . The 2012 Plan is administered by the compensation committee of the Company’s board of directors, or the Administrator, and the Administrator determines all terms of awards under the 2012 Plan. The Administrator interprets the terms and the intent of the 2012 Plan. If at any time we do not have a compensation committee, the Company’s board of directors will act as Administrator for the 2012 Plan.

The Administrator determines eligibility for receiving Awards under the 2012 Plan and may adopt rules, regulations, and guidelines for administering the 2012 Plan as it deems necessary and proper. Its authority

 

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includes, but is not limited to, selecting Award recipients, establishing the terms and conditions of each Award and adopting modifications and amendments or subplans to the 2012 Plan or any related Award agreement. The Administrator may delegate, to the fullest extent as permitted under applicable law, to the chief executive officer of the Company any or all authority of the Administrator with respect to the grant of Awards to participants, other than participants who, at the time any such delegated authority is exercised, are executive officers of the Company. To the extent the Administrator determines it desirable to qualify Awards as “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code, the 2012 Plan will be administered by a committee of two or more “outside directors” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code.

Eligibility and Participation . All employees, directors and independent contractors of the Company, the Bank, and their affiliates (hereinafter the “participants”) are eligible to receive Awards under the 2012 Plan. The Administrator may select from all eligible participants, those to whom Awards will be granted and will determine the nature and amount of each Award.

Shares Available for Awards . We have reserved 600,000 shares of common stock for issuance pursuant to the 2012 Plan. The maximum number of shares of common stock subject to ISOs and/or NSOs (together, Options) that may be granted under the 2012 Plan to any participant in any single calendar year is equal to 10% shares authorized under the 2012 Plan. The maximum number of shares of restricted stock that may be issued is equal to 50% shares authorized under the 2012 Plan.

Any shares related to Awards that terminate by expiration, forfeiture, cancellation, or otherwise without the issuance of such shares, are settled in cash in lieu of shares, or are exchanged with the Administrator’s permission for Awards not involving shares, will be available for grant under the 2012 Plan. Moreover, if the price for Options or the tax withholding requirements with respect to any Award are satisfied by tendering shares to the Company, or if a SAR is exercised, only the number of shares issued, net of the shares tendered, if any, will be deemed delivered for purposes of determining the maximum number of shares available for delivery under the 2012 Plan. The maximum number of shares available for issuance will not be reduced to reflect any dividends or dividend equivalents that are reinvested into additional shares or credited as additional restricted stock. Shares available for issuance under the 2012 Plan may be authorized and unissued shares, or treasury shares.

Adjustments in Authorized Shares . In the event of any corporate event or transaction (including but not limited to, a change in the Company’s common stock or the capitalization of the Company), such as a merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization, separation, stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, split up, spin-off, or other distribution of common stock or property of the Company, combination of securities, exchange of securities, dividend in kind or other like change in capital structure or distribution to the Company’s shareholders, or any similar corporate event or transactions, the Administrator will substitute or adjust in an equitable manner, as applicable, the number and kind of shares that may be issued under the 2012 Plan, the number and kind of shares subject to outstanding Awards, the option price or grant price applicable to outstanding Awards, and other value determinations applicable to outstanding Awards. The Administrator may also make appropriate adjustments to the terms of any Awards to reflect such changes or distributions and to modify any other terms of outstanding Awards on an equitable basis, including modifications of performance goals and changes in the length of performance periods. Subject to the change in control provisions described below and any applicable law or regulatory requirement, without affecting the number of shares reserved or available under the 2012 Plan, the Administrator may authorize the issuance, assumption, substitution, conversion of termination of Awards under the 2012 Plan in connection with a merger, consolidation, acquisition of property or shares, or reorganization, upon such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate. The Administrator may amend or supplement the 2012 Plan as it deems appropriate to provide for such issuance, assumption, substitution conversion or termination, all without further action by the Company’s shareholders.

Vesting . Generally, Awards will vest at such times and in such amounts as determined by the Administrator in its sole discretion and as set forth in the vesting scheduled included in, or with the agreement related to, such

 

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Award, which vesting schedule may provide that all or some part of the applicable Award vests immediately upon grant, or on specified dates over a period of time, or upon attainment of performance goals specified in the agreement. If no such vesting schedule is in the agreement, then Awards will vest 20% on each of the first through fifth anniversaries of the date of grant.

Unless otherwise specified in an agreement, a participant will be fully vested in any and all Awards upon the participant’s retirement (a voluntary termination after age 60 with five years of service). Upon the termination of employment due to death or disability of the participant: (i) any and all Options and SARs granted will become immediately exercisable, provided that the participant or his or her beneficiary will have until the earlier of 12 months following such termination date, or the expiration of the Option or SAR term, to exercise any such Option or SAR; and (ii) any period of restriction for restricted stock granted that has not previously vested will end, and such restricted stock will become fully vested. Each Award agreement will set forth the extent to which a participant may have the right to exercise any Option or SAR or the right to retain restricted stock.

Options . The 2012 Plan permits the grant of ISOs, which are designated as incentive stock options and are intended to meet the requirements under Section 422 of the Code, and NSOs, which do not qualify as incentive stock options under Section 422 of the Code. Options may be granted to participants in such number and upon such terms as may be determined by the Administrator. The Administrator may not grant ISOs to non-employee directors or independent contractors.

The option price of each Option will be determined by the Administrator and will be at least 100% of the Fair Market Value of a share of common stock on the date on which the Option is granted. “Fair Market Value” means the closing price on the NASDAQ Global Market or such other established stock exchange or national market system on which the shares are listed (or the closing bid, if no sales were reported), as quoted on such exchange or system on the day of determination, as reported in The Wall Street Journal ; provided, however, that if a share is not susceptible of valuation by such method, the term “Fair Market Value” will mean the fair market value of a share as the Administrator may determine in conformity with pertinent law and regulations of the U.S. Treasury . If the Company grants ISOs to any 10% shareholder, the exercise price may not be less than 110% of the Fair Market Value of a share of our common stock on the date on which the Option is granted.

The term of an option will expire at such time as the Administrator determines at the time of grant but will not be exercisable later than the tenth anniversary of the grant date. If an Option intended to qualify as an ISO is granted to any 10% shareholder, the ISO will not be exercisable later than the fifth anniversary of the grant date. Options will be exercised at such times and be subject to such restrictions and conditions as the Administrator so approves.

Except as otherwise specified in an agreement or by the Administrator, no Options granted under the 2012 Plan may be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. Options granted to a participant under the 2012 Plan will be exercisable during his or her lifetime only by such participant, unless an Award agreement, the Company’s board or the Administrator otherwise permits further transfer of NSOs.

Stock Appreciation Rights . SARs may be granted to participants as determined by the Administrator. The Administrator may grant freestanding SARs (meaning a SAR that is granted independently of any Option), tandem SARs (meaning a SAR granted in connection with a related Option, and the exercise of which will require forfeiture of the right to purchase a share under the related Option, or a SAR that is granted in tandem with an Option but the exercise of such Option does not cancel the SAR, but rather results in the exercise of the related SAR) or any combination thereof. The Committee has complete discretion in determining the number of SARs granted to each participant and in determining the terms and conditions pertaining to such SARs.

The Committee will determine the grant price for each SAR which will be at least 100% of the Fair Market Value of the shares on the grant date. The Administrator will determine the term of the SAR, but no SAR will be

 

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exercisable later than the tenth anniversary of the grant date. Freestanding SARS may be exercised upon the terms and conditions the Administrator imposes upon them in the Award agreement. Tandem SARS may be exercised for all or part of the shares subject to the related Option upon the surrender of the right to exercise the equivalent portion of the related Option. A tandem SAR may be exercised only with respect to the shares for which its related Option is then exercisable. With respect to a tandem SAR granted in connection with an ISO: (i) the tandem SAR will expire no later than the expiration of the underlying ISO; (ii) the value of the payout with respect to the tandem SAR may be for no more than 100% of the difference between the option price of the underlying ISO and the Fair Market Value of the shares subject to the underlying ISO at the time the tandem ISO is exercised; and (iii) the tandem SAR may be exercised only when the Fair Market Value of the shares subject to the ISO exceeds the option price of the ISO. All SARs granted to a participant will be exercisable during his or her lifetime only by such participant, unless otherwise provided in the SAR agreement, or by the Company’s board of the Administrator.

Restricted Stock . The 2012 Plan permits the grant of shares of restricted stock to participants in such amounts as the Administrator so determines. Shares of restricted stock may not be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated until the end of the applicable “period of restriction” established by the Administrator and specified in the Award agreement, or upon earlier satisfaction of any other conditions, as specified by the Administrator, in its sole discretion and as set forth in the applicable Award agreement. Period of restriction means the period when Awards are subject to forfeiture based on the passage of time, the achievement of performance goals, and/or upon the occurrence of other events as determined by the Administrator. All rights with respect to restricted stock granted to a participant will be available during his or her lifetime only to such participant. The Administrator may impose such other conditions and/or restrictions on any shares of restricted stock as it may deem advisable, including a requirement that participants pay a stipulated purchase price for each share of restricted stock, restrictions based upon the achievement of specific performance goals, time-based restrictions on vesting following the attainment of the performance goals, time-based restrictions, restrictions under applicable federal or state securities laws, or any holding requirements or sale restrictions placed on the shares by the Company upon vesting of such restricted stock.

To the extent permitted or required by law, as determined by the Administrator, participants holding restricted stock may be granted the right to exercise full voting rights with respect to those shares during the period of restriction. During the period of restriction, participants holding shares of restricted stock will be credited with dividends paid with respect to restricted stock while they are so held. The Administrator may provide in an Award agreement that the grant of restricted stock is conditioned upon the participant making or refraining from making an election under Section 83(b) of the Code.

Change in Control . For Awards granted prior to October 7, 2014, upon the occurrence of a change in control (as that term is defined under the 2012 Plan), unless otherwise specifically prohibited under applicable laws or by rules or regulations of any governing governmental agencies or national securities exchanges, or unless the Administrator will determine otherwise in an Award agreement: (i) any and all Options and SARs will become immediately exercisable, and with respect to NSO and SARs, if a participant’s employment is terminated for any other reason except for cause (as that term is defined under the 2012 Plan), within 12 months of such change in control, the participant will have until the earlier of (a) 12 months following such termination date, or (b) the expiration of the NSO or SAR term to exercise any such NSO or SAR; and (ii) any period of restriction for shares of restricted stock that have not been previously vested will end and restricted stock will become fully vested and transferable.

For Awards granted after October 7, 2014, unless otherwise provided in the Award agreement, upon the occurrence of: (a) a change in control, and (b) the participant’s involuntary termination of employment (other than due to cause, as that term is defined under the 2012 Plan) that occurs within the 12-month period following such change in control: (1) any and all Options and SARs will become immediately exercisable until the earlier of: (i) 12 months following such termination date, or (ii) the expiration of the Option of SAR term, to exercise any such Option or SAR; and (2) any period of restriction for shares of restricted stock that have not previously vested will end, and such restricted stock will become fully vested and transferrable.

 

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Upon the occurrence of a change in control, the Administrator may, in its sole discretion, as to any such Award, either at the time the Award is made under the 2012 Plan or any time thereafter: (a) make such adjustment to any such Award then outstanding as the Administrator deems appropriate to reflect such change in control; and/or (b) cause any such Award then outstanding to be assumed, or new rights substituted therefor, by the acquiring or surviving entity after such change in control. Additionally, in the event of any change in control with respect to Options and SARs, the Administrator may, in its sole discretion, may: (a) cancel any outstanding unexercised Options or SARs (whether or not vested) that have a per-share Option price or grant price (as applicable) that is greater than the change in control price (as defined in the 2012 Plan); or (b) cancel any outstanding unexercised Options or SARs (whether or not vested) that have a per-share Option price or grant price (as applicable) that is less than or equal to the change in control price in exchange for cash payment of an amount equal to: (i) the difference between the change in control price and the Option price or grant price (as applicable), multiplied by (ii) the total number of shares underlying such Option or SAR that are vested and exercisable at the time of the change in control. The Administrator may include such further provisions and limitations in any Award agreement as it may deem desirable.

Amendment, Modification or Termination . The Company’s board may amend, modify suspend or terminate the 2012 Plan in whole or in part. No amendment will be made without shareholder approval if shareholder approval is required by law, regulation, or stock exchange rule. The Administrator may make adjustments to the terms and conditions of, and the criteria concluded in, Awards in recognition of any unusual or nonrecurring events affecting the Company or the financial statements of the Company or of changes in applicable laws, regulations, or accounting principles, whenever the Administrator determines that such adjustments are appropriate in order to prevent unintended dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the 2012 Plan.

Tax Withholding . The Company has the power and right to deduct or withhold, or require a participant to remit to the Company, an amount sufficient to satisfy federal, state and local taxes, domestic or foreign, required by law or regulation to be withheld with respect to any taxable event arising or as a result of the 2012 Plan.

Share Withholding . With respect to withholding required upon the exercise of Options or SARs, upon the lapse of restrictions on restricted stock, or any other taxable event arising as a result of Awards granted under the 2012 Plan, the Company may require or participants may elect, subject to approval by the Administrator, to satisfy the withholding requirement by having the Company withhold shares having a Fair Market Value on the date the tax is determined equal to the tax that could be imposed on the transactions, provided that if required by the accounting rules and regulations to maintain favorable accounting treatment for Awards, the tax is to be determined equal to the minimum statutory total tax that could be imposed on the transaction.

Director Compensation

Director Fees . Beginning in the second quarter of 2014, all Company directors will receive $470 for any board meeting lasting longer than 30 minutes. For 2014, non-employee directors of the Bank will receive $1,250 for regular board meetings, $470 per committee meeting, with committee chairmen receiving $850 per committee meeting. Wayne D. Mueller, who is a part-time employee of the Bank and serves as our Special Projects Officer, will receive the same director compensation as non-employee directors. Employee or insider directors of the Bank will receive $350 per regular board meeting, but will receive no compensation for Bank committee meetings. With the exception of one director loan committee meeting and one Bank board meeting per year, directors will only be compensated for meetings they attend.

 

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The following table sets forth information concerning compensation accrued or paid to our non-employee directors during the year ended December 31, 2013, for their service on our board. Directors who are also our employees receive no additional compensation for their service as directors, except as described above, and are included in the table below.

 

Name

   Fees Earned
or Paid in
Cash

($)
     Stock
Awards

($)
     Option
Awards

($)
     Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation
($)
     Nonqualified
Deferred

Compensation
Earnings

($)
     All Other
Compensation
($)
    Total
($)
 

Carmen Chizek

     30,906         —           —           —           —           —          30,906   

Lynn D. Davis

     —           —           —           —           —           —          —     

Edson Foster, Jr.

     32,225         —           —           —           —           —          32,225   

Wayne Mueller (1)

     4,200         —           —           —           —           18,111 (2)       22,311   

Andrew Steimle

     32,800         —           —           —           —           —          32,800   

Kenneth Zacharias

     32,330         —           —           —           —           —          32,330   

Gary Ziegelbauer

     22,020         —           —           —           —           —          22,020   

 

(1) Mr. Mueller served as a Senior Vice President of the Bank until his retirement as of May 1, 2014, but continues to serve as a director of both the Company and the Bank. Since his retirement, Mr. Mueller has been employed on a part-time basis to assist with special assignments as the Special Projects Officer of the Bank, and is paid a retainer of $2,500 per month in such capacity.
(2) Amount reflects 401(k) discretionary contributions and personal benefits. Mr. Mueller participates in certain group life, health, disability insurance and medical reimbursement not disclosed in this table, that are generally available to salaried employees and do not discriminate in scope, terms and operation.

 

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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

The following is a description of transactions, since January 1, 2012, to which we have been a party or will be a party, in which the amount involved exceeded or will exceed $120,000, and in which any of our executive officers or directors, or an affiliate or immediate family member thereof, had or will have a direct or indirect material interest, other than compensation, termination and change of control arrangements, which are described under “ Executive and Director Compensation Employment Agreements ” and “Executive and Director Compensation Directors’ Compensation .”

Loans and Extensions of Credit . The Sarbanes-Oxley Act generally prohibits loans to executive officers and directors of public companies. However, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act contains a specific exemption from such prohibition for loans by a bank to its executive officers and directors in compliance with federal banking regulations. Federal regulations require that all loans or extensions of credit to executive officers and directors of insured institutions must be made on substantially the same terms, including interest rates and collateral, as those prevailing at the time for comparable transactions with persons not related to the bank and must not involve more than the normal risk of repayment or present other unfavorable features. The aggregate amount of our loans to our directors, executive officers and their related entities was $1.1 million and $1.5 million and $3.9 million at September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively. These loans were originated in compliance with applicable federal regulations and, as of September 30, 2014, were performing according to their original terms.

Other Transactions . Christopher Schneider, the brother of Timothy J. Schneider, received compensation of approximately $134,000 and $123,000 in 2012 and 2013, respectively, in his capacity as an agricultural banking officer of the Bank. Since the beginning of our last fiscal year, there have been no other transactions and there are no currently proposed transactions in which we were or are to be a participant and the amount involved exceeds $120,000, and in which any of our executive officers or directors had or will have a direct or indirect material interest.

 

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PRINCIPAL AND SELLING SHAREHOLDERS

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our common stock and our Series B Preferred Stock as of September 30, 2014, and as adjusted to reflect the sale of common stock offered by us in this offering for:

 

    each shareholder known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our capital stock;

 

    each of the selling shareholders;

 

    each of our directors;

 

    each of our named executive officers; and

 

    all of our directors and officers as a group.

We have determined beneficial ownership in accordance with the rules of the SEC. Except as indicated by the footnotes below, we believe, based on the information furnished to us, that persons and entities named in the table below have sole voting and investment power with respect to all the capital stock that they beneficially own, subject to applicable community property laws.

Applicable percentage ownership is based on 4,463,790 shares of capital stock outstanding as of September 30, 2014. In computing the number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by a person and the ownership percentage of that person, we deemed to be outstanding all shares of common stock subject to options held by that person or entity that are currently exercisable or releasable within 60 days of September 30, 2014. We did not deem these shares outstanding, however, for purposes of computing the percentage ownership of any other person. The address of each beneficial owner in the table is: c/o County Bancorp, Inc., 860 North Rapids Road, Manitowoc, Wisconsin 54221.

 

    Beneficial Ownership of Common
Stock Prior to the
Completion of this Offering (1)
    Number of Shares
of Common Stock
to be Sold in
this Offering
    Ownership of
Shares of Series B
Preferred Stock
    Beneficial Ownership
After the Completion of
this Offering (1)
 
         Number (2)                Percentage              Number   Percentage  

William C. Censky

    434,380        9.62     [ ]        —                        

Timothy J. Schneider

    162,610        3.61        —          —         

Mark R. Binversie

    401,470        8.92        [ ]        —         

Gary A. Abramowicz

    29,960        *        —          —         

Carmen L. Chizek

    124,700        2.79        —          8,000       

Lynn D. Davis

    15,620        *        —           

Edson P. Foster

    33,500        *        —           

Wayne D. Mueller

    162,940        3.65        —          —         

Andrew J. Steimle

    17,500        *        —          —         

Kenneth R. Zacharias

    12,000        *        —          —         

Gary Ziegelbauer

    416,300        9.33        —           

All Executive Officers and Directors as a Group (15)

    1,996,580        42.70        —          —         

 

* Represents beneficial ownership of less than 1.00% of the outstanding shares of common stock.
(1) For all listed persons, the number includes shares held by, jointly with, or in trust for the benefit of, the person’s spouse and dependent children. Shares are reported in such cases on the presumption that the individual may share voting and/or investment power because of the family relationship.
(2) Amounts include the following numbers of shares pledged as security for personal loans with one or more third-party lenders: for Mr. Censky—121,830; for Mr. Schneider—101,500; for Mr. Binversie—110,630; for Mr. Zacharias—12,000; and for all other executive officers—25,000.

 

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SUPERVISION AND REGULATION

General

Financial institutions, their holding companies and their affiliates are extensively regulated under federal and state law. As a result, our growth and earnings performance may be affected not only by management decisions and general economic conditions, but also by the requirements of federal and state statutes and by the regulations and policies of various bank regulatory authorities, including the WDFI Banking Division, the Federal Reserve, and the FDIC. Furthermore, taxation laws administered by the Internal Revenue Service and state taxing authorities, accounting rules developed by the FASB and securities laws administered by the SEC and state securities authorities have an impact on our business. The effect of these statutes, regulations, regulatory policies and accounting rules are significant to our operations and results, and the nature and extent of future legislative, regulatory or other changes affecting financial institutions are impossible to predict with any certainty.

The comprehensive system of bank supervision, regulation and enforcement referred to above is intended primarily for the protection of the FDIC-insured deposits and depositors of banks, rather than shareholders. The federal and state banking laws, and the regulations of the bank regulatory authorities issued under them, affect, among other things, the scope of business, the kinds and amounts of investments banks may make, reserve requirements, capital levels relative to operations, the nature and amount of collateral for loans, the establishment of branches, the ability to merge, consolidate and acquire, dealings with insiders and affiliates and the payment of dividends. In addition, we are subject to regular examination by our regulatory authorities, which results in examination reports and ratings (which are not publicly available) that can impact the conduct and growth of business. These examinations consider not only compliance with applicable laws and regulations, but also capital levels, asset quality and risk, management ability and performance, earnings, liquidity, and various other factors. The regulatory agencies generally have broad discretion to impose restrictions and limitations on the operations of a regulated entity where the agencies determine, among other things, that such operations are unsafe or unsound, fail to comply with applicable law or are otherwise inconsistent with laws and regulations or with the supervisory policies of these agencies.

The following is a summary of the material elements of the supervisory and regulatory framework applicable to us and our subsidiaries. It does not describe all of the statutes, regulations and regulatory policies that apply, nor does it restate all of the requirements of those that are described. As such, the following is qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable statutes, regulations and regulatory policies. Any change in applicable law, regulations or regulatory policies may have a material effect on our business.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

In July 2010, President Obama signed into law the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, or Dodd-Frank Act. The Dodd-Frank Act has had and will have a broad impact on the financial services industry, imposing significant regulatory and compliance changes, including the designation of certain financial companies as systemically significant, the imposition of increased risk-based and leverage capital and liquidity requirements, and numerous other provisions designed to improve supervision and oversight of, and strengthen safety and soundness within, the financial services sector. Additionally, the Dodd-Frank Act establishes a new framework of authority to conduct systemic risk oversight within the financial system to be distributed among new and existing federal regulatory agencies, including the Financial Stability Oversight Council, the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the FDIC.

The following items provide a brief description of certain provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act that are or are likely to apply to us and our business:

Payment of Interest on Demand Deposits Permitted. The Dodd-Frank Act repealed the prohibition on banks and other financial institutions from paying interest on demand deposits.

 

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Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The Dodd-Frank Act created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or the Bureau, within the Federal Reserve system. The Bureau is tasked with establishing and implementing rules and regulations under certain federal consumer protection laws with respect to the conduct of providers of certain consumer financial products and services. The Bureau has rulemaking authority over many of the statutes governing products and services offered to bank and thrift consumers. For depository institutions with assets of $10 billion or more, the Bureau has exclusive rule making and examination authority with respect to the federal consumer financial laws, and primary enforcement authority with respect to such laws. In addition, the Dodd-Frank Act permits states to adopt consumer protection laws and regulations that are stricter than those regulations promulgated by the Bureau. This new federal and state regulatory framework may result in significant new regulatory requirements applicable to us in respect of consumer financial products and services, with potentially significant increases in compliance costs and litigation risks.

Mortgage Loan Origination and Risk Retention. The Dodd-Frank Act contains additional regulatory requirements that may affect our operations and result in increased compliance costs. For example, the Dodd-Frank Act imposes new standards for mortgage loan originations on all lenders, including banks, in an effort to require steps to verify a borrower’s ability to repay. In January 2013, the Bureau adopted rules, effective January 2014, requiring creditors to make a reasonable, good faith determination of a consumer’s ability to repay any consumer credit transaction secured by a dwelling. In addition, the Dodd-Frank Act generally requires lenders or securitizers to retain a 5% economic interest in the credit risk relating to loans the lender sells or mortgage and other asset-backed securities that the securitizer issues.

Interstate Branching . The Dodd-Frank Act, subject to a state’s restrictions on intra-state branching, permits interstate branching. Therefore, a bank may enter a new state by acquiring a branch of an existing institution or by establishing a new branch office. As a result, there will be no need for the entering bank to acquire or merge with an existing institution in the target state. This ability to establish a de novo branch across state lines will have the effect of increasing competition within a community bank’s existing markets and may create downward pressure on the franchise value for existing community banks.

Imposition of Restrictions on Certain Activities. The Dodd-Frank Act requires new regulations for the over-the-counter derivatives market, including requirements for clearing, exchange trading, capital, margin, and reporting. Additionally, the Dodd-Frank Act requires that certain swaps and derivatives activities be “pushed out” of insured depository institutions and conducted in non-bank affiliates. The Dodd-Frank Act also significantly restricts the ability of a member of a depository institution holding company group to invest in or sponsor “covered funds” (as defined in the Volcker Rule), which may restrict our ability to hold certain securities, and broadly restricts such entities from engaging in “proprietary trading,” subject to limited exemptions. These restrictions may affect our ability to manage certain risks in our business.

Expanded FDIC Resolution Authority. While insured depository institutions have long been subject to the FDIC’s resolution framework, the Dodd-Frank Act creates a new mechanism for the FDIC to conduct the orderly liquidation of certain “covered financial companies,” including bank holding companies and systemically significant non-bank financial companies. Upon certain findings being made, the FDIC may be appointed receiver for a covered financial company, and would be tasked to conduct an orderly liquidation of the entity. The FDIC liquidation process is generally modeled on the existing FDI Act, bank resolution regulations, and generally gives the FDIC more discretion than in the traditional bankruptcy context.

Deposit Insurance. The Dodd-Frank Act makes permanent the general $250,000 deposit insurance limit for insured deposits. The Dodd-Frank Act also changes the assessment base for federal deposit insurance premiums from the amount of insured deposits to average consolidated total assets less average tangible equity, eliminates the ceiling on the size of the FDIC’s Deposit Insurance Fund, or DIF”), and increases the floor applicable to the size of the DIF, which may require an increase in the level of assessments for institutions such as the Bank.

 

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Transactions with Affiliates and Insiders. The Dodd-Frank Act generally enhances the restrictions on transactions with affiliates under Section 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act, including an expansion of the definition of “covered transactions” and an increase in the amount of time for which collateral requirements regarding covered credit transactions must be satisfied.

Enhanced Lending Limits. The Dodd-Frank Act strengthens the existing limits on a depository institution’s credit exposure to one borrower. The Dodd-Frank Act expands the scope of these restrictions to include credit exposure arising from derivative transactions, repurchase agreements, and securities lending and borrowing transactions.

Corporate Governance. The Dodd-Frank Act addresses many investor protections, corporate governance and executive compensation matters that will affect most U.S. publicly traded companies, including the Company. The Dodd-Frank Act (1) grants shareholders of U.S. publicly traded companies an advisory vote on executive compensation (although, as an emerging growth company, we are not required to seek such advisory votes); (2) enhances independence requirements for compensation committee members; (3) requires companies listed on national securities exchanges to adopt incentive-based compensation clawback policies for executive officers; and (4) provides the SEC with authority to adopt proxy access rules that would allow shareholders of publicly traded companies to nominate candidates for election as a director and have those nominees included in a company’s proxy materials.

Limits on Debit Card Interchange Fees . Under the Dodd-Frank Act, the Federal Reserve has adopted rules concerning debit card transaction fees and network exclusivity arrangements for debit card issuers that, together with their affiliates, have more than $10 billion in total consolidated assets. Although community banks are exempt from the cap on interchange fees, the cap on the fees of large banks will create market forces that force all fees downward. Therefore, community banks should expect lower interchange revenues in the future.

Although a significant number of the rules and regulations mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act have been finalized, many of the new requirements called for have yet to be implemented and will likely be subject to implementing regulations over the course of several years. Given the uncertainty surrounding the manner in which many of the Dodd-Frank Act’s provisions will be implemented by the various regulatory agencies, the full extent of the impact on our operations is unclear. The changes resulting from the Dodd-Frank Act may impact the profitability of our business activities, require changes to certain of our business practices, impose upon us more stringent risk-based or leverage capital and liquidity requirements or otherwise adversely affect our business. These changes may also require us to invest significant management attention and resources to evaluate and make any changes necessary to comply with new statutory and regulatory requirements. Failure to comply with the new requirements may negatively impact our results of operations and financial condition. While we cannot predict what effect any presently contemplated or future changes in the laws or regulations or their interpretations would have on us, these changes could be materially adverse to our investors.

Supervision and Regulation of the Company

General . We are a legal entity separate and distinct from the Bank. As a registered bank holding company, we are regulated under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, or BHCA, and are subject to inspection, examination and supervision by the Federal Reserve. The BHCA and other federal laws subject bank holding companies to particular restrictions on the types of activities in which they may engage, and to a range of supervisory requirements and activities, including regulatory enforcement actions for violations of law and regulations. The Federal Reserve’s jurisdiction also extends to any company that we directly or indirectly control, such as any non-bank subsidiaries and other companies in which we own a controlling investment.

Investments and Activities . Under the BHCA, a bank holding company must obtain Federal Reserve approval before: (1) acquiring, directly or indirectly, ownership or control of any voting shares of another bank or bank holding company if, after the acquisition, it would own or control more than 5% of the shares of the other

 

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bank or bank holding company (unless it already owns or controls the majority of such shares); (2) acquiring all or substantially all of the assets of another bank; or (3) merging or consolidating with another bank holding company. Subject to certain conditions (including certain deposit concentration limits established by the BHCA), the Federal Reserve may allow a bank holding company to acquire banks located in any state of the United States without regard to whether the acquisition is prohibited by the law of the state in which the target bank is located. In approving interstate acquisitions, however, the Federal Reserve is required to give effect to applicable state law limitations on the aggregate amount of deposits that may be held by the acquiring bank holding company and its insured depository institution affiliates in the state in which the target bank is located (provided that those limits do not discriminate against out-of-state depository institutions or their holding companies) and state laws which require that the target bank have been in existence for a minimum period of time (not to exceed five years) before being acquired by an out-of-state bank holding company.

The BHCA also generally prohibits a bank holding company from acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of the voting shares of any company which is not a bank and from engaging in any business other than that of banking, managing and controlling banks or furnishing services to banks and their subsidiaries. This general prohibition is subject to a number of exceptions. The principal exception allows bank holding companies to engage in, and to own shares of companies engaged in, certain businesses found by the Federal Reserve to be “so closely related to banking … as to be a proper incident thereto.” Under current regulations of the Federal Reserve, bank holding companies and their subsidiary banks are permitted to engage in a variety of banking-related businesses, including the operation of a thrift, consumer finance, equipment leasing, the operation of a computer service bureau (including software development), and mortgage banking and brokerage. The BHCA generally does not place territorial restrictions on the domestic activities of non-bank subsidiaries of bank holding companies.

In 1999, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Modernization Act of 1999, or GLBA, was signed into law. Under the GLBA, bank holding companies that meet certain standards and elect to become “financial holding companies” are permitted to engage in a wider range of activities than those permitted to bank holding companies, including certain securities and insurance activities. The Company has not elected to be treated as a financial holding company.

The GLBA changed federal laws to facilitate affiliation between banks and entities engaged in securities and insurance activities. The law also established a system of functional regulation under which banking activities, securities activities, and insurance activities conducted by financial holding companies and their subsidiaries and affiliates will be separately regulated by banking, securities, and insurance regulators, respectively.

Control Acquisitions. Federal and state laws, including the BHCA and the Change in Bank Control Act, impose additional prior notice or approval requirements and ongoing regulatory requirements on any investor that seeks to acquire direct or indirect “control” of an FDIC-insured depository institution or bank holding company. “Control” of a depository institution is a facts and circumstances analysis, but generally an investor is deemed to control a depository institution or other company if the investor owns or controls 25% or more of any class of voting securities. Ownership or control of 10% or more of any class of voting securities, where either the depository institution or company is a public company or no other person will own or control a greater percentage of that class of voting securities after the acquisition, is also presumed to result in the investor controlling the depository institution or other company, although this is subject to rebuttal. If an investor’s ownership of our voting securities were to exceed certain thresholds, the investor could be deemed to “control” us for regulatory purposes, which could subject such investor to regulatory filings or other regulatory consequences.

Capital Adequacy Guidelines. The Federal Reserve has adopted risk-based capital guidelines for bank holding companies. The risk-based capital guidelines are designed to make regulatory capital requirements more sensitive to differences in risk profile among banks and bank holding companies to factor off-balance sheet exposure into the assessment of capital adequacy, to minimize disincentives for holding liquid, low-risk assets

 

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and to achieve greater consistency in the evaluation of the capital adequacy of major banking organizations worldwide. Under these guidelines, assets and off-balance sheet items are assigned to broad risk categories, each with appropriate weights. The resulting capital ratios represent capital as a percentage of total risk-weighted assets and off-balance sheet items. These requirements apply on a consolidated basis to bank holding companies with consolidated assets of $500 million or more, such as the Company.

In addition to the risk-based capital guidelines, the Federal Reserve has adopted a minimum Tier 1 capital (leverage) ratio, under which a bank holding company must maintain a minimum level of Tier 1 capital to average total consolidated assets of at least 3% in the case of a bank holding company that has the highest regulatory examination rating and is not contemplating significant growth or expansion. All other bank holding companies are expected to maintain a leverage ratio of at least 4%. This minimum leverage requirement only applies to bank holding companies on a consolidated basis if the risk-based capital requirements discussed above apply.

These capital requirements are substantially similar to those imposed on the Bank under FDIC regulations. Furthermore, these capital requirements will change in connection with the Federal Reserve’s adoption of the Basel III guidelines. For more information see the Section of this prospectus entitled “ Supervision and Regulation—Supervision and Regulation of the Bank—Capital Adequacy Guidelines .”

Sound Banking Practices . Bank holding companies and their non-banking subsidiaries are prohibited from engaging in activities that represent unsafe and unsound banking practices or that constitute violations of law or regulations. For example, the Federal Reserve’s Regulation Y requires a bank holding company to give the Federal Reserve prior notice of any redemption or repurchase of its own equity securities if the consideration to be paid, together with the consideration paid for any repurchases in the preceding year, is equal to 10% or more of the company’s consolidated net worth. The Federal Reserve may oppose the transaction if it believes that the transaction would constitute an unsafe or unsound practice or would violate any law or regulation. As another example, a holding company could not impair its subsidiary bank’s soundness by causing it to make funds available to non-banking subsidiaries or their customers if the Federal Reserve believed it not prudent to do so. The Federal Reserve can assess civil money penalties for activities conducted on a knowing or reckless basis, if the activities caused a substantial loss to a depository institution. The penalties can be as high as $1,000,000 for each day the activity continues.

Payment of Dividends; Source of Strength . Our ability to pay dividends to our shareholders may be affected by both general corporate law considerations and policies of the Federal Reserve applicable to bank holding companies. As a Wisconsin corporation, we are subject to the limitations of the WBCL, which prohibit us from paying dividends if such payment would: (1) render us unable to pay our debts as they become due in the usual course of business, or (2) result in our assets being less than the sum of our total liabilities plus the amount needed to satisfy the preferential rights upon dissolution of any shareholders with preferential rights superior to those shareholders receiving the dividend. Additionally, policies of the Federal Reserve caution that a bank holding company should not pay cash dividends, without prior consultation with the Federal Reserve, when (i) the bank holding company’s net income available to shareholders over the last four quarters (net of dividends paid) has not been sufficient to fully fund the dividends, (ii) the prospective rate of earnings retention is not consistent with the bank holding company’s capital needs and overall current and prospective financial condition, or (iii) the bank holding company will not meet, or is in danger of not meeting, its minimum regulatory capital adequacy ratios.

As discussed above, the Federal Reserve possesses enforcement powers over bank holding companies and their non-bank subsidiaries to prevent or remedy actions that represent unsafe or unsound practices, or violations of statutes and regulations. Among these powers is the ability to proscribe the payment of dividends by banks and bank holding companies. The Company is not currently subject to any such restrictions on the payment of dividends.

 

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After the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Act (which codified long-standing Federal Reserve policy), a bank holding company is required to serve as a source of financial strength to its subsidiary banks. This means that we are expected to use available resources to provide adequate resources to the Bank, including during periods of financial stress or adversity, and to maintain the financial flexibility and capital-raising capacity to obtain additional resources for assisting the Bank where necessary. In addition, any capital loans that we make to the Bank are subordinate in right of payment to deposits and to certain other indebtedness of the Bank. In the event of our bankruptcy, any commitment by us to a federal bank regulatory agency to maintain the capital of the Bank will be assumed by the bankruptcy trustee and entitled to a priority of payment.

Annual Reporting; Examinations . Bank holding companies are required to file an annual report with the Federal Reserve, and such additional information as the Federal Reserve may require. The Federal Reserve may examine a bank holding company and any of its subsidiaries, and charge the company for the cost of such examination.

Imposition of Liability for Undercapitalized Subsidiaries . The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991, or FDICIA, requires bank regulators to take “prompt corrective action” to resolve problems associated with insured depository institutions. In the event a depository institution becomes “undercapitalized,” it must submit a capital restoration plan. The capital restoration plan will not be accepted by the regulators unless each company “having control of” the undercapitalized depository institution “guarantees” the subsidiary’s compliance with the capital restoration plan until it becomes “adequately capitalized.” For purposes of this statute, the Company has control of the Bank.

Under the FDICIA, the aggregate liability of all companies controlling a particular institution is limited to the lesser of five percent of the depository institution’s total assets at the time it became undercapitalized or the amount necessary to bring the institution in compliance with applicable capital standards. The FDICIA grants greater powers to bank regulators in situations where an institution becomes “significantly” or “critically” undercapitalized or fails to submit a capital restoration plan. For example, a bank holding company controlling such an institution can be required to obtain prior Federal Reserve approval of proposed distributions, or might be required to consent to a merger or to divest the troubled institution or other affiliates. Because the Bank currently qualifies as “well capitalized”, we are not subject to the capital plan guarantee requirement of the FDICIA.

State Law Restrictions . As a Wisconsin corporation, we are subject to certain limitations and restrictions under the WBCL. For example, state law restrictions in Wisconsin include limitations and restrictions relating to indemnification of directors, distributions to shareholders, transactions involving directors, officers or interested shareholders, maintenance of books, records, minutes and observance of certain corporate formalities.

Supervision and Regulation of the Bank

General . As a Wisconsin state-chartered bank that is not a member of the Federal Reserve system, the Bank is subject to supervision, periodic examination and regulation by the FDIC and the WDFI. The regulations of the FDIC and the WDFI affect virtually all of the Bank’s activities, including the minimum level of capital, the ability to pay dividends, mergers and acquisitions, borrowing and the ability to expand through new branches or acquisitions and various other matters.

Deposit Insurance . Customer deposits with the Bank are insured up to applicable limits by the DIF, which is administered by the FDIC. The DIF is funded with insurance premiums paid by insured depository institutions. The FDIC utilizes a risk-based assessment system that imposes insurance premiums based upon a risk matrix that takes into account a bank’s capital level and supervisory rating. Risk Category I is the lowest risk category, while Risk Category IV is the highest risk category. The specific Risk Category to which banks are assigned is considered by the FDIC to be confidential nonpublic information and may not be disclosed by banks.

 

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In 2010, the Dodd-Frank Act revised the statutory authorities governing the FDIC’s management of the DIF. Among other things, the Dodd-Frank Act (1) raised the minimum fund reserve ratio from 1.15% to 1.35%, (2) required the fund reserve ratio to reach 1.35% by September 30, 2020, (3) eliminated the requirement that the FDIC provide dividends from the DIF when the reserve ratio is between 1.35% and 1.5%, (4) removed the 1.5% cap on the reserve ratio, (5) granted the FDIC sole discretion in determining whether to suspend or limit the declaration or payment of dividends, and (6) changed the assessment base for banks from insured deposits to the average consolidated total assets of the bank minus the average tangible equity of the bank during the assessment period. In December 2010, the FDIC adopted a new restoration plan, pursuant to which, among other things, the FDIC (i) eliminated the uniform three basis point increase in initial assessment rates that were scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2011, (ii) pursued further rulemaking in 2011 regarding the method used to offset the effect on banks with less than $10 billion in assets of the requirement that the reserve ratio reach 1.35% and (iii) at least semiannually, will update its projections for the DIF and increase or decrease assessment rates, if needed. In February 2011, the FDIC adopted final rules to implement the dividend provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act, changed the assessment base and set new assessment rates. In addition, as part of its final rules, the FDIC made certain assessment rate adjustments by (a) altering the unsecured debt adjustment by adding an adjustment for long-term debt issued by another insured depository institution and (b) eliminating the secured liability adjustment, and changing the brokered deposit adjustment to conform to the change in the assessment base. The new assessment rates became effective April 1, 2011. The new initial base assessment rates range from 5 to 9 basis points for Risk Category I banks to 35 basis points for Risk Category IV banks. Risk Category II and III banks have an initial base assessment rate of 14 and 23 basis points, respectively.

The FDIC may further increase or decrease the assessment rate schedule in order to manage the DIF to prescribed statutory target levels. An increase in the Risk Category for the Bank or in the assessment rates could have an adverse effect on the Bank’s earnings. The FDIC may terminate deposit insurance if it determines the institution involved has engaged in or is engaging in unsafe or unsound banking practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition, or has violated applicable laws, regulations or orders. In the case of a Wisconsin state-chartered bank, the termination of deposit insurance would result in the revocation of its charter. Management is not aware of any existing circumstances which would result in termination of the Bank’s deposit insurance.

In addition, all institutions with deposits insured by the FDIC are required to pay assessments to fund interest payments on bonds issued by the Financing Corporation, or FICO, a mixed-ownership government corporation established to recapitalize a predecessor to the DIF. The current annualized assessment rate is 0.62 basis points, which is adjusted quarterly. These assessments will continue until the FICO bonds mature in 2017 through 2019.

Branching. The Bank has the authority under Wisconsin law to establish branches anywhere in the State of Wisconsin, subject to receipt of all required regulatory approvals. Federal law permits state and national banks to merge with banks in other states subject to: (1) regulatory approval; (2) federal and state deposit concentration limits; and (3) state law limitations requiring the merging bank to have been in existence for a minimum period of time (not to exceed five years) prior to the merger. The establishment of new interstate branches or the acquisition of individual branches of a bank in another state (rather than the acquisition of an out-of-state bank in its entirety) has historically been permitted only in those states the laws of which expressly authorize such expansion. After the Dodd-Frank Act, however, we can establish branch offices outside of Wisconsin, subject to prior regulatory approval, so long as the laws of the state where the branch is to be located would permit a state bank chartered in that state to establish a branch.

Dividends . There are state and federal requirements limiting the amount of dividends which the Bank may pay. Under Wisconsin banking law, the Bank generally may not pay dividends in excess of its undivided profits. If dividends declared and paid in either of the two immediately preceding years exceeded net income for either of those two years respectively, the Bank may not declare or pay any dividend in the current year that exceeds year-to-date net income, except with the written consent of the WDFI.

 

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The payment of dividends by any financial institution is affected by the requirement to maintain adequate capital pursuant to applicable capital adequacy guidelines and regulations, and a financial institution generally is prohibited from paying any dividends if, following payment thereof, the institution would be undercapitalized. Notwithstanding the availability of funds for dividends, however, the FDIC or WDFI may prohibit the payment of any dividends by banks they regulate if the FDIC or the WDFI determines such payment would constitute an unsafe or unsound practice. The Bank is not currently subject to any prohibitions by the FDIC or WDFI on the payment of dividends.

Capital Adequacy Guidelines . The FDIC has promulgated risk-based capital guidelines similar to, and with the same underlying purposes as, those established by the Federal Reserve with respect to bank holding companies. Under those guidelines, bank assets and off-balance sheet items are assigned to broad risk categories, each with appropriate weights. The resulting capital ratios represent capital as a percentage of total risk-weighted assets and off-balance sheet items.

Current Guidelines . Under the FDIC’s risk-based capital guidelines, bank assets are given risk-weights of 0%, 20%, 50%, 100% and 200%. Certain assets, such as cash and U.S. Treasury securities, have a zero risk weighting. Others, such as commercial or consumer loans, and certain investments rated one category below investment grade, have a 100% and a 200% risk weighting, respectively. Some assets, notably purchase-money loans secured by first-liens on residential real property, are risk weighted at 50%. Assets also include amounts that represent the potential funding of off-balance sheet obligations such as loan commitments and letters of credit. These potential assets are assigned to risk categories in the same manner as funded-assets. The total assets in each category are multiplied by the appropriate risk weighting to determine risk-adjusted assets for the capital calculations.

The minimum ratio of total capital to risk-weighted assets required by FDIC regulations (including certain off-balance sheet activities, such as standby letters of credit) is 8%. At least 4% of total capital must be “Tier 1 capital,” consisting of common shareholders’ equity and qualifying preferred stock, less certain intangible assets. The remainder, or “Tier 2 capital,” may consist of, among other things, (1) the allowance for loan losses of up to 1.25% of risk weighted assets, (2) unrealized gains on certain equity securities, (3) non-qualifying preferred stock, (4) hybrid capital instruments, and (5) qualifying subordinated debt and intermediate-term preferred stock up to 50% of Tier 1 capital. Total capital is the sum of Tier 1 and Tier 2 capital less reciprocal holdings of other banking organizations’ capital instruments, investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries and any other deductions as determined by the FDIC.

In addition to the risk-based capital guidelines, the FDIC has adopted a minimum Tier 1 capital (leverage) ratio, under which a bank must maintain a minimum level of Tier 1 capital to average total consolidated assets. For a bank that has the highest regulatory examination rating and is not contemplating significant growth or expansion, the leverage ratio must be at least 3%; all other banks are expected to maintain a leverage ratio of at least 4%.

Prompt Corrective Action . Under Section 38 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, or FDIA, each federal banking agency is required to implement a system of prompt corrective action for institutions that it regulates. The federal banking agencies (including the FDIC) have adopted substantially similar regulations to implement this mandate. Under the regulations, a bank is (1) “well capitalized” if it has total risk-based capital of 10% or more, has a Tier 1 risk-based ratio of 6% or more, has a Tier 1 leverage capital ratio of 5% or more and is not subject to any order or final capital directive to meet and maintain a specific capital level for any capital measure, (2) “adequately capitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of 8% or more, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 4% or more and a Tier 1 leverage capital ratio of 4% or more (3% under certain circumstances) and does not meet the definition of “well capitalized”, (3) “undercapitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio that is less than 8%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio that is less than 4% or a Tier 1 leverage capital ratio that is less than 4% (3% under certain circumstances), (4) “significantly undercapitalized” if it has a total risk-based ratio that is less than 6%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio that is less than 3% or a Tier 1 leverage capital ratio that is less than 3%, and (5) “critically undercapitalized” if it has a ratio of tangible equity to total assets that is equal to or less than 2%.

 

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The capital classification of a bank affects the frequency of regulatory examinations, the bank’s ability to engage in certain activities and the deposit insurance premiums paid by the bank. In addition, federal banking regulators must take various mandatory supervisory actions, and may take other discretionary actions, with respect to institutions in the three undercapitalized categories. The severity of the action depends upon the capital category in which the institution is placed. An institution that is categorized as undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized or critically undercapitalized is required to submit an acceptable capital restoration plan to its appropriate federal banking agency. An undercapitalized institution also is generally prohibited from increasing its average total assets, making acquisitions, establishing any branches or engaging in any new line of business, except under an accepted capital restoration plan or with FDIC approval. Generally, banking regulators must appoint a receiver or conservator for an institution that is critically undercapitalized.

Section 38 of the FDIA and the regulations promulgated thereunder also specify circumstances under which the FDIC may reclassify a well-capitalized bank as adequately capitalized and may require an adequately capitalized bank or an undercapitalized bank to comply with supervisory actions as if it were in the next lower category (except that the FDIC may not reclassify a significantly undercapitalized bank as critically undercapitalized).

On September 30 2014, the Bank qualified as “well capitalized” with total risk-based capital, Tier 1 risk-based capital and Tier 1 leverage capital ratios of 17.84%, 16.58% and 13.74%, respectively.

Basel III . In December 2010, the Basel Committee released a final framework for a strengthened set of capital requirements, known as Basel III. In early July 2013, each of the U.S. federal banking agencies adopted final rules implementing the Basel III regulatory capital reforms. The capital framework under Basel III will replace the existing regulatory capital rules for all banks, savings associations and U.S. bank holding companies with greater than $500 million in total assets, and all savings and loan holding companies.

The final Basel III rules became effective on January 1, 2014. However, the Company and the Bank will not be required to be in compliance with the final Basel III rules until January 1, 2015, and the rules will not be fully phased-in until January 1, 2019. Among other things, the final Basel III rules will impact regulatory capital ratios of banking organizations in the following manner, when fully phased in:

 

    Create a new requirement to maintain a ratio of common equity Tier 1 capital to total risk-weighted assets of not less than 4.5%;

 

    Increase the minimum leverage capital ratio to 4% for all banking organizations (currently 3% for certain banking organizations);

 

    Increase the minimum Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio from 4% to 6%; and

 

    Maintain the minimum total risk-based capital ratio at 8%.

In addition, the final Basel III rules, when fully phased in, will subject a banking organization to certain limitations on capital distributions and discretionary bonus payments to executive officers if the organization did not maintain a capital conservation buffer of common equity Tier 1 capital in an amount greater than 2.5% of its total risk-weighted assets. The effect of the capital conservation buffer, when fully phased in, will be to increase the minimum common equity Tier 1 capital ratio to 7%, the minimum Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio to 8.5% and the minimum total risk-based capital ratio to 10.5%, for banking organizations seeking to avoid the limitations on capital distributions and discretionary bonus payments to executive officers.

The final Basel III rules will also change the capital categories for insured depository institutions for purposes of prompt corrective action. Under the final rules, to be “well capitalized,” an insured depository institution will be required to maintain a minimum common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of at least 6.5%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of at least 8%, a total risk-based capital ratio of at least 10.0%, and a leverage capital ratio of at least 5%. In addition, the final Basel III rules establish more conservative standards for including an instrument in regulatory capital and impose certain deductions from and adjustments to the measure of common equity Tier 1 capital.

 

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We are currently reviewing the ultimate impact of the final Basel III capital standards on the Company and the Bank. However, we expect that we and the Bank will meet all minimum capital requirements when effective.

These provisions, as well as any other aspects of current or proposed regulatory or legislative changes to laws applicable to the financial industry, may impact the profitability of our business activities and may change certain of our business practices, including the ability to offer new products, obtain financing, attract deposits, make loans, and achieve satisfactory interest spreads, and could expose us to additional costs, including increased compliance costs. These changes also may require us to invest significant management attention and resources to make any necessary changes to operations in order to comply, and could therefore also materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Community Reinvestment Act . The Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, or CRA, requires depository institutions to assist in meeting the credit needs of their market areas consistent with safe and sound banking practice. Under the CRA, each depository institution is required to help meet the credit needs of its market areas by, among other things, providing credit to low- and moderate-income individuals and communities. These factors are also considered in evaluating mergers, acquisitions and applications to open a branch or facility. The applicable federal regulators regularly conduct CRA examinations to assess the performance of financial institutions and assign one of four ratings to the institution’s records of meeting the credit needs of its community. During its last examination, the Bank received a rating of “Satisfactory.”

State Bank Investments and Activities . The Bank is permitted to make investments and engage in activities directly or through subsidiaries as authorized by Wisconsin law. However, under federal law and FDIC regulations, FDIC-insured state banks are prohibited, subject to certain exceptions, from making or retaining equity investments of a type, or in an amount, that are not permissible for a national bank. Federal law and FDIC regulations also prohibit FDIC-insured state banks and their subsidiaries, subject to certain exceptions, from engaging as principal in any activity that is not permitted for a national bank unless the bank meets, and continues to meet, its minimum regulatory capital requirements and the FDIC determines the activity would not pose a significant risk to the deposit insurance fund of which the bank is a member. These restrictions have not had, and are not currently expected to have, a material impact on the operations of the Bank.

Loans to One Borrower . Under Wisconsin law, the Bank’s total loans and extensions of credit and leases to one person is limited to 20% of the Bank’s capital (as defined under Section 221.0102 of the Wisconsin Statutes), subject to several exceptions.

Examinations . The Bank is examined from time to time by its primary federal banking regulator, the FDIC, and the WDFI, and is charged the cost of such examinations. Based upon an examination, the FDIC and the WDFI may revalue the Bank’s assets and require that it establish specific reserves to compensate for the difference between the value determined by the regulator and the book value of the assets.

Federal Home Loan Bank System . The Bank is a member of the FHLB System, which consists of 12 regional FHLBs. The FHLBs provide a credit reserve and other services for their member institutions. The Bank, as a member of the FHLB-Chicago, is required to hold shares of capital stock in that FHLB.

Limitations on Transactions with Affiliates . Transactions between a bank and any affiliate are governed by Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act and Regulation W promulgated thereunder. An affiliate of a bank includes any company or entity which controls the bank or that is controlled by a company that controls the bank. In a holding company context, the parent holding company of a bank (such as the Company) and any companies which are controlled by such parent holding company are affiliates of the bank. Generally, Section 23A limits the extent to which the bank or its subsidiaries may engage in “covered transactions” with any one affiliate to an aggregate amount equal to 10% of such bank’s capital stock and surplus, with all such transactions with all affiliates in the aggregate limited to an amount equal to 20% of such capital stock and surplus. Section 23B applies to “covered transactions” as well as certain other transactions and requires that all transactions be on

 

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terms, including credit standards, substantially the same, or at least as favorable, to the bank or subsidiary as those provided to a non-affiliate. The term “covered transaction” includes the making of loans to, the purchase of assets from, or the issuance of a guarantee to, an affiliate as well as similar transactions. Section 23B transactions also include the provision of services and the sale of assets by a bank to an affiliate.

In addition, Sections 22(g) and (h) of the Federal Reserve Act place restrictions on loans to executive officers, directors and principal shareholders, and the FDIC has adopted regulations applying similar restrictions to banks that are not members of the Federal Reserve. Under Section 22(h), loans to a director, an executive officer and a greater than 10% shareholder of a bank, and certain affiliated interests of either, may not exceed, together with all other outstanding loans to such person and affiliated interests, the bank’s loans to one borrower limit (generally equal to 15% of the bank’s unimpaired capital and surplus). Section 22(h) also requires that loans to directors, executive officers and principal shareholders be made on substantially the same terms (including interest rates and collateral) as those prevailing at the time for comparable transactions to persons not covered by Section 22(h) and not involve more than the normal risk of repayment or present other unfavorable features. Section 22(h) also requires prior board approval for certain loans. In addition, the aggregate amount of extensions of credit by a bank to all insiders cannot exceed the bank’s unimpaired capital and surplus. Section 22(g) also places additional restrictions on loans to executive officers.

Standards for Safety and Soundness . The FDIC has established safety and soundness standards applicable to banks regarding such matters as internal controls, loan documentation, credit underwriting, interest-rate risk exposure, asset growth, compensation and other benefits, and asset quality and earnings. If a bank were to fail to meet these standards, the FDIC could require it to submit a written compliance plan describing the steps the bank would take to correct the situation and the time within which such steps will be taken. The FDIC has authority to issue orders to secure adherence to the safety and soundness standards.

Financial Privacy . In accordance with the GLBA, federal bank regulators adopted rules that limit the ability of banks and other financial institutions to disclose non-public information about consumers to nonaffiliated third parties. These limitations require disclosure of privacy policies to consumers and, in some circumstances, allow consumers to prevent disclosure of certain personal information to a nonaffiliated third party. The privacy provisions of the GLBA affect how consumer information is transmitted through diversified financial companies and conveyed to outside vendors.

Anti-Money Laundering . A federal law commonly known as the Patriot Act is designed to deny terrorists and criminals the ability to obtain access to the U.S. financial system and has significant implications for depository institutions, brokers, dealers and other businesses involved in the transfer of money. The Patriot Act mandates financial services companies to have policies and procedures designed to detect, prevent and report money laundering and terrorist financing and to verify the identity of their customers. Failure by a financial institution to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, or to comply with the Patriot Act and other relevant anti-money laundering laws and regulations, could have serious legal and reputational consequences for the institution.

Office of Foreign Assets Control Regulation . The United States has imposed economic sanctions that affect transactions with designated foreign countries, nationals and others. These are typically known as the “OFAC” rules based on their administration by the U.S. Treasury’s Department Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC. The OFAC-administered sanctions targeting countries take many different forms. Generally, however, they contain one or more of the following elements: (1) restrictions on trade with or investment in a sanctioned country, including prohibitions against direct or indirect imports from and exports to a sanctioned country and prohibitions on a “U.S. person” engaging in financial transactions relating to making investments in, or providing investment-related advice or assistance to, a sanctioned country; and (2) a blocking of assets in which the government or specially designated nationals of the sanctioned country have an interest by prohibiting transfers of property subject to U.S. jurisdiction (including property in the possession or control of U.S. persons). Blocked assets (e.g., property and bank deposits) cannot be paid out, withdrawn, set off or transferred in any manner without a license from OFAC. Failure to comply with these sanctions could have serious legal and reputational consequences.

 

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Other Laws and Regulations . The Bank’s loan operations are subject to federal laws applicable to credit transactions, such as:

 

    the federal Truth-In-Lending Act, governing disclosures of credit terms to consumer borrowers;

 

    the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of 1975, requiring financial institutions to provide information to enable the public and public officials to determine whether a financial institution is fulfilling its obligations to help meet the housing needs of the community it serves;

 

    the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, creed, or other prohibited factors in extending credit;

 

    the Fair Credit Reporting Act of 1978, governing the use and provision of information to credit reporting agencies;

 

    the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, governing the manner in which consumer debts may be collected by collection agencies; and

 

    the rules and regulations of various federal agencies charged with the responsibility of implementing these federal laws.

The deposit operations of the Bank are subject to:

 

    the Right to Financial Privacy Act, which imposes a duty to maintain confidentiality of consumer financial records and prescribes procedures for complying with administrative subpoenas of financial records; and

 

    the Electronic Funds Transfer Act, and Regulation E issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to implement that act, which govern automatic deposits to and withdrawals from deposit accounts and customers’ rights and liabilities arising from the use of automated teller machines and other electronic banking services.

Guidance on Sound Incentive Compensation Policies

The federal banking agencies have issued comprehensive guidance on incentive compensation policies. This guidance is designed to ensure that a financial institution’s incentive compensation structure does not encourage imprudent risk-taking, which may undermine the safety and soundness of the institution. The guidance, which applies to all employees that have the ability to materially affect an institution’s risk profile, either individually or as part of a group, is based upon three primary principles: (1) balanced risk-taking incentives, (2) compatibility with effective controls and risk management, and (3) strong corporate governance.

An institution’s supervisory ratings will incorporate any identified deficiencies in an institution’s compensation practices, and it may be subject to an enforcement action if the incentive compensation arrangements pose a risk to the safety and soundness of the institution. Further, a provision of the Basel III capital requirements described above would limit discretionary bonus payments to bank executives if the institution’s regulatory capital ratios fail to exceed certain thresholds.

Monetary Policy and Economic Environment

The policies of regulatory authorities, including the monetary policy of the Federal Reserve, have a significant effect on the operating results of bank holding companies and their subsidiaries. Among the means available to the Federal Reserve to affect the money supply are open market operations in United States Government securities, changes in the discount rate on member bank borrowings, and changes in reserve requirements against member bank deposits. These means are used in varying combinations to influence overall growth and distribution of bank loans, investments and deposits, and their use may affect interest rates charged on loans or paid on deposits. The Federal Reserve’s monetary policies have materially affected the operating results of commercial banks in the past and are expected to continue to do so in the future. The nature of future monetary policies and the effect of these policies on the Company’s business and earnings cannot be predicted.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

General

We are a corporation organized under Chapter 180 of the WBCL. The following summary description of our capital stock is qualified in its entirety by reference to the WBCL, Wisconsin and federal banking and bank holding company laws, and our amended and restated articles of incorporation and the amended and restated bylaws (hereinafter, articles of incorporation and bylaws, respectively).

Common Stock

Our articles of incorporation presently authorize 50,000,000 shares of $0.01 par value common stock, of which 4,463,790 are currently outstanding. Upon completion of the offering, there will be             shares of common stock issued and outstanding.

Voting Rights . Each share of common stock is entitled to one vote per share on all matters with respect to which shareholders are entitled to vote. Under our articles of incorporation and the WBCL, shareholder approval is required for various matters, including the election of directors, and other “extraordinary” corporate decisions and transactions, such as the authorization of additional common stock for certain changes of corporate name, a merger with another company, the dissolution of the Company, or a sale of substantially all of our assets. Our articles of incorporation and bylaws provide for a classified board of directors consisting of two to three classes, as nearly equal as possible, with each class serving staggered three year terms.

Dividends . Subject to the rights and preferences of any shares of preferred stock that have been issued or might be issued in the future, holders of shares of common stock are entitled to receive such dividends as may be declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available for that purpose.

Liquidation . In the event of the liquidation or dissolution of the Company, each holder of common stock would be entitled to recover, after payment of all of the Company’s debts and liabilities, and subject to any liquidation preferences established for any shares of preferred stock that are outstanding or might be issued in the future, a pro rata portion of all assets of the Company available for distribution to holders of common stock.

Rights and Preferences . Holders of our common stock have no preemptive, conversion or subscription rights, and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our common stock. The rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of our common stock are subject to and may be adversely affected by the rights of the holders of shares of any series of our preferred stock that we may designate in the future.

Fully Paid and Nonassessable . All outstanding shares of our common stock are fully paid and non-assessable, and the shares of common stock to be issued upon completion of this offering will be fully paid and non-assessable.

Series A Preferred Stock

Previously, the Company had issued Series A Preferred Stock. However, all shares of Series A Preferred Stock were subsequently redeemed and the class was extinguished.

Series B Nonvoting Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock

Our articles of incorporation presently authorize 15,000 shares of Series B Nonvoting Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, also referred to as Series B Preferred Stock. As of the date of this offering, 8,000 shares of Series B Preferred Stock are outstanding.

Voting Rights . Shares of Series B Preferred Stock are not entitled to any voting rights, except for those voting rights that may not be denied under the WBCL. Under the WBCL, Series B Preferred Stock would be

 

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entitled to vote on, among other items, increases and decreases in the number of authorized shares of Series B Preferred Stock, any change that is prejudicial to the holders of outstanding Series B Preferred Stock, and any exchange or reclassification of all or part of the shares of Series B Preferred Stock into shares of another class.

Dividends . Shares of Series B Preferred Stock are entitled to non-cumulative dividends equal to the sum of the “Prime rate of interest” (the highest quoted base rate on corporate loans at large U.S. money center commercial Bank) and 0.50%, but in no case will the dividend rate be less than 4.00% per annum. Dividends payable with respect to Series B Preferred Stock have no preference in right of payment over dividends payable with respect to common stock or any other class or series of our capital stock.

Liquidation and Rank . In the event of a liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the Company, holders of shares of Series B Preferred Stock would be entitled to receive $1,000 per share of Series B Preferred Stock, plus any declared but unpaid dividend from the preceding quarter, and any unpaid and accumulated quarterly dividend prorated from the first day of the calendar quarter in which the liquidation, dissolution, or winding up occurs to the effective date of such liquidation or dissolution. Shares of Series B Preferred Stock are entitled to this payment upon liquidation or dissolution before any payment can be made or any assets distributed to the holders of common stock or any other class or series of our capital stock.

Conversion . Each share of Series B Preferred Stock is convertible into share(s) of common stock upon the occurrence of one of two events: (i) the Company fails to pay a quarterly dividend in full within 15 calendar days of the applicable payment date on eight separate occasions, or (ii) the Company pays a dividend on any other class or series of common or preferred stock after it has omitted payment of four dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock. The conversion feature on the Series B Preferred Stock is triggered regardless of whether (i) the omitted dividends occur with respect to consecutive or non-consecutive payment dates, or (ii) subsequent to the 15 th calendar day referred to in this paragraph the Company pays such dividend. When converted, each share of Series B Preferred Stock will be exchanged for that number of shares of common stock having an aggregate value equal to the sum of (i) $1,000, (ii) any declared but unpaid dividend from the preceding quarter, and (iii) the unpaid and accumulated quarterly dividend prorated from the first day of the calendar quarter in which the conversion right was exercised to the issuance of the common stock. For purposes of converting Series B Preferred Stock, the per-share value of the common stock would be the most recent per-share appraised value of the common stock on an undiluted basis. However, if no appraisal has been performed within the 18 months next preceding the date of valuation, then the per share value of the common stock is calculated by multiplying the ratio that the most recent per-share appraised value bears to per-share book value as of the date of such appraisal, by per share book value based on our audited financial statements as of the year-end next preceding the year in which the valuation occurs. Any holder of Series B Preferred Stock who exercises conversion rights is required to exercise such rights as to all of the holder’s shares of Series B Preferred Stock. However, the amount of common stock issued to any individual can never exceed 10% or more of the then-issued and outstanding shares of common stock, unless any required regulatory approval is obtained; provided, however, that in lieu of seeking and obtaining such regulatory approval, such holder of Series B Preferred Stock may elect to convert only a portion of the share of Series B Preferred Stock held, and shall retain ownership of the remainder and have an ongoing right to exercise the conversion right to those remaining shares of Series B Preferred Stock.

Redemption . Subject to approval by the Federal Reserve, but otherwise at our election and in our exclusive discretion, we have the right to redeem any or all of the shares of Series B Preferred Stock upon 30 days’ notice to the holder(s) of such shares. Upon redemption, each share of Series B Preferred Stock would be exchanged for (i) one-thousand dollars ($1,000), (ii) any declared but unpaid quarterly dividend, and (iii) the unpaid and accumulated quarterly dividend prorated for the then current calendar quarter.

Fully Paid and Non-Assessable. The outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock are fully paid and non-assessable.

 

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Series C Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock

The Company has 15,000 shares of Series C Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, also referred to as the SBLF Preferred Stock, authorized and outstanding. The SBLF Preferred Stock was issued to the U.S. Treasury on August 23, 2011 as part of the federal government’s SBLF Program.

Voting Rights . The SBLF Preferred Stock is nonvoting, other than for “extraordinary” corporate decisions and transactions, such as consent rights with respect to any authorization or issuance of shares ranking senior to the shares, any amendment to the rights of the SBLF Preferred Stock, or any merger or share exchange that affects the rights of the holders of SBLF Preferred Stock.

Dividends . The SBLF Preferred Stock pays a contractual dividend rate of between 1.00% and 9.00% depending on the amount of qualified small business lending the Bank engages in and the amount of time the SBLF Preferred Stock remains outstanding. As of the date hereof, the Series Preferred Stock is paying a dividend rate of 1.00%. In the first quarter of 2016, regardless of the levels of small business lending at the Bank, the dividend rate will increase to 9.00% until such time as the SBLF Preferred Stock is redeemed.

Liquidation and Rank. Upon liquidation of the Company, holders of SBLF Preferred Stock would be entitled to receive a liquidation amount equal to $1,000 per share, plus any unpaid dividends. This interest has priority over the interest of holders of the Company’s common stock. This means holders of SBLF Preferred Stock would be entitled to payment in full before common shareholders would be able to share proportionally in the remaining equity of the Company.

Redemption . The SBLF Preferred Stock may be redeemed in whole or in part (in 25% increments) at any time at the option of the Company, subject to approval by the appropriate federal banking agencies.

Fully Paid and Non-Assessable . The outstanding shares of SBLF Preferred Stock are fully paid and non-assessable.

Preferred Stock—Not Classified

Our articles of incorporation authorize 570,000 shares of Preferred Stock that is not classified, par value $0.01 per share. Our board of directors is authorized to issue from time to time, without shareholder authorization, in one or more designated series, shares of preferred stock out of the shares designated as Preferred Stock with such dividend, redemption, exchange, conversion and voting rights as may be specified in the particular series. In the event of a liquidation or dissolution of the Company, the issued shares of preferred stock would have priority over common stock to receive the amount specified in each particular series out of the remaining assets of the Company; however, such shares of preferred stock could rank senior, junior or equal to Series B Preferred Stock and our SBLF Preferred Stock in this regard. Additionally, the board of directors has authority, to the maximum extent permitted by Wisconsin law, to fix and determine the relative rights and preferences of each series of preferred stock. The issuance of one or more additional series of preferred stock could have an adverse effect on certain rights, including voting rights, of the holders of common stock. We have no current plan or intention to issue additional shares of preferred stock.

Transfer Agent

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is [ ].

NASDAQ Global Market

We have applied to have our common stock approved for listing on the NASDAQ Global Market under the trading symbol “ICBK.”

 

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Anti-Takeover Effect of Governing Documents and Applicable Law

Certain provisions of our articles of incorporation and bylaws and of the WBCL discussed below may delay or make more difficult acquisitions or changes of control of the Company unless they are approved by the board of directors. These provisions could have the effect of discouraging third parties from making proposals which shareholders may otherwise consider to be in their best interests. These provisions may also make it more difficult for third parties to replace our current management without the concurrence of the board of directors.

Management of the Company may consider proposing additional provisions, either by way of amendments to the articles of incorporation or bylaws, or otherwise, for adoption at a shareholders’ meeting, which could contain further limitations on unsolicited takeover attempts. The Company presently has no proposals under consideration for additional antitakeover provisions.

Provisions of governing documents

Number of Directors; Vacancies; Removal. Our board of directors is divided into three classes serving staggered three-year terms. As a result, at least two shareholders’ meetings will generally be required for shareholders to change a majority of the directors. The board of directors is authorized to create new directorships and to fill the positions it creates. The board of directors (or its remaining members, even though less than a quorum) is also empowered to fill vacancies on the board of directors occurring for any reason. Any director appointed to fill a vacancy or to a newly created directorship will hold office until the next election for the class of directors to which the new director has been appointed. Shareholders may remove directors for cause at a special shareholders’ meeting called for that purpose at which a quorum is present and a majority of the votes are cast in favor of removal of the director. These provisions of the articles of incorporation could prevent shareholders from removing incumbent directors without cause and filling the resulting vacancies with their own nominees. Our bylaws provide that no director will be appointed if the term for which he or she is elected or appointed will begin on or after such person’s seventieth birthday. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any director who attains age 70 while serving on our board will be permitted to serve for the remainder of his or her then-current term.

Special Meetings . Our bylaws provide that shareholders may act at a meeting of shareholders. The chairman of the board, the president or the board of directors may call special meetings of shareholders and are required to call special meetings upon written demand by holders of common stock with at least 10% of the votes entitled to be cast at the special meeting.

Amendments to the Articles of Incorporation . The WBCL allows amendments to the articles of incorporation at any time to add or change a provision that is required or permitted to be included in a corporation’s articles of incorporation or to delete a provision that is not required to be included in the articles of incorporation. The board of directors may propose one or more amendments to our articles of incorporation for submission to shareholders and may condition its submission of the proposed amendment on any basis if the board of directors notifies each shareholder, whether or not entitled to vote, of the related shareholders’ meeting and includes certain information regarding the proposed amendment in that meeting notice.

Amendments to the Bylaws . The shareholders may amend or repeal the existing bylaws and adopt new bylaws by a majority vote of the shareholders in attendance and constituting a quorum at a shareholders’ meeting. The bylaws also provide that the board of directors may amend or repeal the existing bylaws and adopt new bylaws by the vote of at least a majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present. However, the board of directors may not amend, repeal or readopt any bylaw adopted by shareholders if that bylaw so provides, and the board of directors may not amend or repeal a bylaw adopted or amended by shareholders that fixes a greater or lower quorum requirement or a greater voting requirement for the board of directors than otherwise is provided in the WBCL, unless the bylaws expressly provide that it may be amended or repealed by a specified vote of the board of directors. Further, a bylaw that fixes a greater or lower quorum requirement or a greater voting requirement for shareholders or voting groups of shareholders than otherwise is

 

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provided in the WBCL may not be adopted, amended or repealed by the board of directors. Action by the board of directors that changes the quorum or voting requirement for the board of directors must meet the same quorum requirement and be adopted by the same vote required to take action under the quorum and voting requirement then in effect, except where a different voting requirement is specified in the bylaws. In addition, the board of directors may not amend, alter or repeal a bylaw if the articles of incorporation, the particular bylaw or the WBCL reserve this power exclusively to the shareholders.

Ability to Issue Preferred Stock . As of the date of this offering, the board of directors has the authority to issue up to 570,000 shares of $0.01 par value preferred stock and has the power to issue those shares in one or more series and fix the designations, rights, preferences, and limitations of each series. This could allow the board of directors to designate a new class of preferred stock with conversion or voting rights that make an unsolicited takeover attempt far less likely.

Bank Regulatory Requirements

The ability of a third party to acquire our stock is also limited under applicable U.S. banking laws, including regulatory approval requirements. The BHCA requires any “bank holding company” to obtain the approval of the Federal Reserve before acquiring, directly or indirectly, more than 5% of our outstanding common stock. Any “company,” as defined in the BHCA, other than a bank holding company is required to obtain the approval of the Federal Reserve before acquiring “control” of us. “Control” generally means (i) the ownership or control of 25% or more of a class of voting securities, (ii) the ability to elect a majority of the directors or (iii) the ability otherwise to exercise a controlling influence over management and policies. A person, other than an individual, that controls us for purposes of the BHCA is subject to regulation and supervision as a bank holding company under the BHCA. In addition, under the Change in Bank Control Act of 1978, as amended, and the Federal Reserve’s regulations thereunder, any person, either individually or acting through or in concert with one or more persons, is required to provide notice to the Federal Reserve prior to acquiring, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of our outstanding common stock (or any other class of our voting securities).

Wisconsin Antitakeover Statutes

Wisconsin Business Combination Statutes . We are subject to Sections 180.1140 to 180.1144 of the WBCL, which prohibit a Wisconsin corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an interested stockholder for a period of three years following the interested stockholder’s stock acquisition date, unless before such date, the board of directors of the corporation approved either the business combination or the purchase of stock made by the interested stockholder on that stock acquisition date.

We may engage in a business combination with an interested shareholder after the expiration of the three-year period with respect to such shareholder only if one or more of the following is satisfied:

 

    our board of directors approved the acquisition of stock before such shareholder’s acquisition date;

 

    the business combination is approved by a majority of the outstanding voting stock not beneficially owned by such shareholder; or

 

    the consideration to be received by shareholders meets certain fair price requirements of the statute with respect to form and amount.

Section 180.1140 defines a business combination between a “resident domestic corporation” and an “interested stockholder” to include the following:

 

    a merger or share exchange with an interested stockholder or a corporation that is, or after the merger or share exchange would be, an affiliate or associate of an interested stockholder;

 

    a sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other disposition of assets to or with an interested shareholder or affiliate or associate of an interested shareholder equal to 5% or more of the aggregate market value of the assets or outstanding stock of the resident domestic corporation or 10% of its earning power or income;

 

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    the issuance or transfer of stock or rights to purchase stock with an aggregate market value equal to 5% or more of the outstanding stock of the resident domestic corporation; and

 

    certain other transactions involving an interested stockholder.

Section 180.1140(8)(a) defines an “interested stockholder” as a person who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, at least 10% of the voting power of the outstanding voting stock of a resident domestic corporation or who is an affiliate or associate of the resident domestic corporation and beneficially owned at least 10% of the voting power of the then outstanding voting stock within the last three years.

Section 180.1140(9)(a) defines a “resident domestic corporation” as a Wisconsin corporation that, as of the relevant date, satisfies any of the following: (i) its principal offices are located in Wisconsin, (ii) it has significant business operations located in Wisconsin, (iii) more than 10% of the holders of record of its shares are residents of Wisconsin or (iv) more than 10% of its shares are held of record by residents in Wisconsin. Following the closing of this offering we will be a resident domestic corporation for purposes of these statutory provisions.

Wisconsin Fair Price Statute . Sections 180.1130 to 180.1133 of the WBCL provide that certain mergers, share exchanges or sales, leases, exchanges or other dispositions of assets in a transaction involving a “significant shareholder” require a supermajority vote of shareholders in addition to any approval otherwise required, unless shareholders receive a fair price for their shares that satisfies a statutory formula. A “significant shareholder” for this purpose is defined as a person or group who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of the voting stock of the corporation, or is an affiliate of the corporation and beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of the voting stock of the corporation within the last two years. Any business combination to which the statute applies must be approved by 80% of the voting power of the corporation’s stock and at least two-thirds of the voting power of the corporation’s stock not beneficially owned by the significant shareholder who is a party to the relevant transaction or any of its affiliates or associates, in each case voting together as a single group, unless the following standards have been met:

 

    the aggregate value of the per share consideration is at least equal to the highest of:

 

    the highest per share price paid for any shares of the same class of common stock of the corporation by the significant shareholder either in the transaction in which it became a significant shareholder or within two years before the date of the business combination, whichever is higher;

 

    the market value per share of the same class of the corporation’s common stock on the date of commencement of any tender offer by the significant shareholder, the date on which the person became a significant shareholder or the date of the first public announcement of the proposed business combination, whichever is higher; or

 

    the highest preferential amount per share of the same class or series of common stock in a liquidation or dissolution to which holders of the shares would be entitled; and

 

    either cash, or the form of consideration used by the significant shareholder to acquire the largest number of shares, is offered.

Wisconsin Control Share Voting Restrictions Statute . Pursuant to Section 180.1150 of the WBCL, unless otherwise provided in the articles of incorporation or otherwise specified by the board of directors, the voting power of shares of a resident domestic corporation held by any person, including shares issuable upon conversion of convertible securities or upon exercise of options or warrants, in excess of 20% of the voting power in the election of directors is limited to 10% of the full voting power of those shares. We will be governed by the provisions of this section upon the closing of this offering because neither our amended and restated articles of incorporation, nor any resolution adopted by our board of directors, to be effective upon the closing of this offering provides or specifies otherwise.

Wisconsin Defensive Action Restrictions . Section 180.1134 of the WBCL provides that, in addition to the vote otherwise required by law or the articles of incorporation of a resident domestic corporation, the approval of the holders of a majority of the shares entitled to vote on the proposal is required before such corporation can

 

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take certain actions while a takeover offer is being made or after a takeover offer has been publicly announced and before it is concluded. This statute requires shareholder approval for the corporation to do either of the following: (i) acquire more than 5% of its outstanding voting shares at a price above the market value from any individual or organization that owns more than 3% of the outstanding voting shares and has held such shares for less than two years, unless an equal offer is made to acquire all voting shares and all securities that may be converted into voting shares; or (ii) sell or option assets of the resident domestic corporation that amount to 10% or more of the market value of the resident domestic corporation, unless the corporation has at least three independent directors (directors who are not officers or employees) and a majority of the independent directors vote not to have this provision apply to the resident domestic corporation.

Prior to the completion of this offering, we will have more than three independent directors.

Constituency or Stakeholder Provision . Pursuant to Section 180.0827 of the WBCL, in discharging his or her duties to us and in determining what he or she believes to be in our best interests, a director or officer may, in addition to considering the effects of any action on shareholders, consider the effects of the action on employees, suppliers, customers, the communities in which we operate and any other factors that the director or officer considers pertinent.

 

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SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE

Actual or anticipated issuances or sales of substantial amounts of our common stock following this offering could cause the market price of our common stock to decline significantly and make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and on terms that we deem appropriate. The issuance of any shares of our common stock in the future also would, and equity-related securities could, dilute the percentage ownership interest held by shareholders prior to such issuance.

Upon closing of this offering, we will have             shares of our common stock issued and outstanding (or              shares if the underwriters exercise in full their over-allotment option).

Of these shares, the             shares of our common stock sold by us and the selling shareholders in this offering (or             shares, if the underwriters exercise in full their over-allotment option) will be freely tradable without further restriction or registration under the Securities Act, except that any shares purchased by our “affiliates” may generally only be resold in compliance with Rule 144 under the Securities Act, which is described below. The remaining             outstanding shares will be deemed to be “restricted securities” as that term is defined in Rule 144. Restricted securities may be resold in the U.S. only if they are registered for resale under the Securities Act or exemption from registration is available.

Lock-Up Agreements

The selling shareholders, who will own in the aggregate approximately             shares of our common stock after this offering (assuming they do not purchase any shares in this offering), and our current and prospective directors and executive officers have entered into lock-up agreements under which they have generally agreed not to sell or otherwise transfer their shares for a period of 180 days after the date of the underwriting agreement. For additional information, see “ Underwriting—Lock-Up Agreements. ” As a result of these contractual restrictions, shares of our common stock subject to lock-up agreements will not be eligible for sale until these agreements expire or the underwriters waive or release the shares of our common stock from these restrictions. Following the lock-up period, all of the shares of our common stock that are restricted securities or are held by our affiliates as of the date of this prospectus will be eligible for resale in the U.S. only if they are registered for resale under the Securities Act or an exemption from registration, such as Rule 144, is available. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the lock-up restrictions do not apply to the following numbers of shares pledged as security for personal loans with one or more third-party lenders: for Mr. Censky—121,830; and for Mr. Binversie—110,630.

Rule 144

All shares of our common stock held by our “affiliates,” as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act, generally may be sold in the public market only in compliance with Rule 144. Rule 144 defines an affiliate as any person who directly or indirectly controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the issuer, which generally includes our directors, executive officers, 10% shareholders and certain other related persons. Upon closing of this offering, we expect that approximately     % of our outstanding common stock (or     % of our outstanding common stock if the underwriters exercise in full their over-allotment option) will be held by “affiliates.”

Under Rule 144 under the Securities Act, a person (or persons whose shares are aggregated) who is deemed to be, or to have been during the three months preceding the sale, an “affiliate” of ours would be entitled to sell within any three-month period a number of shares that does not exceed the greater of 1% of the then outstanding shares of our common stock, which would be approximately             shares of our common stock immediately after this offering assuming the underwriters do not elect to exercise their over-allotment option, or the average weekly trading volume of our common stock on NASDAQ during the four calendar weeks preceding such sale. Sales under Rule 144 are also subject to a six-month holding period and requirements relating to manner of sale, the availability of current public information about us and the filing of a form in certain circumstances.

 

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Rule 144 also provides that a person who is not deemed to have been an affiliate of ours at any time during the three months preceding a sale, and who has for at least six months beneficially owned shares of our common stock that are restricted securities, will be entitled to freely sell such shares of our common stock subject only to the availability of current public information regarding us. A person who is not deemed to have been an affiliate of ours at any time during the three months preceding a sale, and who has beneficially owned for at least one year shares of our common stock that are restricted securities, will be entitled to freely sell such shares of our common stock under Rule 144 without regard to the current public information requirements of Rule 144.

Form S-8 Registration Statement

We intend to file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-8 covering the shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon the exercise of stock options under our 2012 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan. That registration statement is expected to be filed and become effective as soon as practicable after the closing of this offering. Upon effectiveness, the shares of common stock covered by that registration statement will be eligible for sale in the public market, subject to the lock-up agreements and Rule 144 restrictions described above.

 

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UNDERWRITING

We and the selling shareholders are offering the shares of our common stock described in this prospectus through underwriters named below for whom Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated is acting as the representative. Subject to the terms and conditions contained in the underwriting agreement, each of the underwriters has severally agreed to purchase, and we and the selling shareholders have severally agreed to sell, the number of shares of common stock in the following table:

 

Underwriter

   Number of Shares

Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated

  

Sterne, Agee & Leach, Inc.

  

Total

  

The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the several underwriters are subject to certain conditions precedent such as there is no material adverse change in the financial markets or in our business, the receipt by the underwriters of officers’ certificates and legal opinions, and approval of certain legal matters by their counsel. The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters will purchase all of the shares of common stock if any of them are purchased, other than those shares covered by the option to purchase additional shares of common stock described below. If an underwriter defaults, the underwriting agreement provides that the purchase commitments of the non-defaulting underwriters may be increased or the underwriting agreement may be terminated.

Commission and Discounts

The underwriters propose to offer our common stock directly to the public at the offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus and to dealers at the public offering price less a concession not in excess of $         per share. The underwriters may allow, and the dealers may re-allow, a concession not in excess of $         per share on sales to other brokers and dealers. After the public offering of our common stock, the underwriters may change the offering price, concessions and other selling terms.

The following table shows the per share and total underwriting discount and commissions that we will pay to the underwriters and the proceeds we will receive before expenses. These amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares of our common stock.

 

     No Exercise      Full Exercise  

Assumed initial public offering price

   $                    $                

Underwriting discount per share

   $         $     

Total underwriting discount to be paid by:

     

Us

   $         $     

The selling shareholders

   $         $     

Proceeds to us, before expenses

   $         $     

Proceeds to selling shareholders, before expenses

   $         $     

We estimate expenses payable by us in connection with this offering, other than the underwriting discounts and commissions referred to above, will be approximately $        . In addition to the underwriting discount, we have agreed to reimburse the underwriters for expenses of up to $        .

Option to Purchase Additional Shares

We have granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to             additional shares of our common stock from us at the public offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus, less underwriting discounts and commission. The underwriters may exercise this option, in whole or from time to time in part, solely for the

 

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purpose of covering over-allotments, if any, made in connection with this offering. If the underwriters exercise this option, each underwriter will be obligated, subject to the conditions in the underwriting agreement, to purchase a number of additional shares of our common stock proportionate to such underwriter’s initial amount relative to the total amount reflected next to their name in the table above.

Lock-Up Agreements

Subject to certain customary exceptions, we, each of our current and prospective directors, our executive officers and the selling shareholders have agreed, for a period of 180 days after the date of the underwriting agreement, without the prior written consent of Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, directly or indirectly, not to (i) offer, sell, pledge, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, make any short sale, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of or establish or increase any “put equivalent position” or liquidate or decrease any “call equivalent position” any shares of common stock, any options or warrants to purchase any shares of common stock, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for common stock, (ii) enter into any swap, forward contract, hedging transaction or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequence of ownership of the common stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) is to be settled by delivery of common stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise, (iii) in our case, file or approve the filing of any registration statement with the Commission relating to the offering of any shares of common stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common stock, or, in the case of our directors, executive officers and shareholders subject to lock-up agreements, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any shares of common stock or the filing of any registration statement with respect thereto, or (iv) publicly disclose or announce an intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (i), (ii) or (iii). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the lock-up restrictions do not apply to the following numbers of shares pledged as security for personal loans with one or more third-party lenders: for Mr. Censky—121,830; for Mr. Schneider—101,500; for Mr. Binversie—110,630; for Mr. Zacharias—12,000; and for Mr. Detienne—25,000.

Determination of Offering Price

Prior to this offering, there has been no established public market for our common stock. The initial public offering price will be determined by negotiations among us and the representative of the underwriters. In addition to prevailing market conditions, among the factors to be considered in determining the initial public offering price of our common stock will be our historical performance, estimates of our business potential and our earnings prospects, an assessment of our management and the consideration of the above factors in relation to market valuation of companies in related businesses. We offer no assurances that the initial public offering price will correspond to the price at which our common stock will trade in the public market subsequent to the offering or that an active trading market for our common stock will develop and continue after the offering.

Listing

We have applied to have our common stock approved for listing on the NASDAQ Global Market under the trading symbol “ICBK.”

Indemnification and Contribution

We and the selling shareholders have agreed to indemnify the underwriters and their affiliates, selling agents and controlling persons against certain liabilities, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act. If we or the selling shareholders are unable to provide this indemnification, we will contribute to the payments the underwriters and their affiliates, selling agents and controlling persons may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.

 

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Price Stabilization, Short Positions and Penalty Bids

To facilitate this offering, the underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of our common stock, including:

 

    stabilizing transactions;

 

    short sales; and

 

    purchases to cover positions created by short sales.

Stabilizing transactions consist of bids or purchases made for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our common stock while this offering is in progress. These transactions may also include making short sales of our common stock, which involve the sale by the underwriters of a greater number of shares of common stock than they are required to purchase in this offering. Short sales may be “covered short sales,” which are short positions in an amount not greater than the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares referred to above, or may be “naked short sales,” which are short positions in excess of the option to purchase additional shares.

The underwriters may close out any covered short position either by exercising their option to purchase additional shares of common stock in this offering, in whole or in part, or by purchasing shares in the open market. In making this determination, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market compared to the price at which they may purchase shares through the option to purchase additional shares. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing shares in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the common stock in the open market that could adversely affect investors who purchased in this offering.

As an additional means of facilitating our initial public offering, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, shares of our common stock in the open market. The underwriting syndicate also may reclaim selling concessions allowed to an underwriter or a dealer for distributing shares of our common stock in this offering, if the syndicate repurchases previously distributed shares of our common stock to cover syndicate short positions or to stabilize the price of our common stock.

As a result of these activities, the price of our common stock may be higher than the price that otherwise might exist in the open market. If these activities are commenced, they may be discontinued by the underwriters at any time without notice. The underwriters may carry out these transactions on the NASDAQ Global Market, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.

Electronic Distribution

A prospectus in electronic format may be made available by e-mail or on the websites or through online services maintained by one or more of the underwriters or their affiliates. In those cases, prospective investors may view offering terms online and may be allowed to place orders online. The underwriters may agree with us to allocate a specific number of shares for sale to online brokerage account holders. Any such allocation for online distributions will be made by the underwriters on the same basis as other allocations. Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on the underwriters’ websites and any information contained on any other website maintained by any of the underwriters is not part of this prospectus, has not been approved and/or endorsed by the underwriters or us and should not be relied upon by investors.

Affiliations

The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment advisory, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing,

 

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loan referrals, valuation and brokerage activities. From time to time, the underwriters and/or their respective affiliates have directly and indirectly engaged, and may in the future engage, in various financial advisory, investment banking loan referrals and commercial banking services with us and our affiliates, for which they received or paid, or may receive or pay, customary compensation, fees and expense reimbursement. In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and those investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of those securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to customers that they acquire, long and/or short positions in those securities and instruments.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the shares of our common stock to be issued in this offering will be passed upon for us by our counsel, Godfrey & Kahn, S.C., Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Certain legal matters relating to this offering will be passed upon for Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated and Sterne, Agee & Leach, Inc., by Vedder Price P.C., Chicago, Illinois.

EXPERTS

CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our financial statements at December 31, 2013 and 2012, and for the years then ended, as set forth in their report included herein. We have included our financial statements in this prospectus in reliance on CliftonLarsonAllen LLP’s report, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with respect to the shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus. This prospectus, which constitutes part of that registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement or the accompanying exhibits and schedules. Some items included in the registration statement are omitted from this prospectus in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. For further information with respect to us and the common stock offered in this prospectus, we refer you to the registration statement and the accompanying exhibits and schedules. Statements contained in this prospectus regarding the contents of any contract, agreement or any other document are summaries of the material terms of these contracts, agreements or other documents. With respect to each of these contracts, agreements or other documents filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, reference is made to such exhibit for a more complete description of the matter involved.

A copy of the registration statement and the accompanying exhibits and schedules and any other document we file may be inspected without charge and copied at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. The public may obtain information on the operation of the public reference room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC. The address of the SEC’s website is www.sec.gov.

Upon completion of this offering, we will become subject to the information and periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, and we will file periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. These periodic reports, proxy statements and other information will be available for inspection and copying at the public reference room and website of the SEC referred to above. We maintain a website at www.investorscommunitybank.com. You may access our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports, proxy statements and other information filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act with the SEC free of charge at our website as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of this prospectus.

 

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INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF COUNTY BANCORP, INC.

 

     Page  

Consolidated Financial Statements

  

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     F-2   

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2014 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2013 and 2012

     F-3   

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Nine Months Ended September  30, 2014 and 2013 (Unaudited) and the Years Ended December 31, 2013 and 2012

     F-4   

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the Nine Months Ended September  30, 2014 and 2013 (Unaudited) and the Years Ended December 31, 2013 and 2012

     F-5   

Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity for the Nine Months Ended September  30, 2014 (Unaudited) and the Years Ended December 31, 2013 and 2012

     F-6   

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Nine Months Ended September  30, 2014 and 2013 (Unaudited) and the Years Ended December 31, 2013 and 2012

     F-7   

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

     F-8   

 

F-1


Table of Contents

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors and Shareholders of

County Bancorp, Inc.

Manitowoc, Wisconsin

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of County Bancorp, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for the years then ended. These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of County Bancorp, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for the years then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

/s/ CliftonLarsonAllen LLP

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

November 7, 2014

 

 

  

 

 

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Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

 

     September 30,
2014
(unaudited)
    December 31,
2013
    December 31,
2012
 
     (dollars in thousands except share data)  

ASSETS

      

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 43,726      $ 71,780      $ 44,661   

Securities available for sale, at fair value

     77,673        73,007        62,098   

FHLB Stock, at cost

     1,252        1,252        1,252   

Loans held for sale

     1,380        7,352        8,396   

Loans, net of allowance for loan losses of $10,374 in 2014 (unaudited), $10,495 in 2013 and $12,521 in 2012

     581,249        558,643        600,969   

Premises and equipment, net

     4,729        4,235        3,702   

Loan servicing rights

     7,644        7,529        6,117   

Other real estate owned, net

     8,149        16,083        10,517   

Cash surrender value of bank owned life insurance

     10,790        10,577        10,281   

Prepaid FDIC assessment deposit

     —          —          1,332   

Deferred tax asset, net

     2,235        3,323        2,594   

Accrued interest receivable and other assets

     3,991        4,039        3,318   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

   $ 742,818      $ 757,820      $ 755,237   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

LIABILITIES

      

Deposits:

      

Noninterest-bearing

   $ 63,825      $ 57,231      $ 54,276   

Interest-bearing

     536,106        559,077        558,543   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total deposits

     599,931        616,308        612,819   

Other borrowings

     9,347        14,169        18,396   

Advances from FHLB

     22,000        22,000        25,000   

Subordinated debentures

     12,372        12,372        12,372   

Accrued interest payable and other liabilities

     6,646        6,162        5,799   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

   $ 650,296      $ 671,011      $ 674,386   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Small Business Lending Fund redeemable preferred stock-variable rate, noncumulative, nonparticipating, $1,000 stated value; 15,000 shares authorized, 15,000 shares issued $15,000 redemption amount

     15,000        15,000        15,000   

SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

      

Preferred stock-variable rate, non-cumulative, nonparticipating, $1,000 stated value; 15,000 shares authorized; 8,000 in 2014 (unaudited) and 2013 and 7,000 in 2012 shares issued

     8,000        8,000        7,000   

Common stock-$0.001 par; 50,000,000 authorized; 4,868,560 shares issued and 4,463,790 shares outstanding in 2014 (unaudited); 4,818,800 shares issued and 4,468,820 shares outstanding in 2013 and 4,790,670 shares issued and 4,518,750 shares outstanding in 2012

     5        5        5   

Surplus

     16,620        16,004        15,687   

Retained earnings

     57,090        51,514        44,942   

Treasury stock, at cost 404,770 (unaudited); 349,980; and 271,920 shares, respectively

     (4,495     (3,683     (2,770

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

     302        (31     987   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total shareholders’ equity

     77,522        71,809        65,851   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

   $ 742,818      $ 757,820      $ 755,237   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 and

Years Ended December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

 

     Nine Months Ended
September 30,
(unaudited)
     Years Ended
December 31,
 
     2014      2013      2013      2012  
     (dollars in thousands except per share data)  

INTEREST AND DIVIDEND INCOME

           

Loans, including fees

   $ 21,704       $ 23,148       $ 30,614       $ 32,381   

Taxable securities

     662         538         745         786   

Tax-exempt securities

     364         373         501         561   

Federal funds sold and other

     90         71         112         73   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total interest and dividend income

     22,820         24,130         31,972         33,801   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

INTEREST EXPENSE

           

Deposits

     4,666         5,051         6,683         7,890   

Federal funds purchased and other borrowed funds

     695         1,025         1,302         1,245   

Subordinated debentures

     360         396         528         528   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total interest expense

     5,721         6,472         8,513         9,663   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net interest income

     17,099         17,658         23,459         24,138   

Provision for loan losses

     —           3,700         4,200         4,200   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net interest income after provision for loan losses

     17,099         13,958         19,259         19,938   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Non-interest income

           

Services charges

     559         409         756         879   

Gain on sale of loans, net

     251         482         521         534   

Loan servicing fees

     3,634         4,669         5,895         4,626   

Gain on sale of securities

     —           —           —           354   

Other

     723         1,342         1,685         1,108   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total non-interest income

     5,167         6,902         8,857         7,501   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Non-interest expense

           

Employee compensation and benefits

     7,628         7,283         8,938         9,775   

Occupancy

     229         229         290         231   

Other

     4,878         3,926         7,736         5,198   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total non-interest expense

     12,735         11,438         16,964         15,204   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Income before income taxes

     9,531         9,422         11,152         12,235   

Income tax expense

     3,603         3,530         4,140         4,601   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

NET INCOME

   $ 5,928       $ 5,892       $ 7,012       $ 7,634   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

NET INCOME PER SHARE:

           

Basic

   $ 1.25       $ 1.23       $ 1.45       $ 1.56   

Diluted

   $ 1.25       $ 1.23       $ 1.45       $ 1.53   

 

 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

 

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COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 and

Years Ended December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

 

     Nine Months Ended
September 30,
(unaudited)
   

Years Ended

December 31,

 
     2014     2013     2013     2012  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Net income

   $ 5,928      $ 5,892      $ 7,012      $ 7,634   

Other comprehensive income (loss):

        

Unrealized gains (losses) on securities available for sale

     549        (1,658     (1,679     (324

Reclassification adjustment for gains realized in income

     —          —          —          (354

Income tax (expense) benefit

     (216     653        661        267   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total other comprehensive income (loss)

     333        (1,005     (1,018     (411
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Comprehensive income

   $ 6,261      $ 4,887      $ 5,994      $ 7,223   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2014 and

Years Ended December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

 

     Preferred
Stock
     Common
Stock
     Surplus      Treasury
Stock
    Retained
Earnings
    Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
    Total
Shareholders’
Equity
 
     (dollars in thousands except share data)  

Balance at January 1, 2012

   $ 7,000       $ 5       $ 14,964       $ (812   $ 37,776      $ 1,398      $ 60,331   

Net income

     —           —           —           —          7,634        —          7,634   

Other comprehensive loss

     —           —           —           —          —          (411     (411

Stock compensation expense, net of tax

     —           —           200         —          —          —          200   

Purchase of treasury stock (17,520 shares)

     —           —           —           (1,966     —          —          (1,966

Proceeds from sale of treasury stock(1,000 shares)

     —           —           1         8        —          —          9   

Cash dividends declared on preferred stock

     —           —           —           —          (281     —          (281

Cash dividends declared on SBLF preferred stock

     —           —           —           —          (187     —          (187

Proceeds from sale of common stock(80,000 shares)

     —           —           522         —          —          —          522   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2012

   $ 7,000       $ 5       $ 15,687       $ (2,770   $ 44,942      $ 987      $ 65,851   

Net income

     —           —           —           —          7,012        —          7,012   

Other comprehensive loss

     —           —           —           —          —          (1,018     (1,018

Stock compensation expense, net of tax

     —           —           248         —          —          —          248   

Purchase of treasury stock (78,060 shares)

     —           —           —           (913     —          —          (913

Cash dividends declared on preferred stock

     —           —           —           —          (290     —          (290

Cash dividends declared on SBLF preferred stock

     —           —           —           —          (150     —          (150

Proceeds from sale of preferred stock

     1,000         —           —           —          —          —          1,000   

Proceeds from sale of common stock (10,000 shares)

     —           —           69         —          —          —          69   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2013

   $ 8,000       $ 5       $ 16,004       $ (3,683   $ 51,514      $ (31   $ 71,809   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Unaudited

                 

Balance at January 1, 2014

   $ 8,000       $ 5       $ 16,004       $ (3,683   $ 51,514      $ (31   $ 71,809   

Net income

     —           —           —           —          5,928        —          5,928   

Other comprehensive income

     —           —           —           —          —          333        333   

Stock compensation expense, net of tax

     —           —           110         —          —          —          110   

Purchase of treasury stock (44,790 shares)

     —           —           —           (812     —          —          (812

Cash dividends declared on preferred stock

     —           —           —           —          (239     —          (239

Cash dividends declared on SBLF preferred stock

     —           —           —           —          (113     —          (113

Proceeds from sale of common stock(44,790 shares)

     —           —           506         —          —          —          506   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at September 30, 2014

   $ 8,000       $ 5       $ 16,620       $ (4,495   $ 57,090      $ 302      $ 77,522   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 and

Years Ended December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

 

     Nine Months Ended
September 30,
(unaudited)
    Years Ended
December 31,
 
     2014     2013     2013     2012  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Cash flows from operating activities

        

Net income

   $ 5,928      $ 5,892      $ 7,012      $ 7,634   

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

        

Depreciation and amortization of premises and equipment

     461        342        462        528   

Provision for loan losses

     —          3,700        4,200        4,200   

Realized loss (gain) on sales of other real estate owned

     235        (634     (737     (673

Write-down of other real estate owned

     729        25        2,373        233   

Realized loss (gain) on sales of premises and equipment

     (1     —          3        1   

Realized gain on sales of securities available for sale

     —          —          —          (354

Increase in cash surrender value of bank owned life insurance

     (213     (222     (296     (304

Deferred income tax expense (benefit)

     872        (53     (68     (617

Stock compensation expense

     110        183        248        200   

Net amortization of securities

     374        375        491        229   

Net change in:

        

Accrued interest receivable and other assets

     48        (768     (722     (351

Prepaid FDIC deposit

     —          1,332        1,332        539   

Loans held for sale

     5,972        6,400        1,044        (5,543

Loan servicing rights

     (115     (1,353     (1,411     (1,093

Accrued interest payable and other liabilities

     484        755        363        1,258   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

     14,884        15,974        14,294        5,887   

Cash flows from investing activities

        

Proceeds from maturities and calls of securities available for sale

     8,352        9,320        12,719        9,806   

Proceeds from sales of securities available for sale

     —          —          —          7,273   

Purchases of securities available for sale

     (12,843     (16,275     (25,799     (31,160

Loan originations and principal collections, net

     (23,928     3,978        13,098        (47,665

Proceeds from sales of premises and equipment

     25        3        —          50   

Purchases of premises and equipment

     (979     (567     (998     (1,044

Proceeds from sales of other real estate owned

     8,291        10,778        17,827        4,933   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities

     (21,081     7,237        16,847        (57,807

Cash flows from financing activities

        

Net increase in demand and savings deposits

     24,580        2,803        22,820        65,829   

Net decrease in certificates of deposits

     (40,957     (11,041     (19,331     (1,169

Net change in other borrowings

     (4,822     (4,036     (4,227     3,806   

Proceeds from FHLB Advances

     5,000        —          2,300        2,150   

Repayment of FHLB Advances

     (5,000     (3,000     (5,300     (126

Proceeds from sale of treasury stock

     —          —          —          9   

Payments to acquire treasury stock

     (812     (315     (913     (1,966

Proceeds from issuance of common stock

     506        —          69        522   

Proceeds from issuance of preferred stock

     —          1,000        1,000        —     

Dividends paid on preferred stock

     (239     (209     (290     (281

Dividends paid on SBLF preferred stock

     (113     (113     (150     (225
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

     (21,857     (14,911     (4,022     68,549   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net change in cash and cash equivalents

     (28,054     8,300        27,119        16,629   

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period

     71,780        44,661        44,661        28,032   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period

   $ 43,726      $ 52,961      $ 71,780      $ 44,661   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information
Cash paid during the period for:

        

Interest

   $ 5,674      $ 5,259      $ 8,732      $ 9,135   

Income taxes paid

     2,925        4,020        4,080        4,940   

Noncash investing activities

        

Transfer from loans to other real estate owned

   $ 1,321      $ 25,029      $ 25,029      $ 8,468   

Loans charged off

     218        6,049        6,438        1,520   

 

 

See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.

 

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Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 1—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The accounting and reporting policies of County Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) and its subsidiaries conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and to general practice within the banking industry. The following is a description of the more significant of those policies.

Nature of Business and Significant Concentrations of Credit Risk

The Company is the sole shareholder of Investors Community Bank (“the Bank”). The Bank is the sole shareholder of ICB Investments Corp, a wholly-owned Nevada subsidiary and sole member of Investors Insurance Services, LLC and ABS 1, LLC, which are both Wisconsin limited liability companies. The Company commenced operations in May of 1996; the Bank commenced operations in March of 1997. The Nevada subsidiary commenced operations in 2001. In July of 2010, the Bank formed Investors Insurance Services, LLC for the sole purpose of protecting the Bank from liability risk when selling crop insurance. Selling crop insurance had historically been a business function performed within the Bank and is not a new service. In September of 2011, the Bank formed ABS 1, LLC, for the sole purpose of holding real estate and personal property for sale which was obtained through repossession.

The Bank provides a full range of banking and related financial services which includes real estate lending, business services, and agricultural finance to individual and corporate customers primarily located within the state of Wisconsin. The Bank’s primary source of revenue is providing loans to customers, who are predominantly engaged in dairy farming and commercial activities. Its primary deposit products are savings and term certificate accounts. The Bank is subject to competition from other financial institutions and is regulated by federal and state banking agencies and undergoes periodic examinations by those agencies.

The Company has no other significant activities other than ownership of the Bank. Note 3 discusses the types of securities that the Company invests in. Note 4 discusses the types of lending that the Company engages in.

Agricultural loans, including agricultural operating, real estate and construction, represent 64%, 66% and 62% of our total loan portfolio at September 30, 2014 (unaudited), December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Commercial real estate, including commercial construction loans represent 20%, 18% and 20% of our total loan portfolio at September 30, 2014 (unaudited), December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, the Bank, and the Bank’s wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company also has two wholly-owned subsidiaries, County Bancorp Statutory Trust II and Statutory Trust III that are both Delaware statutory trusts, which have not been consolidated in accordance with accounting guidance related to variable interest entities.

Basis of Presentation of Interim Financial Statements

The consolidated financial information included herein as of and for the periods ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 is unaudited. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements included herein have been prepared by the Company in accordance with GAAP and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities

 

 

(Continued)

 

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Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 1—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES  (Continued)

 

and Exchange Commission and reflect all adjustments which, in the opinion of management, are considered necessary for a fair presentation of the financial condition and results of operations for the periods presented. All adjustments made were of a normal and recurring nature. Operating results for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2014.

Use of Estimates in Preparing Financial Statements

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change in the near term relate to the determination of valuation of securities available for sale, the allowance for loan losses, loan servicing rights, other real estate owned, fair values of financial instruments, and deferred tax assets. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

For purposes of the consolidated statements of cash flows, cash and cash equivalents include cash and balances due from banks and federal funds sold, all of which mature within 90 days.

In the normal course of business, the Company maintains balances with correspondent banks. Accounts at each institution are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) up to specified limits. Management believes these financial institutions have strong credit ratings and the credit risk related to these deposits is minimal.

Securities Available for Sale

Available for sale securities are carried at fair value with unrealized gains and losses excluded from earnings and reported separately in other comprehensive income (loss). The Company currently has no securities designated as trading or held-to-maturity. Purchase premiums and discounts are recognized in interest income using the interest method over the terms of the securities. Gains and losses on the sale of securities are recorded on the trade date and are determined using the specific identification method. They are included in non-interest income or expense and, when applicable, are reported as a reclassification adjustment in other comprehensive income (loss).

Declines in the fair value of individual available for sale securities below their cost that are other than temporary result in write-downs of the individual securities to their fair value. The Company monitors the investment security portfolio for impairment on an individual security basis and has a process in place to identify securities that could potentially have a credit impairment that is other than temporary. This process involves analyzing the length of time and the extent to which the fair value has been less than the amortized cost basis, the market liquidity for the security, the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer, expected cash flows, and the Company’s intent and ability to hold the investment for a period of time sufficient to recover the temporary impairment. A decline in value due to a credit event that is considered other than temporary is recorded as a loss in non-interest income.

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-9


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 1—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES  (Continued)

 

Federal Home Loan Bank Stock

The Bank, as a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (the “FHLB”), is required to maintain an investment in the capital stock of the FHLB based on the level of borrowings and other factors, and may invest additional amounts. Based on the redemption provisions of the FHLB, the stock has no quoted market value and is carried at cost. It is periodically evaluated by management for impairment. Because it is viewed as a long term investment, impairment is based on ultimate recovery of par value. Both stock and cash dividends are reported as income.

Loans Held for Sale

Loans originated and intended for sale in the secondary market are carried at the lower of cost or fair value. Gains and losses on loan sales (sale proceeds minus carrying value) are recorded in non-interest income and direct loan origination costs and fees are deferred at origination of the loan and are recognized in non-interest income upon sale of the loan.

Loans

Loans that management has the intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future or until maturity or payoff are reported at their outstanding unpaid principal balances adjusted for unearned income and the allowance for loan losses. Interest income is accrued on the unpaid principal balance. Loan origination fees, non-refundable fees and direct loan origination costs on real estate and commercial loans are, in the opinion of management, insignificant and recognized as current income and are not accounted for as an adjustment of yield of the related loan categories.

The accrual of interest on mortgage and commercial loans is discontinued at the time the loan is 90 days delinquent unless the credit is well-secured and in process of collection. Past due status is based on contractual terms of the loan. In all cases, loans are placed on nonaccrual or charged-off at an earlier date if collection of principal or interest is considered doubtful.

All interest accrued but not collected for loans that are placed on nonaccrual or charged off is reversed against interest income. The interest on nonaccrual loans is accounted for on the cash-basis or cost-recovery method, until qualifying for return to accrual. Loans are returned to accrual status when all the principal and interest amounts contractually due are brought current and future payments are reasonably assured.

Allowance for Loan Losses

The allowance for loan losses (hereinafter referred to as “allowance”) is an estimate of loan losses inherent in the Company’s loan portfolio. The allowance is established through a provision for loan losses which is charged to expense. Additions to the allowance are expected to maintain the adequacy of the total allowance after loan losses and loan growth. Loan losses are charged off against the allowance when the Company determines the loan balance to be uncollectible. Cash received on previously charged off amounts is recorded as a recovery to the allowance.

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-10


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 1—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES  (Continued)

 

The allowance consists of two primary components, general reserves and specific reserves related to impaired loans. The general component covers non-impaired loans and is based on historical losses adjusted for current factors. The historical loss experience is determined by portfolio segment and is based on a weighted average of the actual loss history experienced by the Company over the most recent four years. The Company places more emphasis, or weight, on the more current quarters in the loss history period. This actual loss experience is adjusted for economic factors based on the risks present for each portfolio segment. These economic factors include consideration of the following: levels of and trends in delinquencies and impaired loans; levels of and trends in charge-offs and recoveries; trends in volume and terms of loans; effects of any changes in risk selection and underwriting standards; other changes in lending policies, procedures, and practices; experience, ability, and depth of lending management and other relevant staff; national and local economic trends and conditions; industry conditions; and effects of changes in credit concentrations. These factors are inherently subjective and are driven by the repayment risk associated with each portfolio segment.

A loan is considered impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect the scheduled payments of principal or interest when due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement. Factors considered by management in determining impairment include payment status, collateral value, and the probability of collecting scheduled principal and interest payments when due. Loans that experience insignificant payment delays and payment shortfalls generally are not classified as impaired. Management determines the significance of payment delays and payment shortfalls on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration all of the circumstances surrounding the loan and the borrower, including the length of the delay, the reasons for the delay, the borrower’s prior payment record, and the amount of the shortfall in relation to the principal and interest owed. Impairment is generally measured on a loan by loan basis by either the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loans’ effective interest rate, the loan’s obtainable market price, or the fair value of the collateral if the loan is collateral dependent.

Under certain circumstances, the Company will provide borrowers relief through loan restructurings. A restructuring of debt constitutes a troubled debt restructuring (“TDR”) if the Company for economic or legal reasons related to the borrower’s financial difficulties grants a concession to the borrower that it would not otherwise consider. Restructured loans typically present an elevated level of credit risk as the borrowers are not able to perform according to the original contractual terms. Loans that are reported as TDRs are considered impaired and measured for impairment as described above. TDR concessions can include reduction of interest rates, extension of maturity dates, forgiveness of principal or interest due, or acceptance of other assets in full or partial satisfaction of the debt. Restructured loans can involve loans remaining on nonaccrual, moving to nonaccrual, or continuing on accrual status, depending on the individual facts and circumstances of the borrower. Nonaccrual restructured loans are included and treated with other nonaccrual loans.

Large groups of smaller balance homogeneous loans are collectively evaluated for impairment. Accordingly, the Company does not separately identify individual consumer and residential loans for impairment disclosures, unless such loans are the subject of a restructuring agreement due to financial difficulties of the borrower.

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-11


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 1—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES  (Continued)

 

The Company maintains a separate general valuation allowance for each portfolio segment. These portfolio segments include agricultural, commercial, commercial real estate, residential real estate, installment and consumer other with risk characteristics described as follows:

Agricultural: Agricultural loans generally possess a lower inherent risk of loss than real estate portfolio segments because these loans are generally underwritten to existing cash flows of operating businesses. Debt coverage is provided by business cash flows and economic trends influenced by unemployment rates and other key economic indicators are closely correlated to the credit quality of these loans.

Commercial: Commercial loans generally possess a lower inherent risk of loss than real estate portfolio segments because these loans are generally underwritten to existing cash flows of operating businesses. Debt coverage is provided by business cash flows and economic trends influenced by unemployment rates and other key economic indicators are closely correlated to the credit quality of these loans.

Commercial Real Estate: Commercial real estate loans generally possess a higher inherent risk of loss than other real estate portfolio segments, except land and construction loans. Adverse economic developments or an overbuilt market impact commercial real estate projects and may result in troubled loans. Trends in vacancy rates of commercial properties impact the credit quality of these loans. High vacancy rates reduce operating revenues and the ability for the properties to produce sufficient cash flow to service debt obligations.

Residential Real Estate: The degree of risk in residential mortgage and home equity lending depends primarily on the loan amount in relation to collateral value, the interest rate and the borrower’s ability to repay in an orderly fashion. These loans generally possess a lower inherent risk of loss than other real estate portfolio segments. Economic trends determined by unemployment rates and other key economic indicators are closely correlated to the credit quality of these loans. Weak economic trends indicate that the borrowers’ capacity to repay their obligations may be deteriorating.

Installment and Consumer Other: The installment and consumer other loan portfolio is usually comprised of a large number of small loans. Most loans are made directly for consumer purchases. Economic trends determined by unemployment rates and other key economic indicators are closely correlated to the credit quality of these loans. Weak economic trends indicate the borrowers’ capacity to repay their obligations may be deteriorating.

Although management believes the allowance to be adequate, ultimate losses may vary from its estimates. At least quarterly, the board of directors reviews the adequacy of the allowance, including consideration of the relevant risks in the portfolio, current economic conditions and other factors. If the board of directors and management determine that changes are warranted based on those reviews, the allowance is adjusted. In addition, the Company’s primary regulator reviews the adequacy of the allowance. The regulatory agencies may require additions to the allowance based on their judgment about information available at the time of their examinations.

Bank Premises and Equipment

Land is carried at cost. Bank premises and equipment are carried at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed on the straight line method. When assets are retired or otherwise disposed of, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts, and any recognized gain or loss is reflected

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-12


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 1—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES  (Continued)

 

in income for the period. The cost of maintenance and repairs is charged to expense as incurred; significant renewals and improvements are capitalized and a deduction is made from the property accounts for retirements of capitalized renewals or improvements. Gains and losses on dispositions are included in current operations.

Off-Balance Sheet Credit Related Financial Instruments

In the ordinary course of business, the Company has entered into commitments to extend credit, including commitments under credit arrangements, commercial letters of credit, and standby letters of credit. Such financial instruments are recorded when they are funded. The Company maintains a separate allowance for off balance sheet commitments. Management estimates anticipated losses using historical data and utilization assumptions. The allowance for off balance sheet commitments is included in other liabilities.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company reviews long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to future undiscounted net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of carrying amount or the fair value less costs to sell.

Loan Servicing Rights

Servicing assets are recognized as separate assets when rights are acquired through the sale of financial assets. Servicing rights resulting from the sale or securitization of loans originated by the Company are initially measured at fair value at the date of transfer. The Company subsequently measures each class of servicing asset using the amortization method. Under the amortization method, servicing rights are amortized in proportion to and over the period of estimated net servicing income. The amortized assets are assessed for impairment or increased obligation based on fair value at each reporting date.

Fair value is based on market prices for comparable servicing contracts, when available, or alternatively, is based on a valuation model that calculates the present value of estimated future net servicing income. The valuation model incorporates assumptions that market participants would use in estimating future net servicing income, such as the cost to service, the discount rate, the custodial earnings rate, an inflation rate, ancillary income, prepayment speeds and default rates and losses. These variables change from quarter-to-quarter as market conditions and projected interest rates change, and may have an adverse impact on the value of the servicing right and may result in a reduction to non-interest income.

Servicing assets measured using the amortization method are evaluated and measured for impairment. Impairment is determined by stratifying rights into tranches based on predominant characteristics, such as interest rate, loan type and investor type. Impairment is recognized through a valuation allowance for an individual tranche, to the extent that fair value is less than the carrying amount of the servicing assets for that

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-13


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 1—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES  (Continued)

 

tranche. The valuation allowance is adjusted to reflect changes in the measurement of impairment after the initial measure of the impairment.

Changes in the valuation allowances are reported with loan servicing fees on the income statement. Fair value in excess of the carrying amount of servicing assets for that stratum is not recognized.

Servicing fee income is recorded for fees earned for servicing loans. The fees are based on a contractual percentage of the outstanding principal; or a fixed amount per loan and are recorded as income when earned. The amortization of loan servicing rights is netted against loan servicing fee income.

Other Real Estate Owned

Assets acquired through, or in lieu of, loan foreclosure are held for sale and are initially recorded at fair value at the date of foreclosure less estimated costs to sell, establishing a new cost basis. Subsequent to foreclosure, valuations are periodically performed by management and the assets are carried at the lower of carrying amount or fair value less estimated costs to sell. Revenue and expenses from operations and changes in the valuation allowance are included in other non-interest expense.

Impairment losses on assets to be held and used are measured at the amount by which the carrying amount of a property exceeds its fair value. The evaluation of impairment is inherently subjective and requires estimates that are susceptible to significant revisions as more information becomes available. Due to potential changes in conditions, it is at least reasonably possible that changes in fair values will occur in the near term and that such changes could materially affect the amounts reported in the Company’s financial statements. Costs of significant asset improvements are capitalized, whereas costs relating to holding assets are expensed. Revenue and expenses from operations and changes in the valuation allowance are included in other non-interest expense.

Cash Surrender Value of Bank Owned Life Insurance

The Company has purchased life insurance policies on certain key executives. Bank owned life insurance is recorded at its cash surrender value, or the amount that can be realized, if lower.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with income tax accounting guidance, which sets out a consistent framework to determine the appropriate level of tax reserves to maintain for uncertain tax positions.

The income tax accounting guidance results in two components of income tax expense: current and deferred. Current income tax expense reflects taxes to be paid or refunded for the current period by applying the provisions of the enacted tax law to the taxable income or excess of deductions over revenues. The Company determines deferred income taxes using the liability (or balance sheet) method. Under this method, the net deferred tax asset or liability is determined based on the tax effects of the temporary differences between the book and tax bases of assets and liabilities, and enacted changes in tax rates and laws are recognized in the period in which they occur.

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-14


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 1—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES  (Continued)

 

Deferred income tax expense results from changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities between periods. Deferred tax assets are recognized if it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits, that the tax position will be realized or sustained upon examination. The term more likely than not means a likelihood of more than 50%; the terms examined and upon examination also include resolution of the related appeals or litigation processes, if any. A tax position that meets the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold is initially and subsequently measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon settlement with a taxing authority that has full knowledge of all relevant information. The determination of whether or not a tax position has met the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold considers the facts, circumstances, and information available at the reporting date and is subject to management’s judgment. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance if, based on the weight of evidence available, it is more likely than not the some portion or all of the deferred tax asset will not be realized.

The Company files income taxes returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and in the state of Wisconsin. The Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal or state income tax examinations by tax authorities for years before 2010.

The Company recognizes interest and penalties on income taxes as a component of other non-interest expense.

Comprehensive Income

Recognized revenue, expenses, gains, and losses are included in net income. Certain changes in assets and liabilities, such as unrealized gains and losses on securities available for sale, are reported as a separate component of the equity section of the consolidated balance sheet, such items, along with net income, are components of comprehensive income.

Equity Incentive Plan

Stock compensation accounting guidance requires that the compensation cost relating to share-based payment transactions be recognized in financial statements. That cost will be measured based on the grant date fair value of the equity or liability instruments issued. The stock compensation accounting guidance covers a wide range of share-based compensation arrangements including stock options, restricted share plans, performance-based awards, share appreciation rights, and employee share purchase plans.

The stock compensation accounting guidance requires that compensation cost for all stock awards be calculated and recognized over the employees’ service period, generally defined as the vesting period. For awards with graded-vesting, compensation cost is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award. A Black-Scholes model is used to estimate the fair value of stock options, while the market price of the Company’s common stock at the date of grant is used for restricted stock awards.

Treasury Stock

Common stock shares repurchased are recorded as treasury stock at cost.

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-15


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 1—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES  (Continued)

 

Earnings per Share

Basic earnings per share represent income available to common shareholders divided by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share reflect additional potential common shares that would have been outstanding if dilutive potential common shares had been issued, as well as any adjustment to income that would result from the assumed issuance. Potential common shares that may be issued by the Company relate solely to outstanding stock options, and are determined using the treasury stock method.

Treasury shares are not deemed outstanding for earnings per share calculations.

Transfers of Financial Assets

Transfers of financial assets are accounted for as sales, when control over the assets has been surrendered. Control over transferred assets is deemed to be surrendered when (1) the assets have been isolated from the Company—put presumptively beyond the reach of the transferor and its creditors, even in bankruptcy or other receivership, (2) the transferee obtains the right (free of conditions that constrain it from taking advantage of that right) to pledge or exchange the transferred assets, and (3) the Company does not maintain effective control over the transferred assets through an agreement to repurchase them before their maturity or the ability to unilaterally cause the holder to return specific assets.

The transfer of a participating interest in an entire financial asset must also meet the definition of a participating interest. A participating interest in a financial asset has all of the following characteristics: (1) from the date of transfer, it must represent a proportionate (pro rata) ownership interest in the financial asset, (2) from the date of transfer, all cash flows received, except any cash flows allocated as any compensation for servicing or other services performed, must be divided proportionately among participating interest holders in the amount equal to their share ownership, (3) the rights of each participating interest holder must have the same priority, (4) no party has the right to pledge or exchange the entire financial asset unless all participating interest holders agree to do so.

Advertising Costs

Advertising costs are expensed as incurred.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Fair values of financial instruments are estimated using relevant market information and other assumptions, as more fully disclosed in Note 18. Fair value estimates involve uncertainties and matters of significant judgment. Changes in assumptions or in market conditions could significantly affect the estimates.

Stock Split

On April 1, 2014, the board of directors approved a 10-for-1 stock split of the Company’s common stock effective April 4, 2014. The accompanying financial statements give effect to this stock split.

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-16


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 1—SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES  (Continued)

 

Segments

The Company’s operations consist of one segment called community banking.

New Accounting Pronouncements

In January 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-04, Receivables—Troubled Debt Restructuring by Creditors (Subtopic 310-40): Reclassification of Residential Real Estate Collateralized Consumer Mortgage Loans Foreclosure. The update clarifies when an in substance foreclosure occurs, that is, when a creditor is considered to have received physical possession of residential real estate property collateralizing a consumer mortgage loan. This is the point when the consumer mortgage loan should be derecognized and the real property recognized. This update will be effective for annual periods beginning after December 31, 2015 and early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09 Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“Topic 606”) (“ASU 2014-09”). This update is the culmination of efforts by the FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) to develop a common revenue standard for GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) and creates a new Topic 606—Revenue from Contracts with Customers. ASU 2014-09 supersedes Topic 605—Revenue Recognition and most industry-specific guidance. The core principal of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those good or services. The guidance in ASU 2014-09 describes a 5-step process entities can apply to achieve the core principle or revenue recognition and requires disclosures sufficient to enable users of financial statements to understand the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers and the significant judgments used in determining that information. The amendments in ASU 2014-09 are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period and early application is not allowed. The Company is currently evaluating the effects of ASU 2014-09 on its financial statements and disclosures, if any.

Reclassifications

Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to current period presentation. These reclassifications did not result in any changes to previously reported net income or shareholders’ equity.

NOTE 2—RESTRICTIONS ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

The Bank is required to maintain average balances on hand or with the Federal Reserve Bank. At September 30, 2014 (unaudited), December 31, 2013 and 2012, these reserve balances amounted to $4,942,000, $4,306,000 and $2,737,000, respectively.

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-17


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

 

NOTE 3—SECURITIES AVAILABLE FOR SALE

The amortized cost and fair value of securities available for sale are as follows:

 

     Amortized
Cost
     Unrealized
Gains
     Unrealized
Losses
    Fair
Value
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

September 30, 2014 (unaudited)

          

U.S. government and agency securities

   $ 2,006       $ 3       $ —        $ 2,009   

Municipal securities

     39,186         349         (61     39,474   

Mortgage-backed securities

     35,983         444         (237     36,190   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   $ 77,175       $ 796       $ (298   $ 77,673   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

December 31, 2013

          

U.S. government and agency securities

   $ 2,008       $ 9       $ —        $ 2,017   

Municipal securities

     33,449         418         (132     33,735   

Mortgage-backed securities

     37,601         435         (781     37,255   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   $ 73,058       $ 862       $ (913   $ 73,007   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

December 31, 2012

          

U.S. government and agency securities

   $ 3,458       $ 4       $ —        $ 3,462   

Municipal securities

     28,858         685         (41     29,502   

Mortgage-backed securities

     28,154         992         (12     29,134   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   $ 60,470       $ 1,681       $ (53   $ 62,098   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-18


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 3—SECURITIES AVAILABLE FOR SALE  (Continued)

 

The amortized cost and fair value of securities at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, by contractual maturity, are shown below. Expected maturities will differ from contractual maturities because borrowers may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties.

 

     Amortized
Cost
     Fair
Value
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

September 30, 2014 (unaudited)

     

Due in one year or less

   $ 3,059       $ 3,070   

Due from one to five years

     37,623         37,891   

Due from five to ten years

     510         522   

Due after ten years

     —           —     

Mortgage-backed securities

     35,983         36,190   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 77,175       $ 77,673   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

December 31, 2013

     

Due in one year or less

   $ 4,714       $ 4,769   

Due from one to five years

     28,239         28,493   

Due from five to ten years

     2,504         2,489   

Due after ten years

     —           —     

Mortgage-backed securities

     37,601         37,256   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 73,058       $ 73,007   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

There were no sales for realized gains or losses for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 (unaudited) and for the year ended December 31, 2013 of securities available for sale. For the year ended December 31, 2012, proceeds from sales of securities available for sale amounted to $7,273,000, and gross realized gains amounted to $354,000.

At September 30, 2014 (unaudited), December 31, 2013 and 2012, the carrying amount of securities pledged to secure the FHLB advances was $12,338,000, $9,142,000 and $7,300,000, respectively, in addition to the FHLB stock. At September 30, 2014 (unaudited), December 31, 2013 and 2012, the carrying amount of securities pledged to secure the Federal Reserve Bank Line of Credit was $17,912,000, $18,277,000 and $19,243,000, respectively.

Temporarily Impaired Securities

The following table shows the gross unrealized losses and fair value of the Company’s investments with unrealized losses that are not deemed to be other-than-temporarily impaired, aggregated by investment category and length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position at September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012.

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-19


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 3—SECURITIES AVAILABLE FOR SALE  (Continued)

 

Securities available for sale that have been in a continuous unrealized loss position are as follows:

 

     Less Than 12 Months     12 Months or Greater     Total  
     Fair
Value
     Unrealized
Losses
    Fair
Value
     Unrealized
Losses
    Fair
Value
     Unrealized
Losses
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

September 30, 2014 (Unaudited)

               

Municipal securities

   $ 6,844       $ (31   $ 3,748       $ (30   $ 10,592       $ (61

Mortgage-backed securities

     4,470         (18     14,011         (219     18,481         (237
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total debt securities

   $ 11,314       $ (49   $ 17,759       $ (249   $ 29,073       $ (298
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

December, 31, 2013

               

Municipal securities

   $ 10,132       $ (126   $ 976       $ (6   $ 11,108       $ (132

Mortgage-backed securities

     22,024         (670     2,890         (111     24,914         (781
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total debt securities

   $ 32,156       $ (796   $ 3,866       $ (117   $ 36,022       $ (913
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

December 31, 2012

               

Municipal securities

   $ 8,284       $ (41   $ —         $ —        $ 8,284       $ (41

Mortgage-backed securities

     3,400         (12     —           —          3,400         (12
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total debt securities

   $ 11,684       $ (53   $ —         $ —        $ 11,684       $ (53
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

The unrealized loss on the investments at September 30, 2014 (unaudited) and December 31, 2013 and 2012 is due to normal fluctuations and pricing inefficiencies. The contractual terms of the investments do not permit the issuers to settle the securities at a price less than the amortized cost basis of the investment. Because the Company does not intend to sell the investments and it is not more-likely-than-not that the Company will be required to sell the investments before recovery of the amortized cost basis, which may be maturity, the Company does not consider these investments to be other-than-temporarily impaired at September 30, 2014 (unaudited), December 31, 2013 or 2012.

Other-Than-Temporary Impairment

Upon acquisition of a security, the Company decides whether it is within the scope of the accounting guidance for beneficial interests in securitized financial assets or will be evaluated for impairment under the accounting guidance for investments in debt and equity securities.

The accounting guidance for beneficial interest in securitized financial assets provides incremental impairment guidance for a subset of the debt securities within the scope of the guidance for investments in debt and equity securities. For securities where the security is a beneficial interest in securitized financial assets, the Company uses the beneficial interest in securitized financial asset impairment model. For securities where the security is not a beneficial interest in securitized financial assets, the Company uses debt and equity securities impairment model.

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-20


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 3—SECURITIES AVAILABLE FOR SALE  (Continued)

 

The Company routinely conducts periodic reviews to identify and evaluate each investment security to determine whether an other-than-temporary impairment has occurred. Economic models are used to determine whether an other-than-temporary impairment has occurred on these securities. While all securities are considered, the securities primarily impacted by other-than-temporary impairment testing are private-label mortgage-backed securities. For each private-label mortgage-backed security in the investment portfolio (including but not limited to those whose fair value is less than their amortized cost basis) an extensive, regular review is conducted to determine if an other-than-temporary impairment has occurred, Various inputs to the economic models are used to determine if an unrealized loss is other-than-temporary. The most significant inputs are the default rate and the severity of the decline in value. Other inputs may include the actual collateral attributes, which include geographic concentrations, credit ratings, and other performance indicators of the underlying assets.

At September 30, 2014 (unaudited) 38 debt securities had unrealized losses with aggregate depreciation of 1.02% from the Company’s amortized cost basis. At December 31, 2013, 39 debt securities had unrealized losses with aggregate depreciation of 2.47% from the Company’s amortized cost basis. These unrealized losses related principally to GNMA mortgage-backed and municipal debt securities. In analyzing an issuer’s financial condition, management considers whether the securities are issued by the federal government or its agencies, whether downgrades by bond rating agencies have occurred, and industry analysts’ reports. As management has the intent and ability to hold debt security until maturity, for the foreseeable future if classified as available for sale, the decline is not deemed to be other-than-temporary.

NOTE 4—LOANS

The components of loans were as follows:

 

    

September 30,

2014

   

December 31,

 
      
     (unaudited)     2013     2012  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Agricultural loans

   $ 376,737      $ 375,240      $ 381,893   

Commercial real estate loans

     120,542        102,645        123,499   

Commercial loans

     52,172        51,008        57,928   

Residential real estate loans

     41,812        39,901        49,050   

Installment and consumer other

     360        344        1,120   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total loans

     591,623        569,138        613,490   

Allowance for loan losses

     (10,374     (10,495     (12,521
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Loans, net

   $ 581,249      $ 558,643      $ 600,969   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-21


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 4—LOANS  (Continued)

 

The following table presents the aging of the recorded investment in past due loans at September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012:

 

     30-59
Days
Past Due
     60-89
Days
Past Due
     90+ Days
Past Due
     Total Past
Due
     Loans Not
Past Due
     Total
Loans
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

September 30, 2014 (Unaudited)

                 

Agricultural loans

   $ 15       $ —         $ 210       $ 225       $ 376,512       $ 376,737   

Commercial real estate loans

     180         —           4,397         4,577         115,965         120,542   

Commercial loans

     —           —           3,938         3,938         48,234         52,172   

Residential real estate loans

     —           16         510         526         41,286         41,812   

Installment and consumer other

     —           —           —           —           360         360   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 195       $ 16       $ 9,055       $ 9,266       $ 582,357       $ 591,623   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

December 31, 2013

                 

Agricultural loans

   $ 68       $ —         $ 400       $ 468       $ 374,772       $ 375,240   

Commercial real estate loans

     —           —           326         326         102,319         102,645   

Commercial loans

     —           —           1,826         1,826         49,182         51,008   

Residential real estate loans

     123         121         2,083         2,327         37,574         39,901   

Installment and consumer other

     —           —           —           —           344         344   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 191       $ 121       $ 4,635       $ 4,947       $ 564,191       $ 569,138   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

December 31, 2012

                 

Agricultural loans

   $ 32       $ —         $ 927       $ 959       $ 380,934       $ 381,893   

Commercial real estate loans

     —           1,567         1,060         2,627         120,872         123,499   

Commercial loans

     318         —           3,205         3,523         54,405         57,928   

Residential real estate loans

     —           —           1,221         1,221         47,829         49,050   

Installment and consumer other

     —           —           —           —           1,120         1,120   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 350       $ 1,567       $ 6,413       $ 8,330       $ 605,160       $ 613,490   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The following table lists information on nonaccrual, restructured, and certain past due loans:

 

     September 30,
2014
(unaudited)
     December 31,  
        2013      2012  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Nonaccrual loans, 90 days or more past due

   $ 9,055       $ 4,635       $ 6,413   

Nonaccrual loans, 30-89 days past due

     —           207         1,575   

Nonaccrual loans, less than 30 days past due

     3,495         1,215         3,224   

Restructured loans not on nonaccrual status

     918         4,020         5,147   

90 days or more past due and still accruing

     —           —           —     

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-22


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 4—LOANS  (Continued)

 

The following table presents the recorded investment in nonaccrual and loans past due over 90 days on accrual by class of loan:

 

     September 30,
2014
     December 31,  
     (unaudited)      2013      2012  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Agricultural loans

   $ 1,275       $ 1,076       $ 1,374   

Commercial loans

     3,939         1,826         3,213   

Commercial real estate loans

     5,234         326         5,404   

Residential real estate loans

     2,102         2,828         1,221   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 12,550       $ 6,056       $ 11,212   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

All nonaccrual loans are considered to be impaired. Total loans considered impaired and their related reserve balances are as follows:

 

     September 30,
2014
     December 31,  
     (unaudited)      2013      2012  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Impaired loans without a specific allowance

   $ 5,788       $ 7,352       $ 4,999   

Impaired loans with a specific allowance

     31,371         44,933         52,544   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total impaired loans

   $ 37,159       $ 52,285       $ 57,543   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Specific allowance related to impaired loans

   $ 3,704       $ 3,096       $ 5,151   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The average recorded investment in total impaired loans for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 (unaudited) amounted to approximately $44,722,000. The average recorded investment in total impaired loans for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 amounted to approximately $54,914,000 and $78,616,000, respectively. Interest income recognized on total impaired loans for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 (unaudited) amounted to approximately $2,068,000 and $2,577,000, respectively. Interest income recognized on total impaired loans for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 amounted to approximately $3,436,000 and $4,303,000, respectively. For nonaccrual loans included in impaired loans, the interest income that would have been recognized had those loans been performing in accordance with their original terms would have been approximately $644,000 and $373,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 (unaudited), respectively, and $497,000 and $797,000 for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-23


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 4—LOANS  (Continued)

 

The following tables present loans individually evaluated for impairment by class of loans at September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012:

 

     Unpaid
Principal
Balance
     Recorded
Investment
     Allowance
for Loan
Losses
Allocated
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

September 30, 2014 (unaudited)

        

With no related allowance:

        

Agricultural loans

   $ 4,140       $ 4,140       $ —     

Commercial real estate loans

     856         627         —     

Commercial loans

     301         301         —     

Residential real estate loans

     2,109         720         —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     7,406         5,788         —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

With an allowance recorded:

        

Agricultural loans

     11,562         11,904         388   

Commercial real estate loans

     8,922         8,849         721   

Commercial loans

     7,270         6,356         2,209   

Residential real estate loans

     4,880         4,262         386   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     32,634         31,371         3,704   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 40,040       $ 37,159       $ 3,704   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

     Unpaid
Principal
Balance
     Recorded
Investment
     Allowance
for Loan
Losses
Allocated
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

December 31, 2013

        

With no related allowance:

        

Agricultural loans

   $ 3,756       $ 3,756       $ —     

Commercial loans

     2,158         1,715         —     

Commercial real estate loans

     1,585         1,196         —     

Residential real estate loans

     2,074         685         —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     9,573         7,352         —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

With an allowance recorded:

        

Agricultural loans

     25,527         25,527         268   

Commercial loans

     9,359         9,047         1,637   

Commercial real estate loans

     5,189         5,189         833   

Residential real estate loans

     5,563         5,170         358   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     45,638         44,933         3,096   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 55,211       $ 52,285       $ 3,096   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-24


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 4—LOANS  (Continued)

 

     Unpaid
Principal
Balance
     Recorded
Investment
     Allowance
for Loan
Losses
Allocated
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

December 31, 2012

        

With no related allowance:

        

Agricultural loans

   $ 1,217       $ 1,039       $ —     

Commercial loans

     1,306         1,116         —     

Commercial real estate loans

     3,022         2,698         —     

Residential real estate loans

     248         146         —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     5,793         4,999         —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

With an allowance recorded:

        

Agricultural loans

     27,685         27,685         375   

Commercial loans

     10,022         9,995         1,709   

Commercial real estate loans

     11,002         10,518         2,328   

Residential real estate loans

     5,736         4,346         739   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 
     54,445         52,544         5,151   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 60,238       $ 57,543       $ 5,151   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Changes in the allowance for loan losses are as follows:

 

     September 30,
2014
(unaudited)
    December 31,  
       2013     2012  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Balance, beginning of year

   $ 10,495      $ 12,521      $ 9,090   

Provision for loan losses

     —          4,200        4,200   

Loans charged off

     (218     (6,438     (1,520

Recoveries

     97        212        751   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance, end of period

   $ 10,374      $ 10,495      $ 12,521   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-25


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 4—LOANS  (Continued)

 

Changes in the allowance for loan losses by portfolio segment were as follows:

 

     September 30, 2014 (unaudited)  
     Beginning
Balance
     Provision
for Loan
Losses
    Loans
Charged
Off
    Loan
Recoveries
     Ending
Balance
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

Agricultural loans

   $ 3,144       $ 257      $ (115   $ 17       $ 3,303   

Commercial real estate loans

     3,254         (199     —          61         3,116   

Commercial loans

     2,172         531        (103     18         2,618   

Residential real estate loans

     1,819         (222     —          —           1,597   

Installment and consumer other

     3         —          —          1         4   

Unallocated

     103         (367     —          —           (264
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 10,495       $ —        $ (218   $ 97       $ 10,374   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

     December 31, 2013  
     Beginning
Balance
     Provision
for Loan
Losses
    Loans
Charged
Off
    Loan
Recoveries
     Ending
Balance
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

Agricultural loans

   $ 3,333       $ (205   $ —        $ 16       $ 3,144   

Commercial real estate loans

     4,838         1,592        (3,361     185         3,254   

Commercial loans

     2,283         18        (132     3         2,172   

Residential real estate loans

     1,755         3,001        (2,945     8         1,819   

Installment and consumer other

     13         (10     —          —           3   

Unallocated

     299         (196     —          —           103   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 12,521       $ 4,200      $ (6,438   $ 212       $ 10,495   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

     December 31, 2012  
     Beginning
Balance
     Provision
for Loan
Losses
     Loans
Charged
Off
    Loan
Recoveries
    Ending
Balance
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

Agricultural loans

   $ 1,946       $ 1,315       $ —        $ 72      $ 3,333   

Commercial real estate loans

     3,766         1,864         (1,144     352        4,838   

Commercial loans

     1,315         766         (94     296        2,283   

Residential real estate loans

     1,954         51         (282     32        1,755   

Installment and consumer other

     7         7         —          (1     13   

Unallocated

     102         197         —          —          299   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

   $ 9,090       $ 4,200       $ (1,520   $ 751      $ 12,521   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-26


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 4—LOANS  (Continued)

 

The following table presents the balances in the allowance for loan losses and the recorded investment in loans by portfolio segment and based on impairment method at:

 

     September 30, 2014 (unaudited)  
     Individually
Evaluated for
Impairment
     Collectively
Evaluated for
Impairment
    Total  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Allowance for loan losses:

       

Agricultural loans

   $ 388       $ 2,915      $ 3,303   

Commercial real estate loans

     721         2,395        3,116   

Commercial loans

     2,209         409        2,618   

Residential real estate loans

     386         1,211        1,597   

Installment and consumer other

     —           4        4   

Unallocated

     —           (264     (264
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total ending allowance for loan losses

     3,704         6,670        10,374   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Loans:

       

Agricultural loans

     16,044         360,693        376,737   

Commercial real estate loans

     9,476         111,066        120,542   

Commercial loans

     6,657         45,515        52,172   

Residential real estate loans

     4,982         36,830        41,812   

Installment and consumer other

     —           360        360   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total loans

     37,159         554,464        591,623   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net loans

   $ 33,455       $ 547,794      $ 581,249   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-27


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 4—LOANS  (Continued)

 

     December 31, 2013  
     Individually
Evaluated for
Impairment
     Collectively
Evaluated for
Impairment
     Total  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Allowance for loan losses:

        

Agricultural loans

   $ 268       $ 2,876       $ 3,144   

Commercial real estate loans

     833         2,421         3,254   

Commercial loans

     1,637         535         2,172   

Residential real estate loans

     358         1,461         1,819   

Installment and consumer other

     —           3         3   

Unallocated

     —           103         103   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total ending allowance for loan losses

     3,096         7,399         10,495   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Loans:

        

Agricultural loans

     29,283         345,957         375,240   

Commercial real estate loans

     6,385         96,260         102,645   

Commercial loans

     10,762         40,246         51,008   

Residential real estate loans

     5,855         34,046         39,901   

Installment and consumer other

     —           344         344   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total loans

     52,285         516,853         569,138   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net loans

   $ 49,189       $ 509,454       $ 558,643   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

     December 31, 2012  
     Individually
Evaluated for
Impairment
     Collectively
Evaluated for
Impairment
     Total  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Allowance for loan losses:

        

Agricultural loans

   $ 375       $ 2,958       $ 3,333   

Commercial real estate loans

     2,328         2,510         4,838   

Commercial loans

     1,709         574         2,283   

Residential real estate loans

     739         1,016         1,755   

Installment and consumer other

     —           13         13   

Unallocated

     —           299         299   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total ending allowance for loan losses

     5,151         7,370         12,521   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Loans:

        

Agricultural loans

     28,724         353,169         381,893   

Commercial real estate loans

     13,216         110,283         123,499   

Commercial loans

     11,111         46,817         57,928   

Residential real estate loans

     4,492         44,558         49,050   

Installment and consumer other

     —           1,120         1,120   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total loans

     57,543         555,947         613,490   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net loans

   $ 52,392       $ 548,577       $ 600,969   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-28


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 4—LOANS  (Continued)

 

Troubled Debt Restructurings

The Company has allocated $589,000, $506,000 and $1,062,000 of specific reserves to customers whose loan terms have been modified in troubled debt restructurings at September 30, 2014 (unaudited), December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The Company has no additional lending commitments at December 31, 2013 and 2012 to customers with outstanding loans that are classified as troubled debt restructurings.

A TDR on nonaccrual status is classified as a nonaccrual loan until evaluation supports reasonable assurance of repayment and of performance according to the modified terms of the loan. Once this assurance is reached, the TDR is classified as a restructured loan. At September 30, 2014 (unaudited) there were $4,094,000 TDR loans, of which $3,176,000 were classified as nonaccrual and $918,000 were classified as restructured and accruing. At December 31, 2013, there were $7,015,000 TDR loans, of which $2,995,000 were classified as nonaccrual and $4,020,000 were classified as restructured and accruing. There were no unfunded commitments on these loans. There were no unfunded commitments on these loans. At December 31, 2012, there were $7,788,000 TDR loans, of which $2,641,000 were classified as nonaccrual and $5,147,000 were classified as restructured and accruing and there were no unfunded commitments on these loans.

Credit Quality Indicators

The Company categorizes loans into risk categories based on relevant information about the ability of the borrowers to service their debt, such as current financial information, historical payment experience, credit documentation, public information and current economic trends, among other factors. The Company analyzes agricultural, commercial, and commercial real estate loans individually by classifying the credits as to credit risk. The process of analyzing loans for changes in risk rating is ongoing through routine monitoring of the portfolio and annual internal credit reviews for credits with total exposure in excess of $300,000. The Company uses the following definitions for credit risk ratings:

Sound. Credits classified as sound show very good probability of ongoing ability to meet and/or exceed obligations.

Acceptable. Credits classified as acceptable show a good probability of ongoing ability to meet and/or exceed obligations.

Satisfactory. Credits classified as satisfactory show fair probability of ongoing ability to meet and/or exceed obligations.

Watch. Credits classified as watch show some questionable probability of ongoing ability to meet and/or exceed obligations.

Special Mention. Credits classified as special mention show potential weaknesses that deserve management’s close attention. If left uncorrected, these potential weaknesses may result in deterioration of the repayment prospects for the loans or of the institution’s credit position at some future date.

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-29


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 4—LOANS  (Continued)

 

Substandard . Credits classified as substandard generally have well-defined weaknesses that jeopardize the repayment of the debt. They have a distinct possibility that a loss will be sustained if the deficiencies are not corrected.

Doubtful. Credits classified as doubtful have all the weaknesses inherent in those classified as substandard with the added characteristic that the weaknesses make collection or liquidation in full, on the basis of currently existing facts, conditions, and values, highly questionable.

The Company categorizes residential real estate, installment and consumer other loans as satisfactory at the time of origination based on information obtained as to the ability of the borrower(s) to service their debt, such as current financial information, employment status and history, historical payment experience, credit scores and type and amount of collateral among other factors. The Company updates relevant information on these types of loans at the time of refinance, troubled debt restructuring or other indications of financial difficulty, downgrading as needed using the same category descriptions as for agricultural, commercial, and commercial real estate loans. In addition, the Company further considers current payment status as an indicator of which risk category to assign the borrower.

The greater the level of deteriorated risk as indicated by a loan’s assigned risk category, the greater the likelihood a loss will occur in the future. If the loan is impaired then the loan loss reserves for the loan is recorded at the loss level of impairment. If the loan is not impaired, then its loan loss reserves are determined by the application of a loss rate that increases with risk in accordance with the allowance for loan loss analysis.

Based on the most recent analysis performed by management, the risk category of loans by class of loans is as follows:

 

     As of September 30, 2014 (unaudited)  
     Sound/
Acceptable/
Satisfactory
     Watch      Special
Mention
     Substandard      Total
Loans
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

Agricultural loans

   $ 306,434       $ 54,259       $ 4,695       $ 11,349       $ 376,737   

Commercial real estate loans

     86,935         24,131         1,903         7,573         120,542   

Commercial loans

     38,309         7,206         695         5,962         52,172   

Residential real estate loans

     30,056         6,774         2,818         2,164         41,812   

Installment and consumer other

     360         —           —           —           360   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 462,094       $ 92,370       $ 10,111       $ 27,048       $ 591,623   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-30


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 4—LOANS  (Continued)

 

     As of December 31, 2013  
     Sound/
Acceptable/
Satisfactory
     Watch      Special
Mention
     Substandard      Total
Loans
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

Agricultural loans

   $ 307,673       $ 39,004       $ 21,244       $ 7,319       $ 375,240   

Commercial real estate loans

     67,259         25,604         2,719         7,063         102,645   

Commercial loans

     32,300         11,280         1,023         6,405         51,008   

Residential real estate loans

     27,598         5,993         3,117         3,193         39,901   

Installment and consumer other

     344         —           —           —           344   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 435,174       $ 81,881       $ 28,103       $ 23,980       $ 569,138   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

     As of December 31, 2012  
     Sound/
Acceptable/
Satisfactory
     Watch      Special
Mention
     Substandard      Total
Loans
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

Agricultural loans

   $ 267,632       $ 82,518       $ 21,180       $ 10,563       $ 381,893   

Commercial real estate loans

     59,043         50,199         6,711         7,546         123,499   

Commercial loans

     34,406         13,118         7,351         3,053         57,928   

Residential real estate loans

     27,418         16,837         3,060         1,735         49,050   

Installment and consumer other

     1,104         12         —           4         1,120   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 389,603       $ 162,684       $ 38,302       $ 22,901       $ 613,490   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

NOTE 5—PREMISES AND EQUIPMENT

Premises and equipment consisted of the following:

 

     September 30,
2014,
(unaudited)
   

 

December 31

    Estimated
Useful Life
     2013     2012    
     (dollars in thousands)

Land

   $ 896      $ 275      $ 275      N/A

Bank premises

     3,714        3,711        3,433      35-40 years

Furniture, fixtures, and equipment

     3,389        3,583        2,946      3-7 years
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   
     7,999        7,569        6,654     

Accumulated depreciation

     (3,270     (3,334     (2,952  
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   
   $ 4,729      $ 4,235      $ 3,702     
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

Depreciation expense charged to operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 (unaudited) totaled $461,000 and $342,000, respectively. Depreciation expense charged to operations for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 totaled $462,000 and $528,000, respectively.

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-31


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

 

NOTE 6—LOAN SERVICING RIGHTS

Loans serviced for others are not included in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The risks inherent in servicing assets relate primarily to changes in prepayments that result from shifts in interest rates. The unpaid principal balances of mortgage and other loans serviced for others were $415,165,000, $414,129,000, and $362,974,000 at September 30, 2014 (unaudited), December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

The fair values of these rights were $9,873,000, $9,438,000 and $7,664,000 respectively. The fair value of servicing rights was determined using an assumed discount rate of 10 percent and prepayment speeds primarily ranging from 4 percent to 9 percent, depending upon the stratification of the specific right, and nominal anticipated credit losses.

The following summarizes servicing rights capitalized and amortized, along with the aggregate activity in related valuation allowances:

 

     September 30,
2014
   

 

December 31,

 
     (unaudited)     2013     2012  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Loan servicing rights:

      

Balance at beginning of period

   $ 7,529      $ 6,117      $ 5,024   

Additions

     2,574        4,592        3,694   

Disposals

     (983     (1,363     (2,173

Amortization

     (1,476     (1,817     (428
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at end of period

   $ 7,644      $ 7,529      $ 6,117   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

NOTE 7—OTHER REAL ESTATE OWNED

Changes in other real estate owned are as follows:

 

     September 30,
2014
   

 

December 31,

 
     (unaudited)     2013     2012  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Balance at beginning of period

   $ 16,083      $ 10,517      $ 6,543   

Assets foreclosed

     1,321        25,029        8,467   

Write-down of other real estate owned

     (729     (2,373     (233

Net gain (loss) on sales of other real estate owned

     (235     737        673   

Proceeds from sales of other real estate owned

     (8,291     (17,827     (4,933
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance at end of period

   $ 8,149      $ 16,083      $ 10,517   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-32


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 7—OTHER REAL ESTATE OWNED  (Continued)

 

Expenses applicable to other real estate owned include the following:

 

Net loss (gain) on sales of other real estate owned

     235       $ (737   $ (673

Write-down of other real estate owned

     729         2,373        233   

Operating expenses, net of rental income

     175         581        640   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
   $ 1,139       $ 2,217      $ 200   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

NOTE 8—DEPOSITS

Deposits are summarized as follows:

 

     September 30,
2014
(unaudited)
    

 

December 31,

 
        2013      2012  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Demand deposits

   $ 63,825       $ 57,231       $ 54,276   

Savings

     144,359         126,373         106,509   

Certificates of deposit

     391,747         432,704         452,034   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total deposits

   $ 599,931       $ 616,308       $ 612,819   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The scheduled maturities of certificates of deposit are as follows:

 

     September 30,
2014
(unaudited)
    

 

December 31,
2013

 
     (dollars in thousands)  

1 year or less

   $ 186,734       $ 156,586   

1 to 2 years

     82,088         124,602   

2 to 3 years

     73,391         55,183   

3 to 4 years

     35,086         78,798   

Over 4 years

     14,448         17,535   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 391,747       $ 432,704   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-33


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

 

NOTE 9—ADVANCES FROM FHLB AND OTHER BORROWINGS

The Bank had advances outstanding from the FHLB in the amount of $22,000,000, $22,000,000 and $25,000,000 on September 30, 2014 (unaudited), December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. These advances, rate and maturities are as follows:

 

Loan Type

   Maturity      Rate     September 30,
2014
(unaudited)
    

 

December 31,

 
           2013      2012  

Fixed rate, fixed term

     04/22/2013         1.95   $ —         $ —         $ 2,300   

Fixed rate, fixed term

     09/16/2013         1.26     —           —           3,000   

Fixed rate, fixed term

     03/19/2014         3.00     —           5,000         5,000   

Fixed rate, fixed term

     07/16/2015         3.59     2,000         2,000         2,000   

Fixed rate, fixed term

     08/25/2015         1.79     1,000         1,000         1,000   

Fixed rate, fixed term

     08/25/2015         1.89     2,000         2,000         2,000   

Fixed rate, fixed term

     11/09/2015         0.44     1,750         1,750         1,750   

Fixed rate, fixed term

     06/28/2016         0.96     2,150         2,150         2,150   

Fixed rate, fixed term

     03/15/2017         1.46     2,000         2,000         2,000   

Fixed rate, fixed term

     11/15/2017         0.95     3,800         3,800         3,800   

Fixed rate, fixed term

     04/23/2018         1.07     2,300         2,300         —     

Fixed rate, fixed term

     08/14/2019         1.77     2,000         —           —     

Fixed rate, fixed term

     08/16/2021         2.29     3,000         —           —     
       

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total Advances from FHLB

        $ 22,000       $ 22,000       $ 25,000   
       

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The terms of security agreements with FHLB require the Bank to pledge collateral for their respective borrowings. The collateral consists of qualifying first mortgage loans, certain securities available for sale, and all stock in FHLB.

In addition to the borrowings summarized above, the Bank has an irrevocable letter of credit with FHLB dated September 14, 2009, totaling $600,000 at September 30, 2014 (unaudited), December 31, 2013 and 2012, and an irrevocable letter of credit with the FHLB dated June 20, 2010 totaling $4,136,000, $4,474,000 and $4,634,000 at September 30, 2014 (unaudited), December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. There was no amount outstanding under these letters of credit as of September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 or 2012. The letters of credit expire on September 13, 2019 and July 15, 2018, respectively.

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-34


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 9—ADVANCES FROM FHLB AND OTHER BORROWINGS  (Continued)

 

Future maturities of borrowings are as follows:

 

     September 30,
2014
(unaudited)
    

 

December 31,
2013

 
     (dollars in thousands)  

1 year or less

   $ 5,000       $ 5,000   

1 to 2 years

     3,900         6,750   

2 to 3 years

     2,000         2,150   

3 to 4 years

     6,100         5,800   

Over 4 years

     5,000         2,300   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 
   $ 22,000       $ 22,000   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

As of September 30, 2014 (unaudited), December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Bank also had a $50,000,000 line-of-credit available with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Borrowings under this line of credit are limited by the amount of securities pledged by the Bank as collateral, which totaled $17,912,000 and $18,278,000 and $19,243,000 at September 30, 2014 (unaudited), December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

We also have other borrowings as a result of sold loans that do not qualify for sale accounting. These agreements are recorded as financing transactions as we maintain effective control over the transferred loans. The dollar amount of the loans underlying the sale agreements continues to be carried in our loan portfolio and the transfer is reported as a secured borrowing with pledge of collateral.

The following table sets forth information concerning balances and interest rates on other borrowings as of and for the periods indicated.

 

     For the Nine Months Ended
September 30,
(unaudited)
    For the Years Ended
December 31,
 
         2014             2013           2013         2012    
     (dollars in thousands)  

Other Borrowings:

      

Balance outstanding at end of period

   $ 9,347      $ 14,360      $ 14,169      $ 18,396   

Average amount outstanding during the period

     12,377        18,587        17,498        11,883   

Maximum amount outstanding at any month end

     14,063        24,770        24,770        19,230   

Weighted average interest rate during the period

     4.99     4.96     4.96     4.99

Weighted average interest rate at end of period

     4.99     4.96     4.96     4.99

NOTE 10—SUBORDINATED DEBENTURES AND SBLF PREFERRED STOCK

In September 2005 and June 2006, the Company formed wholly owned subsidiary business trusts, County Bancorp Statutory Trust II (“Trust II”) and Statutory Trust III (“Trust III”) (together, the “Trusts”), which are both Delaware statutory trusts, for the purpose of issuing capital securities which qualify as Tier 1 capital of the

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-35


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 10—SUBORDINATED DEBENTURES AND SBLF PREFERRED STOCK  (Continued)

 

Company. Trust II issued at par $6.0 million of floating rate capital securities in an exempt offering. The capital securities are nonvoting, mandatorily redeemable in 2035, and guaranteed by the Company. Trust III issued at par $6.0 million of floating rate capital securities in an exempt offering. The capital securities are nonvoting, mandatorily redeemable in 2036, and guaranteed by the Company.

The capital securities carry an interest rate identical to that of the related debentures. In Trust II, holders of capital securities are entitled to receive cumulative cash distributions, at a rate of 6.1% through September 2015, and a rate based on the three month LIBOR plus 1.53% thereafter through maturity. In Trust III, holders of capital securities are entitled to receive cumulative cash distributions, at a rate based on the three month LIBOR plus 1.69% through maturity, which was 1.92% as of September 30, 2014.

The distribution rate payable on the capital securities is cumulative and payable quarterly in arrears. The Company has the right, subject to events in default, to defer payments of interest on the debentures at any time by extending the interest payment period for a period not exceeding 20 consecutive quarters with respect to each deferral period, provided that no extension period may extend beyond the redemption or maturity dates of the debentures. The capital securities are subject to mandatory redemption upon payment of the debentures. Trust II and III mature on September 15, 2035 and June 15, 2036, respectively, may be called not earlier than September 15, 2015 and June 15, 2016, respectively, if certain conditions are met, or at any time within 180 days following the occurrence and continuation of certain changes in either tax treatment or the capital treatment of Trust II and Trust III, the debentures, or the capital securities. If the debentures are redeemed before they mature, the redemption price will be the principal amount plus any accrued but unpaid interest. The Company has the right to terminate Trust II and Trust III and cause the debentures to be distributed to the holders of the capital securities in liquidation of such Trusts.

The Company owns all of the outstanding common securities of Trust II and Trust III. The Trusts used the proceeds from the issuance of their capital securities to buy floating rate junior subordinated deferrable interest debentures (“debentures”) issued by the Company. These debentures are the Trusts’ only assets and interest payments from these debentures finance the distributions paid on the capital securities. These debentures are unsecured, rank junior, and are subordinate in the right of payment to all senior debt of the Company.

The capital securities of Trust II and Trust III have been structured to qualify as Tier 1 capital for regulatory purposes. However, the securities cannot be used to constitute more than 25 percent of the Company’s “core” Tier 1 capital according to regulatory requirements. The Company utilized the proceeds of the Trust II issuances for general corporate purposes and Trust III issuances to redeem the securities of County Bancorp Statutory Trust I.

The Small Business Lending Fund (SBLF) Preferred Stock qualifies as Tier 1 capital and will accrue noncumulative dividends, payable quarterly, on each January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1. The dividend rate, as a percentage of the liquidation amount, fluctuated on a quarterly basis during the first 10 quarters during which the preferred stock was outstanding, based upon changes in the level of “Qualified Small Business Lending” (“QSBL”), by the Company’s subsidiary bank. The dividend rate was based upon the percentage change in QSBL between each dividend period and the baseline QSBL level, as determined in accordance with

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-36


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 10—SUBORDINATED DEBENTURES AND SBLF PREFERRED STOCK  (Continued)

 

the Purchase Agreement. Beginning with the fourth quarter of 2013, the dividend rate was fixed at an annualized 1.00% through the fourth quarter of 2015. If the SBLF Preferred Stock remains outstanding in the first quarter of 2016, the dividend rate will be fixed at 9%. Such dividends are not cumulative, but the Company may only declare and pay dividends on its common stock (or any other equity securities junior to the SBLF Preferred Stock) if it has declared and paid dividends for the current dividend period on the SBLF Preferred Stock, and will be subject to other restrictions on its ability to repurchase or redeem other securities.

The Company may redeem the shares of SBLF Preferred Stock, in whole or in part, at any time at a redemption price equal to the sum of the liquidation amount per share ($1,000 per share) and the per-share amount of any unpaid dividends for the then-current period, subject to any required prior approval by the Company’s primary federal banking regulator. The terms of the SBLF Preferred Stock impose limits on the ability of the Company to pay dividends and repurchase shares of common stock. Under the terms of the SBLF Preferred Stock, no repurchases may be effected, and no dividends may be declared or paid on preferred shares ranking pari passu with the SBLF Preferred Stock, junior preferred shares, or other junior securities (including the common stock) during the current quarter and for the next three quarters following the failure to declare and pay dividends on the SBLF Preferred Stock, except that, in any such quarter in which the dividend is paid, dividend payments on shares ranking pari passu may be paid to the extent necessary to avoid any resulting material covenant breach.

NOTE 11—INCOME TAXES

Allocation of income tax expense between current and deferred portions consists of the following for:

 

     September 30,
2014
(unaudited)
    

 

December 31,

 
        2013     2012  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Current

       

Federal income tax

   $ 2,185       $ 3,325      $ 4,178   

State income tax

     546         883        1,040   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total current

     2,731         4,208        5,218   

Deferred income tax expense (benefit)

     872         (68     (617
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

   $ 3,603       $ 4,140      $ 4,601   
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-37


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 11—INCOME TAXES  (Continued)

 

The reasons for the difference between income tax expense and the amount computed by applying the statutory tax rates to income before taxes are as follows:

 

     September 30,
2014
(unaudited)
   

 

December 31,

 
       2013     2012  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Statutory federal tax rate

     34     34     34

Income tax at statutory federal rate

   $ 3,240      $ 3,792      $ 4,160   

Increase (reduction) resulting from:

      

State income taxes, net of federal income tax benefit

     625        583        686   

Tax exempt interest

     (177     (217     (191

Increase in cash surrender value

     (72     (101     (103

Other

     (13     83        49   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income tax expense

   $ 3,603      $ 4,140      $ 4,601   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Effective tax rate

     38     37     38

The components of the net deferred tax asset are as follows:

 

     September 30,
2014
(unaudited)
     December 31,  
        2013      2012  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Deferred tax assets:

        

Management salary continuation accrued

   $ 706       $ 647       $ 564   

Allowance for loan losses

     4,082         3,781         4,579   

Deferred compensation

     370         384         259   

Interest on nonaccrual loans

     156         42         95   

Other real estate owned

     708         1,804         496   

Available for sale investment securities

     —           20         —     

Other

     186         161         134   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total deferred tax assets

     6,208         6,839         6,127   

Deferred tax liabilities:

        

Loan servicing rights

     3,008         2,962         2,407   

Depreciation and amortization

     207         268         294   

FHLB stock dividend

     106         106         106   

Available for sale investment securities

     196         —           641   

Other

     456         180         85   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total deferred tax liabilities

     3,973         3,516         3,533   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net deferred tax asset

   $ 2,235       $ 3,323       $ 2,594   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-38


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

 

NOTE 12—OFF-BALANCE SHEET ACTIVITIES

Credit-Related Financial Instruments

The Bank is a party to credit related financial instruments with off-balance-sheet risk in the normal course of business to meet the financing needs of its customers. These financial instruments include commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit. Such commitments involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit and interest rate risk in excess of the amount recognized in the consolidated balance sheets.

The Bank’s exposure to credit loss is represented by the contractual amount of these commitments. The Bank follows the same credit policies in making commitments as it does for on-balance sheet instruments.

Financial instruments, whose contract amount represents credit risk as of December 31, were as follows:

 

     September 30,
2014
(unaudited)
    

 

December 31,

 
        2013      2012  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Commitments to extend credit and unused lines of credit, including unused credit card lines

   $ 229,791       $ 136,873       $ 96,477   

Standby letters of credit

     4,907         4,803         4,376   

Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend funds to a customer as long as there is no violation of any condition established in the contract. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of a fee. Since many of the commitments are expected to expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. The amount of collateral obtained, if deemed necessary by the Bank, is based on management’s credit evaluation of the customer.

Unfunded commitments under commercial lines of credit, revolving credit lines and overdraft protection agreements are commitments for possible future extensions of credit to existing customers. These lines of credit are usually collateralized and contain a specified maturity date and may not be drawn upon to the total extent to which the Bank is committed.

Standby letters of credit are conditional commitments issued by the Bank to guarantee the payment or the performance of a Bank customer to a third party. Both standby and performance letters of credit are generally issued for terms of one to four years. The credit risk involved in issuing letters of credit is essentially the same as that involved in extending loan facilities to customers. The Bank generally holds collateral supporting these commitments.

NOTE 13—DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES

Derivative Loan Commitments

Loan commitments are referred to as derivative loan commitments if the loan that will result from exercise of the commitment will be held for sale upon funding. The Company enters into commitments to fund loans at specified

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-39


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 13—DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES  (Continued)

 

times in the future, with the intention that these loans will subsequently be sold in the secondary market. A loan commitment binds the Company to lend funds to a potential borrower at a specified interest rate and within a specified period of time, generally up to 60 days after inception of the rate lock.

Outstanding derivative loan commitments expose the Company to the risk that the price of the loans arising from exercise of the loan commitment might decline from inception of the rate lock to funding of the loan due to increases in interest rates. If interest rates increase, the value of these loan commitments decreases. Conversely, if interest rates decrease, the value of these loan commitments increases. The notional amount of interest rate lock commitments was $-0- at September 30, 2014 (unaudited), December 31, 2013 and 2012.

Collateral Requirements

To reduce credit risk related to the use of derivatives financial instruments, the Company might deem it necessary to obtain collateral. The amount and nature of the collateral obtained is based on the Company’s credit evaluation of the customer. Collateral held varies, but may include cash, securities, accounts receivable, inventory, property, plant and equipment and real estate. If the counterparty does not have the right and ability to redeem the collateral or the Company is permitted to sell or re-pledge the collateral on short notice, the Company records the collateral in its balance sheet at fair value with a corresponding obligation to return it.

NOTE 14—EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

The Company has a 401(k) plan covering substantially all employees. The Company’s contributions are based upon the discretion of the board of directors. Total expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 (unaudited) was $345,000 and $355,000, respectively, and for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 was $475,000 and $420,000, respectively.

On May 1, 2006, the Company entered into salary continuation agreements with five key employees. Under these agreements, the key employees will receive $60,000 per year beginning on their retirement age, defined as age 65, and continuing for 15 years.

During 2011, the Company entered into salary continuation agreements with two additional key employees. Under these agreements, the key employees will receive amounts ranging between $36,000 and $60,000 annually, depending on their age at retirement, commencing upon retirement and continuing for 15 years.

As of September 30, 2014 (unaudited), December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, the Company had accrued $1,795,000, $1,643,000 and $1,434,000 in conjunction with these salary continuation agreements.

NOTE 15—EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

Under the Company’s 2012 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Plan”), the Company may grant options and issue restricted stock to its directors, officers and employees for shares of common stock. Both qualified and non-qualified stock options and restricted stock may be granted and issued, respectively, under the Plan. The

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-40


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 15—EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN  (Continued)

 

exercise price of each option equals the market price of the Company’s stock on the date of grant and an option’s maximum term is ten years. Vesting periods range from one to five years from the date of grant. The restricted stock has a cliff vesting period of five years from the date of issuance.

The fair value of each option grant was estimated on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following assumptions:

 

     September 30,
2014
(unaudited)
   

 

December 31,

 
           2013             2012      

Risk-free interest rates

     1.38-2.25     1.38-2.25     1.45

Dividend yields

     —          —          —     

Expected volatility

     35.00     35.00     2.00

Weighted-average expected life of the options

     7.00 years        7.00 years        7.00 years   

The expected volatility is based on historical volatility. The risk free rates for periods within the contractual life of the awards are based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of the grant. The expected life is based on historical exercise experience. The dividend yield assumption is based on the Company’s history of not declaring dividends on its common stock.

The status of the Company’s stock option plan and changes in that plan as of September 30, 2014 and for the years ended December 31 are as follows:

 

     September 30, 2014
(unaudited)
     December 31,  
        2013      2012  

Options

   Number
of
Options
    Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
     Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value (1)
     Number
of
Options
    Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
     Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value (1)
     Number
of
Options
    Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
 
     (dollars in thousands except option and per share data)  

Outstanding, beginning of year

     405,100      $ 11.02            364,010      $ 10.59            429,010      $ 9.77   

Granted

     26,631        14.46            51,090        13.28            15,000        12.36   

Exercised

     (44,790     11.30            (10,000     6.90            (80,000     6.63   

Forfeited/expired

     (10,890     13.79            —          —              —          —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

       

 

 

   

 

 

       

 

 

   

 

 

 

Outstanding, end of period

     376,051      $ 11.15       $ 714,847         405,100      $ 11.02       $ 484,488         364,010      $ 10.57   
  

 

 

   

 

 

       

 

 

   

 

 

       

 

 

   

 

 

 

Options exercisable at period-end

     246,600      $ 10.28       $ 684,564         220,180      $ 9.88       $ 515,001         151,120      $ 8.74   

Weighted-average fair value of options granted during the period (2)

     $ 3.52            $ 3.43            $ 0.92   

 

(1)

The aggregate intrinsic value of a stock option in the table above represents the total pre-tax intrinsic value (the amount by which the current market value of the underlying stock exceeds the exercise price of the

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-41


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 15—EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN  (Continued)

 

  option) that would have been received by the option holders had all option holders exercised their options on September 30, 2014 or December 31, 2013. This amount changes based on changes in the market value of the Company’s stock.
(2) The fair value (present value of the estimated future benefit to the option holder) of each option grant is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model.

Information pertaining to options outstanding at September 30, 2014 (unaudited) is as follows:

 

    Options Outstanding     Options Exercisable  

Exercise Price

  Number
Outstanding
    Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
    Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
    Number
Exercisable
    Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
 
$  6.90     20,000        0.25 Years      $ 6.90        20,000      $ 6.90   
    6.90     5,000        0.43 Years        6.90        5,000        6.90   
    6.90     5,000        0.52 Years        6.90        5,000        6.90   
    8.40     45,000        1.25 Years        8.40        45,000        8.40   
  10.08     52,490        2.25 Years        10.08        52,490        10.08   
  11.63     55,360        3.25 Years        11.63        55,360        11.63   
  12.08     10,000        3.62 Years        12.08        10,000        12.08   
  12.00     26,570        4.25 Years        12.00        26,570        12.00   
  12.00     5,000        4.55 Years        12.00        5,000        12.00   
  12.00     10,000        4.84 Years        12.00        10,000        12.00   
  12.00     5,000        5.50 Years        12.00        —          —     
  12.00     5,000        5.54 Years        12.00        —          —     
  12.00     10,000        5.74 Years        12.00        —          —     
  12.00     5,000        5.96 Years        12.00        —          —     
  12.00     34,800        6.26 Years        12.00        —          —     
  12.18     5,000        7.69 Years        12.18        —          —     
  12.45     5,000        7.86 Years        12.45        —          —     
  12.45     5,000        7.91 Years        12.45        —          —     
  13.02     36,570        8.34 Years        13.02        12,180        13.02   
  14.29     3,630        9.21 Years        14.29        —          —     
  14.28     19,890        9.26 Years        14.28        —          —     
  14.83     3,450        9.64 Years        14.83        —          —     
  15.19     3,291        9.76 Years        15.19        —          —     
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Outstanding
at end of
period
    376,051        4.39 Years      $ 11.15        246,600      $ 10.28   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-42


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 15—EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN  (Continued)

 

Information pertaining to options outstanding at December 31, 2013 is as follows:

 

    Options Outstanding     Options Exercisable  

Exercise Price

  Number
Outstanding
    Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
    Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
    Number
Exercisable
    Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
 
$  6.90     20,000        1.00 Years      $ 6.90        20,000      $ 6.90   
    6.90     5,000        1.22 Years        6.90        5,000        6.90   
    6.90     5,000        1.27 Years        6.90        5,000        6.90   
    8.40     45,000        2.00 Years        8.40        45,000        8.40   
  10.08     66,120        3.00 Years        10.08        66,120        10.08   
  11.63     69,060        4.00 Years        11.63        69,060        11.63   
  12.08     10,000        4.37 Years        12.08        10,000        12.08   
  12.00     34,910        5.00 Years        12.00        —          —     
  12.00     5,000        5.30 Years        12.00        —          —     
  12.00     10,000        5.59 Years        12.00        —          —     
  12.00     5,000        6.25 Years        12.00        —          —     
  12.00     5,000        6.29 Years        12.00        —          —     
  12.00     10,000        6.48 Years        12.00        —          —     
  12.00     5,000        6.71 Years        12.00        —          —     
  12.00     43,920        7.01 Years        12.00        —          —     
  12.18     5,000        8.44 Years        12.18        —          —     
  12.45     10,000        8.61 Years        12.45        —          —     
  13.02     36,580        9.09 Years        13.02        —          —     
  13.79     10,880        9.85 Years        13.79        —          —     
  14.29     3,630        9.96 Years        14.29        —          —     
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
Outstanding
at end of year
    405,100        4.87 Years      $ 11.02        220,180      $ 9.88   
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

     Number of
Shares
    Weighted Average
Grant Date Fair
Value
 

Nonvested options, January 1, 2013

     212,890      $ 2.05   

Granted

     51,090        3.43   

Vested

     (79,060     2.68   

Forfeited/exercised

     —          —     
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Nonvested options, December 31, 2013

     184,920      $ 2.16   

Granted

     26,631        3.52   

Vested

     (53,750     2.41   

Forfeited/exercised

     (28,350     2.38   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Nonvested options, September 30, 2014 (unaudited)

     129,451      $ 2.29   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-43


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 15—EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN  (Continued)

 

For the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 (unaudited), share-based compensation expense applicable to the Plan was $109,000 and $183,000, respectively, and the recognized tax benefit related to this expense applicable to the Plan was $22,000 and $37,000, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, share-based compensation expense applicable to the Plan was $311,000 and $251,000 and the recognized tax benefit related to this expense was $63,000 and $51,000.

As of September 30, 2014 (unaudited), unrecognized share-based compensation expense related to nonvested options amounted to $342,000 and is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 4.39 years. As of December 31, 2013, unrecognized share-based compensation expense related to nonvested options amounted to $350,000 and is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 4.87 years.

NOTE 16—REGULATORY MATTERS

The Company (on a consolidated basis) and Bank are each subject to various regulatory capital requirements administered by the federal and state banking agencies. Failure to meet minimum capital requirements can initiate certain mandatory and possibly additional discretionary actions by regulators that, if undertaken, could have a direct material effect on the Company’s and Bank’s financial statements. Under capital adequacy guidelines and the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action, the Company and Bank must meet specific capital guidelines that involve quantitative measures of their assets, liabilities, and certain off-balance-sheet items as calculated under regulatory accounting practices. The capital amounts and classification are also subject to qualitative judgments by the regulators about components, risk weightings, and other factors. Prompt corrective action provisions are not applicable to bank holding companies.

Quantitative measures established by regulation to ensure capital adequacy require the Company and Bank to maintain minimum amounts and ratios (set forth in the following table) of Total and Tier 1 capital (as defined in the regulations) to risk-weighted assets (as defined), and of Tier 1 capital (as defined) to average assets (as defined). Management believes, as of September 30, 2014 (unaudited), December 31, 2013 and 2012, that the Company and Bank meet all capital adequacy requirements to which they are subject.

As of December 31, 2013, the most recent notification from the banking regulators categorized the Bank as well capitalized under the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action. To be categorized as well capitalized the Bank must maintain minimum total risk-based, Tier 1 risk-based, and Tier 1 leverage ratios as set forth in the following tables. There are no conditions or events since the notification that management believes have changed the Bank’s category.

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-44


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 16—REGULATORY MATTERS  (Continued)

 

The Company’s and Bank’s actual capital amounts and ratios are presented in the following table:

 

     Actual     Minimum For
Capital Adequacy
Purposes:
    Minimum To Be Well
Capitalized Under
Prompt Corrective
Action Provisions:
 
     Amount      Ratio     Amount      Ratio     Amount      Ratio  
     (dollars in thousands)  

September 30, 2014 (unaudited):

               

Total Capital (to risk weighted assets)

               

Consolidated

   $ 112,335         18.22   $ 49,318         8.00     Not applicable      

Bank

     109,933         17.84        49,304         8.00      $ 61,630         10.00

Tier 1 Capital (to risk weighted assets)

               

Consolidated

     104,591         16.97        24,659         4.00        Not applicable      

Bank

     102,191         16.58        24,652         4.00        36,978         6.00   

Tier 1 Capital (to average assets)

               

Consolidated

     104,591         14.05        29,780         4.00        Not applicable      

Bank

     102,191         13.74        29,760         4.00        37,199         5.00   

 

     Actual     Minimum For Capital
Adequacy Purposes:
    Minimum To Be Well
Capitalized Under
Prompt Corrective
Action Provisions:
 
     Amount      Ratio     Amount      Ratio     Amount      Ratio  
     (dollars in thousands)  

December 31, 2013:

               

Total Capital (to risk weighted assets)

               

Consolidated

   $ 106,725         17.86   $ 47,818         8.00     Not applicable      

Bank

     104,194         17.44        47,800         8.00      $ 59,750         10.00

Tier 1 Capital (to risk weighted assets)

               

Consolidated

     99,212         16.60        23,909         4.00        Not applicable      

Bank

     96,683         16.18        23,900         4.00        35,850         6.00   

Tier 1 Capital (to average assets)

               

Consolidated

     99,212         13.14        30,211         4.00        Not applicable      

Bank

     96,683         12.81        30,190         4.00        37,738         5.00   

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-45


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 16—REGULATORY MATTERS  (Continued)

 

     Actual     Minimum
For Capital
Adequacy Purposes:
    Minimum
To Be Well
Capitalized Under
Prompt Corrective
Action Provisions:
 
     Amount      Ratio     Amount      Ratio     Amount      Ratio  
     (dollars in thousands)  

December 31, 2012:

         

Total Capital (to risk weighted assets)

               

Consolidated

   $ 100,186         15.87   $ 50,503         8.00     Not applicable   

Bank

     98,351         15.58        50,492         8.00      $ 63,115         10.00

Tier 1 Capital (to risk weighted assets)

               

Consolidated

     92,235         14.61        25,252         4.00        Not applicable   

Bank

     90,392         14.32        25,246         4.00        37,869         6.00   

Tier 1 Capital (to average assets)

               

Consolidated

     92,235         12.41        29,734         4.00        Not applicable   

Bank

     90,392         12.31        29,377         4.00        36,721         5.00   

NOTE 17—RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

In the ordinary course of business, the Bank has granted loans to principal officers and directors and their affiliates.

Activity consisted of the following:

 

     September 30,
2014
(unaudited)
   

 

December 31,

 
       2013     2012  
     (dollars in thousands)  

Beginning balance

   $ 1,481      $ 3,898      $ 4,984   

New loans

     75        322        1,200   

Repayments

     (504     (2,739     (2,286
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Ending balance

   $ 1,052      $ 1,481      $ 3,898   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Deposits from related parties held by the Bank at September 30, 2014 (unaudited), December 31, 2013 and 2012 amounted to $15,597,000, $13,979,000 and $14,795,000, respectively.

NOTE 18—FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Determination of Fair Value

The Company uses fair value measurements to record fair value adjustments to certain assets and liabilities and to determine fair value disclosures. The fair value of a financial instrument is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the

 

 

(Continued)

 

F-46


Table of Contents

COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 18—FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS  (Continued)

 

measurement date. Fair value is best determined based upon quoted market prices. However, in many instances, there are no quoted market prices for the Company’s various financial instruments. In cases where quoted market prices are not available, fair values are based on estimates using present value or other valuation techniques. Those techniques are significantly affected by the assumptions used, including the discount rate and estimate of future cash flows. Accordingly, the fair value estimates may not be realized in an immediate settlement of the instrument.

Guidance provides a consistent definition of fair value, which focuses on exit price in an orderly transaction (that is, not a forced liquidation or distressed sale) between market participants at the measurement date under current market conditions. If there has been a significant decrease in the volume and level of activity for the asset or liability, a change in valuation technique or the use of multiple valuation techniques may be appropriate. In such instances, determining the price at which willing market participants would transact at the measurement date under current market conditions depends on the facts and circumstances and requires the use of significant judgment. The fair value is considered a reasonable point within the range that is most representative of fair value under current market conditions.

Fair Value Hierarchy

The Company groups its financial assets and financial liabilities measured at fair value in three levels, based on the markets in which the assets and liabilities are traded and the reliability of the assumptions used to determine fair value.

Level 1—Valuation is based on quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the reporting entity has the ability to access at the measurement date. Level 1 assets and liabilities generally include debt and equity securities that are traded in an active exchange market. Valuations are obtained from readily available pricing sources for market transactions involving identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2—Valuation is based on inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. The valuation may be based on quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.

Level 3—Valuation is based on unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities. Level 3 assets and liabilities include financial instruments whose value is determined using pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies, or similar techniques, as well as instruments for which determination of fair value requires significant management judgment or estimation.

A financial instrument’s categorization within the valuation hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

 

 

(Continued)

 

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COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 18—FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS  (Continued)

 

The following methods and assumptions were used by the Company in estimating the fair value disclosures for financial instruments:

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Interest-Bearing Deposits in Banks

The carrying amounts of cash and short-term instruments approximate fair values based on the short-term nature of the assets.

Fair values of other interest-bearing deposits are estimated using discounted cash flow analyses based on current rates for similar types of deposits.

Securities Available for Sale

Where quoted prices are available in an active market, the Company classifies the securities within Level 1 of the valuation hierarchy. Securities are defined as both long and short positions. Level 1 securities include highly liquid government bonds and exchange-traded equities.

If quoted market prices are not available, the Company estimates fair values using pricing models and discounted cash flows that consider standard input factors such as observable market data, benchmark yields, interest rate volatilities, broker/dealer quotes and credit spreads.

Examples of such instruments, which would generally be classified within Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy, include U.S. government and agency securities, corporate bonds and other securities. Mortgage-backed securities that are included in Level 2 if observable inputs are available. In certain cases where there is limited activity or less transparency around inputs to the valuation, the Company classifies those securities in Level 3.

Loans

For variable-rate loans that reprice frequently and with no significant change in credit risk, fair values are based on carrying values. Fair values for certain mortgage loans (e.g., one-to-four family residential), credit card loans, and other consumer loans are based on quoted market prices of similar loans sold in conjunction with securitization transactions, adjusted for differences in loan characteristics. Fair values for other loans (e.g., commercial and agricultural loans) are estimated using discounted cash flow analyses, using interest rates currently being offered for loans with similar terms to borrowers of similar credit quality. Fair values for non-performing loans are estimated using discounted cash flow analyses or underlying collateral values, where applicable.

Loans Held for Sale

The carrying value of loans held for sale generally approximates fair value based on the short-term nature of the assets. If management identifies a loan held for sale that will ultimately sell at a value less than its carrying value, it is recorded at the estimated value.

 

 

(Continued)

 

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COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 18—FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS  (Continued)

 

Loan Servicing Rights

Fair value is based on market prices for comparable loan servicing contracts, when available, or alternatively, is based on a valuation model that calculates the present value of estimated future net servicing income.

Other Real Estate Owned

Loans on which the underlying collateral has been repossessed are adjusted to fair value upon transfer to other real estate owned. Subsequently, other real estate owned is carried at the lower of carrying value or fair value. Fair value is based upon independent market prices, appraised values of the collateral, or management’s estimation of the value of the collateral. Due to the significance of the unobservable inputs, all other real estate owned are classified as Level 3.

Deposits

The fair values disclosed for demand deposits (e.g., interest and non-interest checking, passbook savings, and certain types of money market accounts) are, by definition, equal to the amount payable on demand at the reporting date (i.e., their carrying amounts). The carrying amounts of variable-rate, fixed-term money market accounts and certificates of deposit approximate their fair values at the reporting date. Fair values for fixed-rate certificates of deposit are estimated using a discounted cash flow calculation that applies interest rates currently being offered on certificates to a schedule of aggregated expected monthly maturities on time deposits.

Other Borrowings

The carrying amounts of federal funds purchased, other borrowings and other short-term borrowings maturing within ninety days approximate their fair values. Fair values of other short-term borrowings are estimated using discounted cash flow analyses based on current market rates for similar types of borrowing arrangements.

Advances from FHLB

Current market rates for debt with similar terms and remaining maturities are used to estimate fair value of existing debt. Fair values are estimated using discounted cash flow analyses based on current market rates for similar types of borrowing arrangements.

Subordinated Debentures

The carrying amounts approximate fair value.

Accrued Interest

The carrying amounts approximate fair value.

 

 

(Continued)

 

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COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 18—FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS  (Continued)

 

Commitments to Extend Credit and Standby Letters of Credit

As of September 30, 2014 (unaudited), December 31, 2013 and 2012, the carrying and fair values of the commitment to extend credit and standby letters of credit are not considered significant.

Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis are summarized below:

 

     Level 1
Inputs
     Level 2
Inputs
     Level 3
Inputs
     Total
Fair
Value
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

September 30, 2014 (unaudited)

           

Securities available for sale

           

U.S. government and agency securities

   $ —         $ 2,009       $ —         $ 2,009   

Municipal securities

     —           39,474         —           39,474   

Mortgage-backed securities

     —           36,190         —           36,190   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total assets at fair value

   $ —         $ 77,673       $ —         $ 77,673   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

     Level 1
Inputs
     Level 2
Inputs
     Level 3
Inputs
     Total
Fair Value
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

December 31, 2013

           

Securities available for sale

           

U.S. government and agency securities

   $ —         $ 2,017       $ —         $ 2,017   

Municipal securities

     —           33,735         —           33,735   

Mortgage-backed securities

     —           37,255         —           37,255   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total assets at fair value

   $ —         $ 73,007       $ —         $ 73,007   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

     Level 1
Inputs
     Level 2
Inputs
     Level 3
Inputs
     Total
Fair Value
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

December 31, 2012

           

Securities available for sale

           

U.S. government and agency securities

   $ —         $ 3,462       $ —         $ 3,462   

Municipal securities

     —           29,502         —           29,502   

Mortgage-backed securities

     —           29,134         —           29,134   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total assets at fair value

   $ —         $ 62,098       $ —         $ 62,098   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

(Continued)

 

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COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 18—FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS  (Continued)

 

Assets Measured at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis

Certain assets and liabilities are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis; that is, they are subject to fair value adjustments in certain circumstances (for example, when there is evidence of impairment). The following table presents the financial instruments carried on the consolidated balance sheet by caption and by level in the fair value hierarchy for which a nonrecurring change in fair value has been recorded:

 

     Level 1
Inputs
     Level 2
Inputs
     Level 3
Inputs
     Impairment
Losses
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

September 30, 2014 (unaudited)

           

Impaired loans

   $ —         $ —         $ 33,455       $ 3,704   

Other real estate owned

     —           —           8,150         729   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total assets at fair value

   $ —         $ —         $ 41,605       $ 4,433   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

December 31, 2013

           

Impaired loans

   $ —         $ —         $ 49,189       $ 3,096   

Other real estate owned

     —           —           16,083         2,373   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total assets at fair value

   $ —         $ —         $ 65,272       $ 5,469   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

December 31, 2012

           

Impaired loans

   $ —         $ —         $ 52,392       $ 5,151   

Other real estate owned

     —           —           10,517         233   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total assets at fair value

   $ —         $ —         $ 62,909       $ 5,384   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

The significant inputs used in the fair value measurements for Level 3 assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis are as follows:

 

September 30, 2014 (unaudited)

    

Valuation

Techniques

   Unobservable
Inputs
   Range
(Average)

Impaired loans

   Evaluation of collateral    Estimation of value    NM*

Other real estate owned

   Appraisal    Appraisal adjustment    6%-10%(8%)

 

December 31, 2013

    

Valuation

Techniques

   Unobservable
Inputs
   Range
(Average)

Impaired loans

   Evaluation of collateral    Estimation of value    NM*

Other real estate owned

   Appraisal    Appraisal adjustment    6%-10%(8%)

 

 

(Continued)

 

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COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 18—FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS  (Continued)

 

December 31, 2012

    

Valuation

Techniques

   Unobservable
Inputs
   Range
(Average)

Impaired loans

   Evaluation of collateral    Estimation of value    NM*

Other real estate owned

   Appraisal    Appraisal adjustment    6%-8%(7%)

 

* Not Meaningful. Evaluations of the underlying assets are completed for each impaired loan with a specific reserve. The types of collateral vary widely and could include accounts receivables, inventory, a variety of equipment and real estate. Collateral evaluations are reviewed and discounted as appropriate based on knowledge of the specific type of collateral. In the case of real estate, an independent appraisal may be obtained. Types of discounts considered include aging of receivables, condition of the collateral, potential market for the collateral and estimated disposal costs. These discounts will vary from loan to loan, thus providing a range would not be meaningful.

Impaired Loans

In accordance with the provisions of the loan impairment guidance, impairment was measured for which it is probable that payment of interest and principal will not be made in accordance with the contractual terms of the loan agreement. The fair value of impaired loans is estimated using one of several methods, including collateral value, market value of similar debt, or discounted cash flows. Those impaired loans not requiring an allowance represent loans for which the fair value of the expected repayments or collateral exceeds the recorded investments in such loans. Impaired loans for which an allowance is established based on the fair value of collateral require classification in the fair value hierarchy. Collateral values are estimated using Level 3 inputs based on customized discounting criteria.

Impairment amounts on impaired loans represent specific valuation allowance and write-downs during the period presented on impaired loans that were individually evaluated for impairment based on the estimated fair value of the collateral less estimated selling costs, excluding impaired loans fully charged-off.

Other Real Estate Owned

Foreclosed assets are recorded at fair value based on property appraisals, less estimated selling costs, at the date of the transfer with any impairment amount charged to the allowance for loan losses. Subsequent to the transfer, foreclosed assets are carried at the lower of cost or fair value, less estimated selling costs with changes in fair value or any impairment amount recorded in the other non-interest expense. Values are estimated using Level 3 inputs based on customized discounting criteria. The carrying value of foreclosed assets is not re-measured to fair value on a recurring basis but is subject to fair value adjustments when the carrying value exceeds the fair value, less estimated selling costs.

 

 

(Continued)

 

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COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

NOTE 18—FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS  (Continued)

 

The estimated fair values, and related carrying or notional amounts, of the Company’s financial instruments are as follows:

 

     September 30,
2014
(unaudited)
    

 

December 31,

        
        2013      2012         
     Carrying
Amount
     Fair
Value
     Carrying
Amount
     Fair
Value
     Carrying
Amount
     Fair
Value
     Input
Level
 
     (dollars in thousands)  

Financial assets:

                    

Cash and cash equivalents

   $ 43,726       $ 43,726       $ 71,780       $ 71,780       $ 44,661       $ 44,661         1   

FHLB Stock

     1,252         1,252         1,252         1,252         1,252         1,252         2   

Securities available for sale

     77,673         77,673         73,007         73,007         62,098         62,098         2   

Loans, net of allowance for loan losses

     581,249         550,917         558,643         530,682         600,969         593,253         3   

Loans held for sale

     1,380         1,380         7,352         7,352         8,396         8,396         3   

Accrued interest receivable

     2,130         2,130         2,079         2,079         1,743         1,743         2   

Loan servicing rights

     7,644         9,873         7,529         9,438         6,117         7,664         3   

Financial liabilities:

                    

Deposits

                    

Time

     391,747         380,539         432,704         420,812         452,034         450,029         3   

Other deposits

     208,184         208,184         183,604         183,604         160,785         160,785         1   

Other borrowings

     9,347         9,347         14,169         14,169         18,396         18,396         3   

Advances from FHLB

     22,000         21,240         22,000         21,702         25,000         24,841         3   

Subordinated debentures

     12,372         12,372         12,372         12,372         12,372         12,372         3   

Accrued interest payable

     1,325         1,325         1,278         1,278         1,497         1,497         2   

 

 

(Continued)

 

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COUNTY BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

September 30, 2014, December 31, 2013 and 2012

 

 

 

NOTE 19—EARNINGS PER SHARE

Earnings per common share (“EPS”) has been computed based on the following:

 

     September 30,      Years Ended
December 31,
 
     2014
(unaudited)
     2013      2012  
     (in thousands)  

Net Income from continuing operations (for EPS purposes)

   $ 5,928       $ 7,013       $ 7,634   

Less: preferred stock dividends

     352         441         468   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Income available to common shareholders for basic EPS

   $ 5,576       $ 6,572       $ 7,166   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Average number of common shares issued

     5,237         5,207         5,146   

Less: weighted average treasury shares

     365         289         119   

Less: weighted average nonvested equity incentive plan shares

     408         399         434   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding

     4,466         4,519         4,593   

Effect of dilutive options

     11         3         81   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding used to calculate diluted earnings per common share

     4,477         4,522         4,674   
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

 

NOTE 20—DIVIDEND AND CAPITAL RESTRICTIONS

Federal and state banking regulations place certain restrictions on dividends paid and loans or advances made by the Bank to the Company. In addition, dividends paid by the Bank to the Company would be prohibited if the effect thereof would cause the Bank’s capital to be reduced below applicable minimum capital requirements. Cash dividends paid to the Company by the Bank were $900,000 during the nine months ended September 30, 2014 (unaudited) and $1,200,000 for the years ended December 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012.

NOTE 21—SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Management evaluated subsequent events through the date the financial statements were issued. Events or transactions occurring after December 31, 2013, but prior to issuance that provided additional evidence about conditions that existed at December 31, 2013, have been recognized in the financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2013. Events or transactions that provided evidence about conditions that did not exist at December 31, 2013, but arose before the consolidated financial statements were issued have not been recognized in the consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2013.

 

 

 

 

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             Shares

County Bancorp, Inc.

Common Stock

 

 

PROSPECTUS

 

 

 

 

 

Baird   Sterne Agee

The date of this prospectus is                     , 2014.

Through and including                     , 2015 (the 25th day after the date of this prospectus) federal securities law may require all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.

 

 

 


Table of Contents

PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

 

     Amount
to be
paid
 

Registration fee

   $ 2,672.60   

FINRA filing fee

     [ ]   

Listing fee

     125,000   

Transfer agent’s fees

     *   

Printing expenses

     *   

Legal fees and expenses

     *   

Accounting fees and expenses

     *   

Blue Sky fees and expenses

     *   

Miscellaneous

     *   

Total

   $ *   

 

* To be completed by amendment.

Each of the amounts set forth above, other than the Registration fee and the FINRA filing fee, is an estimate.

 

Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Sections 180.0850 to 180.0859 of the Wisconsin Business Corporation Law, or the WBCL, require a corporation to indemnify any director or officer who is a party to any threatened, pending or completed civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit arbitration or other proceeding, whether formal or informal, which involves foreign, federal, state or local law and that is brought by or in the right of the corporation or by any other person. A corporation’s obligation to indemnify any such person includes the obligation to pay any judgment, settlement, forfeiture or fine, including any excise tax assessed with respect to an employee benefit plan, and all reasonable expenses, including fees, costs, charges, disbursements, attorney’s fees and other expenses except in those cases in which liability was incurred as a result of the breach or failure to perform a duty that the director or officer owes to the corporation and the breach or failure to perform constitutes: (i) a willful failure to deal fairly with the corporation or its shareholders in connection with a matter in which the director or officer has a material conflict of interest; (ii) a violation of criminal law, unless the person has reasonable cause to believe his conduct was lawful or had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful; (iii) a transaction from which the person derived an improper personal profit; or (iv) willful misconduct.

An officer or director seeking indemnification is entitled to indemnification if approved in any of the following manners: (i) by a majority vote of a disinterested quorum of the board of directors, or if such quorum of disinterested directors cannot be obtained, by a majority vote of a committee of two or more disinterested directors; (ii) by independent legal counsel; (iii) by a panel of three arbitrators; (iv) by an affirmative vote of disinterested shareholders; (v) by a court; or (vi) with respect to any additional right to indemnification granted, by any other method permitted in Section 180.0858 of the WBCL.

Reasonable expenses incurred by a director or officer who is a party to a proceeding may be reimbursed by a corporation at such time as the director or officer furnishes to the corporation written affirmation of his good faith belief that he has not breached or failed to perform his duties and a written undertaking to repay any amounts advanced if it is determined that indemnification by the corporation is not required.

 

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Table of Contents

The indemnification provisions of Sections 180.0850 to 180.0859 of the WBCL are not exclusive. A corporation may expand an officer’s or director’s right to indemnification (i) in its articles of incorporation or bylaws; (ii) by written agreement between the director or officer and the corporation; (iii) by resolution of its board of directors; or (iv) by resolution of a majority of all of the corporation’s voting shares then issued and outstanding.

As permitted by Section 180.0858 of the WBCL, the Company has adopted indemnification provisions in its amended and restated bylaws that are substantially similar to the statutory indemnification provisions. Additionally, the Company has purchased director and officer liability insurance.

The underwriting agreement for this offering provides that the Company has agreed to indemnify the underwriters and the underwriters have agreed to indemnify the Company against certain civil liabilities that may be incurred in connection with this offering, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act. If we or the selling shareholders are unable to provide this indemnification, we will contribute to the payments the underwriters and their affiliates, selling agents and controlling persons may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.

 

Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

Since January 1, 2010, we have made the following sales of unregistered securities (after giving effect to a 10-for-1 stock split effected on April 4, 2014):

Plan-Related Issuances. We have granted options to purchase 154,381 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of ranging from $12.00 to $15.19 per share to our employees, directors and independent contractors under our 2012 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan. We have granted 34,080 shares of restricted stock at an exercise price of ranging from $12.00 to $14.28 per share to our employees, directors and independent contractors under our 2012 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan. From January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2013, our employees, directors and independent contractors have exercised options to purchase 40,000 shares for cash consideration in the aggregate amount of $261,000.

Preferred Stock Issuances. On August 23, 2011, we issued 15,000 shares of our Series C Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock at a purchase price of $1,000 per share.

None of the foregoing transactions involved any underwriters, underwriting discounts or commissions or any public offering, and the Company believes that each transaction was exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act in reliance on the following exemptions: (1) with respect to the transactions described under “Plan-Related Issuances,” Rule 701 promulgated under the Securities Act as transactions pursuant to a compensatory benefit plan approved by the Company’s board of directors and shareholders; and (2) with respect to the transactions described under “Preferred Stock Issuances,” Section 4(2) of the Securities Act, or Rule 506 of Regulation D promulgated thereunder, as transactions by an issuer not involving a public offering. Each recipient of the securities in this transaction represented his or her intention to acquire the securities for investment only and not with a view to, or for resale in connection with, any distribution thereof, and appropriate legends were affixed to the share certificates issued in each such transaction. In each case, the recipient received adequate information about the registrant or had adequate access, through his or her relationship with the registrant, to information about the registrant.

 

Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules:

The exhibits and financial statement schedules filed as part of this registration statement are as follows:

 

  (a) List of Exhibits

See the Exhibit Index attached to this registration statement, which is incorporated by reference herein.

 

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Table of Contents
  (b) Financial Statement Schedules

No financial statement schedules are filed because the required information is not applicable or is included in the consolidated financial statements or related notes.

 

Item 17. Undertakings

The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriters at the closing specified in the underwriting agreement, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriters to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.

(2) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act, and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

(3) That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

(4) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

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Table of Contents

Signatures

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of Manitowoc, State of Wisconsin, on November 10, 2014.

 

County Bancorp, Inc.
By:  

/s/ Timothy J. Schneider

  Timothy J. Schneider
  President

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Name

  

Title

 

Date

/s/ Timothy J. Schneider

Timothy J. Schneider

   President (Principal Executive Officer)   November 10, 2014

/s/ Gary R. Abramowicz

   Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)   November 10, 2014
Gary R. Abramowicz     

 

Directors: William C. Censky, Mark R. Binversie, Wayne D. Mueller, Carmen L. Chizek, Edson P. Foster, Andrew J. Steimle, Kenneth R. Zacharias, Lynn D. Davis and Gary Ziegelbauer.

 

By:   

/s/ Timothy J. Schneider

     November 10, 2014
   Timothy J. Schneider     
   Attorney-In-Fact*     

 

* Pursuant to authority granted by powers of attorney, copies of which are filed herewith.


Table of Contents

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit
Number

  

Exhibit Description

  1.1*

   Form of Underwriting Agreement

  3.1

   Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of County Bancorp, Inc.

  3.2

   Amended and Restated Bylaws of County Bancorp, Inc.

  4.1

  

Instruments Definition the Rights of Security Holders, Including Indentures.

 

County Bancorp, Inc., by signing this registration statement, agrees to furnish the SEC, upon its request, a copy of any instrument that defines the rights of holders of long-term debt of County Bancorp, Inc. and its consolidated and unconsolidated subsidiaries for which consolidated or unconsolidated financial statements are required to be filed and that authorizes total amount of securities not in excess of 10% of the total assets of County Bancorp, Inc. on a consolidated basis.

  4.2

   Form of Common Stock Certificate of County Bancorp, Inc.

  4.3

   Small Business Lending Fund—Securities Purchase Agreement dated August 23, 2011 between the Secretary of the Treasury and County Bancorp, Inc.

  5.1*

   Opinion of Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.

10.1+

   Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between Investors Community Bank and William C. Censky

10.2+

   Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between Investors Community Bank and Timothy J. Schneider

10.3+

   Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between Investors Community Bank and Mark R. Binversie

10.4+

   Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between Investors Community Bank and Gary R. Abramowicz

10.5+

   Transition Plan of Wayne Mueller

10.6+

   Form of Investors Community Bank Salary Continuation Agreement

10.7+

   Investors Community Bank Management Employees’ Elective Deferred Compensation Plan, as amended

10.8+

   County Bancorp, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan, as amended

10.9+

   Form of 2012 County Bancorp, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan Award Agreement

10.10+

   Investors Community Bank 2006 Equity Compensation Plan

10.11+

   Form of Investors Community Bancorp, Inc. 2006 Equity Compensation Plan Award Agreement

10.12+

   County Bancorp, Inc. Management Incentive Plan

10.13+

   Form of County Bancorp, Inc. Management Incentive Plan Stock Option Agreement

21.1

   Subsidiaries

23.1

   Consent of Godfrey & Kahn, S.C. (included in Exhibit 5.1)

23.2

   Consent of CliftonLarsonAllen LLP

24.1

   Power of Attorney

 

* To be filed by amendment.
+ Indicates a management contract or compensation plan or arrangement.

Exhibit 3.1

CERTIFICATE

TO

AMENDED AND RESTATED ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

OF

COUNTY BANCORP, INC.

The undersigned, William Censky, President of County Bancorp, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation (the “Corporation”), in accordance with Section 180.1007 of the Wisconsin Statutes, hereby certifies as follows:

 

  1. The Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation (the “Restated Articles”) attached hereto as Exhibit A supersede and replace the heretofore existing Articles of Incorporation of County Bancorp, Inc. and all amendments thereto.

 

  2. The Restated Articles attached hereto were adopted by the Corporation’s Board of Directors as of April 1, 2014 in accordance with Section 180.1002 of the Wisconsin Statutes.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Certificate as of the 1 st day of April, 2014.

 

COUNTY BANCORP, INC.
By:  

/s/ William Censky

  William Censky, President

This instrument was drafted by:

John T. Reichert

Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.

780 North Water Street

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202-3590


EXHIBIT A

AMENDED AND RESTATED ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

OF

COUNTY BANCORP, INC.

These Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation shall supersede and replace the heretofore existing Articles of Incorporation and all amendments thereto of County Bancorp, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation organized under Chapter 180 of the Wisconsin Statutes:

ARTICLE I NAME

The name of the Corporation is County Bancorp, Inc. (the “Corporation”).

ARTICLE II PURPOSES

The purpose for which this Corporation is organized is to engage in any lawful activity within the purposes for which corporations may be organized under the Wisconsin Business Corporation Law, Chapter 180 of the Wisconsin Statutes (hereinafter referred to as the “WBCL”).

ARTICLE III CAPITAL STOCK

The aggregate number of shares which the Corporation shall have the authority to issue is fifty million, six hundred thousand (50,600,000). The designation of each class of shares, the authorized number of shares of each class and the par value thereof per share shall be as follows:

 

Designation of Class of Stock

   Par Value
Per Share
     Authorized
Number of
Shares
 

Common Stock

   $ 0.01         50,000,000   

Preferred Stock

     

Consisting of:

     

Series B Nonvoting Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock

   $ 0.01         15,000   

Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C

   $ 0.01         15,000   

Not Classified

   $ 0.01         570,000   

For avoidance of doubt, there is intentionally no provision made here for “Series A” preferred stock. Effective May 16, 2009 former Series A preferred stock has been extinguished, and all formerly authorized shares of Series A preferred stock have been reclassified as Preferred Stock Not Classified.

 

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The preferences, limitations and relative rights of shares of each class of stock shall be as follows:

Common Stock

Except as otherwise provided by law and subject to the rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock, the holders of Common Stock shall be entitled to vote for the election of directors of the Corporation and for all other corporate purposes. Except as otherwise provided by law, upon any such vote, each holder of Common Stock shall be entitled to one vote for each share of Common Stock held of record by such shareholder. Subject to the rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock, the holders of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive such dividends as may be declared thereon from time to time by the Board of Directors, in its discretion, out of any funds of the Corporation at the time legally available for payment of dividends on Common Stock. In the event of the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the Corporation, after there have been paid to or set aside for the holders of any series of Preferred Stock the full preferential amounts, if any, to which they are entitled, the holders of outstanding Common Stock shall be entitled to share ratably, according to the number of shares held by each, in the remaining assets of the Corporation available for distribution.

Preferred Stock

The Corporation’s preferred stock shall consist of (i) Series B Nonvoting Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, (ii) Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C and (iii) Preferred Stock Not Classified, having the terms and relative rights and preferences provided below.

Series B Nonvoting Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock . This series of preferred stock shall have the following relative rights and preferences:

 

  1. Title . The series shall be titled “Series B Nonvoting Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock.”

 

  2. Definitions . In this Section, in addition to the terms defined elsewhere herein, the term “ Series B Preferred ” shall mean Series B Nonvoting Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock and the term “Holder” (singularly, collectively the “ Holders ”) shall mean a record holder of Series B Nonvoting Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock.

 

  3. Number of Shares . The Series B Preferred shall consist of fifteen thousand (15,000) shares.

 

  4. Voting Rights . Holders of Series B Preferred shall have no voting rights except to the extent that such voting rights may not be denied under the Wisconsin Business Corporation Law.

 

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  5. No Conversion Rights . Shares of Series B Preferred shall not be convertible into or exchangeable for shares of common stock, shares of any other series of preferred stock, or any other class of capital stock of the Corporation except as provided in Paragraph 8.

 

  6. Dividends .

 

  (a) Holders of Series B Preferred shall be entitled to receive out of funds of the Corporation at the time legally available for such purpose, and subject to declaration thereof by the Board of Directors, dividends per share in an amount equal to the ‘‘Dividend Rate” (defined in (i), below) multiplied by the “Original Per-Share Purchase Price” (defined in (ii), below).

 

  (i) Dividend Rate ” means the greater of (A) a percentage rate per annum which is the sum of (i) the “Prime Rate” (hereinafter defined) and (ii) one-half of one percent (0.50%). “ Prime Rate ” means the Prime Rate of Interest (the highest quoted base rate on corporate loans at large U.S. money center commercial banks) as published in the “Money Rates” section of the most recent Midwest Edition of The Walt Street Journal, provided that if at any time the Prime Rate of Interest is no longer so published in the Midwest Edition of The Wall Street Journal published on the business day immediately preceding any Adjustment Date (as defined below), then “Prime Rate” shall mean the interest rate announced as its Prime Rate of interest by the largest commercial bank headquartered in the State of Wisconsin; and (B) four and 00/l00ths percent (4.00%) per annum (the “ Minimum Rate ”). If and at such times that the Dividend Rate under clause (A) of the preceding sentence shall exceed the Minimum Rate (or would exceed the Minimum Rate if adjusted as provided in this sentence), the Dividend Rate shall be adjusted from time to time each time there is a change in the Prime Rate (each an “ Adjustment Date ”).

 

  (ii) Original Per-Share Purchase Price ” means One Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($1,000.00).

 

  (b) Dividends on all issued and outstanding shares of Series B Preferred shall accrue on a daily basis, initially from the date of issuance to last day of the calendar quarter next preceding the Dividend Payment Date (as hereinafter defined) and, thereafter, from the first day of each calendar quarter to and including the last day of such calendar quarter; and such dividends shall be computed on the basis of a 365 or 366-day year and actual days elapsed during the calendar quarter next preceding the Dividend Payment Date.

 

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  (c) Dividends payable with respect to Series B Preferred shall have no preference in right of payment over dividends payable with respect to Common Stock or any other class or series of the Corporation’s capital stock.

 

  (d) Dividends payable with respect to Series B Preferred shall be noncumulative, and if a Quarterly Dividend is not declared by the Board of Directors the Holder(s) have no right to require payment thereof.

 

  (e) Subject to declaration thereof by the Board of Directors, dividends shall be payable with respect to the Series B Preferred on a date established by the Board of Directors but not earlier than the first calendar day of each February, May, August and November and not later than the 15th calendar day of each such month (each a “ Dividend Payment Date ”) to Holders of record on the fifteenth (15th) day of the next preceding month, unless the Board of Directors shall establish a different record date in accordance with applicable law. Each such dividend (a “ Quarterly Dividend ”) shall be in an amount equal to one-fourth (1/4) of the annual dividend determined as provided in Paragraph 6(a). Each Quarterly Dividend shall relate to the calendar quarter next preceding such Dividend Payment Date.

 

  (f) All dividends payable with respect to Series B Preferred shall be paid in cash and without interest.

 

  7. Liquidation and Rank .

 

  (a) In the event of a liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the Corporation (whether voluntary or involuntary), the Holders shall be entitled to receive for each share Series B Preferred held, of out of the assets of the Corporation, whether such assets are capital or surplus of any nature, One Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($1,000.00) and, in addition to such amount, a further amount equal to (i) any Quarterly Dividend for the preceding calendar quarter that has been declared but has not yet been paid; and (ii) the Quarterly Dividend unpaid and accumulated thereon prorated from the first day of the calendar quarter in which liquidation, dissolution, or winding up occurs to the effective date of such liquidation, dissolution, or winding up, and no more, before any payment shall be made or any assets distributed to the holders of common stock or any other class or series of the Corporation’s capital stock.

 

  (b) If upon such liquidation, dissolution, or winding up, whether voluntary or involuntary, the assets thus distributed among the Holders shall be insufficient to permit the payment to such Holders of the full preferential amounts, then the entire assets of the Corporation to be distributed shall be distributed ratably among the Holders.

 

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  (c) In the event of any such liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, subject to all of the preferential rights of the Holders and all other classes or series of preferred stock on distribution or otherwise, the holders of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive ratably all of the remaining assets of the Corporation. A consolidation or merger of the Corporation with or into any other corporation or corporations shall be deemed to be a liquidation, dissolution, or winding up, within the meaning of this clause.

 

  (d) The Series B Preferred shall rank prior to any other class or series of the Corporation’s capital stock (except that the Series B Preferred shall rank equal and pari passu to any other series of preferred stock of the Corporation that by its express terms ranks equal and pari passu to the Series B Preferred) and in no event shall the Corporation redeem, purchase, retire or otherwise acquire for any consideration, or make any payment on account of a sinking fund or other similar fund for the redemption, purchase, retirement or acquisition of any other capital stock of the Corporation, or any warrant, right or option to purchase any thereof, or make any distribution in respect thereof, directly or indirectly, whether in cash, obligations or securities of the Corporation or other property prior to the redemption of all of the shares of Series B Preferred as provided herein.

 

  8. Conversion . Shares of Series B Preferred shall, at the election of the Holder(s) thereof, be converted into shares of Common Stock on the terms and conditions set forth in this Paragraph 8.

 

  (a) Each Holder shall have the right, upon the occurrence of either of the events set forth in (i) and (ii), below (each a “ Conversion Event ”) to require the Corporation to issue, in exchange for each share of Series B Nonvoting Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock surrendered thereby, that number of shares of the Corporation’s $0.01 par value common stock (“ Common Stock ”) as determined in accordance with Subparagraphs (g) through (i) below.

 

  (i) The Corporation shall have failed to pay a Quarterly Dividend in the full amount as determined under Paragraph 6 within fifteen (15) calendar days of the applicable Dividend Payment Date on eight (8) separate Dividend Payment Dates (each such failure to be referred to as an “ Omitted Dividend ”); or

 

  (ii) The Corporation shall pay a dividend with respect to its Common Stock or any other class or series of the Corporation’s common or preferred capital stock at any time after four (4) Omitted Dividends have occurred.

 

6


The provisions of clauses (i) and (ii), above, shall apply and a Conversion Event shall occur regardless of whether (A) such Omitted Dividends occur with respect to consecutive or non-consecutive Dividend Payment Dates and (B) having so failed to pay a Quarterly Dividend with respect to Series B Preferred, the Corporation, subsequent to the 15th calendar day referred to in (i) above, shall thereafter pay such Quarterly Dividend.

 

  (b) The Holder(s)’ conversion right shall accrue and become exercisable (A) in the case of clause (i) of Subparagraph (a), above, on the latest date that the eighth (8th) Omitted Dividend would otherwise have been payable, or (B) in the case of clause (ii) of Subparagraph (a), above, on the date that the Corporation pays the dividend with respect to Common Stock or any other class or series of the Corporation’s capital stock (in either case, a “ Conversion Right Effective Date ”).

 

  (c) A Holder shall have full conversion rights as provided by this Paragraph 8 notwithstanding that such Holder may have acquired shares of Series B Preferred, whether directly from the Corporation or from another Holder, after one or more Omitted Dividends shall have occurred.

 

  (d) Each Holder’s conversion right must be exercised by written notice to the Corporation delivered after the Conversion Right Effective Date and before the next Quarterly Dividend is declared; if on the next Dividend Payment Date the Quarterly Dividend with respect to Series B Preferred is paid in accordance with the terms hereof, then the earliest Omitted Dividend that gave rise to the Holder’s conversion right will be disregarded. Any Holder’s failure to provide such notice within the time period specified in the preceding sentence shall constitute an irrevocable waiver of such Holder’s conversion right unless and until such time as such conversion right shall thereafter accrue based upon the next subsequent Omitted Dividend to occur.

 

  (e) Upon exercise of a conversion right hereunder, each Holder shall be entitled to receive, upon surrender of each share of Series B Preferred in exchange therefor, that number of shares of Common Stock having an aggregate “Common Stock Value” (as defined in Subparagraph (f) , below) equal to the sum of (i) the Original Per-Share Purchase Price; (ii) any Quarterly Dividend for the preceding calendar quarter that has been declared but has not yet been paid; and (iii) the Quarterly Dividend unpaid and accumulated thereon prorated from the first day of the calendar quarter in which the Conversion Right Effective Date occurs to the issuance of such Common Stock, and no more.

 

7


  (f) For purposes of determining the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion under this Paragraph 8, “ Common Stock Value ” is the value of one (1) share of Common Stock and is the lesser of (i) the per-share value the Common Stock as provided in Subparagraph (g), below, determined as of the Conversion Right Effective Date; and (ii) the per-share value the Common Stock as provided in Subparagraph (g), below, determined as of the latest date that the first Omitted Dividend that gave rise to the conversion right would have been payable (each a “ Valuation Date ”).

 

  (g) As of each Valuation Date, the per-share value of the Common Stock shall be the most recent per-share appraised value of the Common Stock on an undiluted basis; provided, that if no appraisal was performed within the 18 months next preceding the Valuation Date, then the per-share value of the Common Stock shall be determined by multiplying (A) the ratio that the most recent (as of the applicable Valuation Date) per-share appraised value bears to per-share book value (per-share tangible equity) as of the date of such appraisal, by (B) per-share book value based on audited financial statements of the Corporation as of the year-end next preceding the year in which such Valuation Date occurs. In either case, the per-share appraised value used for this purpose shall not take into account any “minority discount” that may be reflected in such appraisal, but shall reflect the full appraised value of the Corporation. Until such time as there are no longer any shares of Series B Nonvoting Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock outstanding, the Corporation shall maintain such records (including copies of all appraisals performed and copies of audited financial statements) as are necessary to make the determinations under this Subparagraph (g). Nothing in this Subparagraph (g) shall require the Corporation to secure an appraisal solely for the purpose of establishing the per-share value of the Common Stock. Further, nothing in this Subparagraph (g) shall require that the per-share value of the Common Stock be determined in an identical manner as of the two Valuation Dates.

 

  (h) Subject to Subparagraph (i), below, if applicable, the conversion right under this Paragraph 8 shall be exercised by any Holder only as to all (100%) of the shares of Series B Preferred held by such Holder on the Conversion Right Effective Date.

 

  (i)

In all cases, if the number of shares of Common Stock issuable to any Holder upon conversion would cause such Holder to hold ten percent (l0.0%) or more of the then-issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock (on an undiluted basis, that is, without giving effect to any options or warrants to acquire Common Stock which may then be outstanding or to the issuance of Common Stock to any other Holder of Series B Preferred), then no shares of Common Stock shall be issued to such Holder upon conversion unless any required regulatory approval has been obtained; provided ,

 

8


  however, that in lieu of seeking and obtaining such regulatory approval, such Holder may elect to convert only a portion of the Series B Preferred held thereby and shall retain record ownership of the remainder and shall have an ongoing right to exercise the conversion right hereunder with respect thereto.

 

  (j) In the case of a conversion right which arises as a result of the payment of a dividend on the Corporation’s Common Stock, as provided in Subparagraph (a)(ii), above, the effective date of the issuance of Common Stock upon conversion shall be adjusted such that the converting Holder shall be entitled to participate fully in such Common Stock dividend as if such shares of Common Stock had been held of record by such Holder as of the record date for such Common Stock dividend.

 

  9. Redemption . Shares of Series B Preferred shall be subject to redemption by the Corporation upon approval by the Federal Reserve Board, but otherwise at its election and in its sole and exclusive discretion, at any time upon thirty (30) days prior written notice given by the Corporation to the Holders at their address(es) set forth on the Corporation’s registration books therefore. The price per share at which such shares shall be redeemed (the “ Redemption Price ”) shall be One Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($1,000.00) and, in addition to such amount, (i) the Quarterly Dividend for the next preceding calendar quarter if such Quarterly Dividend has been declared but has not yet been paid and (ii) a pro-rata share of the Quarterly Dividend for the current calendar quarter that would be payable if such Quarterly Dividend were declared by the Board of Directors. The Redemption Price shall be payable in cash by the Corporation to the lawful Holder or Holders on the Redemption Date set forth in such notice upon tender by such Holder or Holders of a certificate or certificates evidencing such shares at the principal office of the Corporation. Dividends shall cease to accrue on the Redemption Date notwithstanding any delay by the Holder or Holders in tendering its or their certificate or certificates.

 

  10. Restriction on Transfer . Shares of Series B Preferred may not be transferred, sold, conveyed, pledged or hypothecated (each a “ Transfer ”) by any Holder thereof without the prior express written consent of the Corporation, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, provided, that the Corporation may withhold such consent in its sole discretion (and such withholding shall be deemed not unreasonable) if any of the following conditions exist: (i) notice of redemption under Paragraph 9 has been given; (ii) such Transfer would require registration of common stock by the Corporation under federal or state securities laws; (iii) such Transfer would violate federal or state securities laws; (iv) such Transfer would cause the transferee to become an “interested stockholder” as defined in Section 180.1140(8)(a) of the Wisconsin Business Corporation Law; (v) such Transfer would cause transferee to hold sufficient shares to be subject to prior banking regulatory approval and such approval has not been obtained; or (vi) such Transfer would cause fewer than 500 shares of Series B Preferred to be held or record or beneficially by a single individual or entity.

 

9


Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C . This series of preferred stock shall have the following relative rights and preferences provided below:

 

  1. Designation and Number of Shares . There is hereby created out of the authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Stock – Not Classified of the Issuer a series of preferred stock designated as the “ Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C ” (the “ Designated Preferred Stock ”). The authorized number of shares of Designated Preferred Stock shall be 15,000.

 

  2. Standard Provisions . The Standard Provisions contained in Schedule A attached hereto are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and shall be deemed to be a part of this Certificate of Designation to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein.

 

  3. Definitions . The following terms are used in this Certificate of Designation (including the Standard Provisions in Schedule A hereto) as defined below:

 

  (a) Common Stock ” means the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Issuer.

 

  (b) Definitive Agreement ” means that certain Securities Purchase Agreement by and between Issuer and Treasury, dated as of the Signing Date.

 

  (c) Junior Stock ” means the Common Stock, the Series B Nonvoting Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, with respect to dividend rights only, and any other class or series of stock of the Issuer the terms of which expressly provide that it ranks junior to Designated Preferred Stock as to dividend and redemption rights and/or as to rights on liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Issuer.

 

  (d) Liquidation Amount ” means $1,000 per share of Designated Preferred Stock.

 

  (e) Minimum Amount ” means (i) the amount equal to twenty-five percent (25%) of the aggregate Liquidation Amount of Designated Preferred Stock issued on the Original Issue Date or (ii) all of the outstanding Designated Preferred Stock, if the aggregate liquidation preference of the outstanding Designated Preferred Stock is less than the amount set forth in the preceding clause (i).

 

  (f)

Parity Stock ” means any class or series of stock of the Issuer (other than Designated Preferred Stock) the terms of which do not expressly provide that such class or series will rank senior or junior to Designated Preferred Stock as to dividend rights and/or as to rights on liquidation, dissolution or

 

10


  winding up of the Issuer (in each case without regard to whether dividends accrue cumulatively or non-cumulatively). Without limiting the foregoing, Parity Stock shall include the Issuer’s Series B Nonvoting Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock with respect to liquidation rights only. For the avoidance of doubt, Designated Preferred Stock shall rank equal and pari passu to such Series B Nonvoting Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock with respect to rights on liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Issuer.

 

  (g) Signing Date ” means August 23, 2011.

 

  (h) Treasury ” means the United States Department of the Treasury and any successor in interest thereto.

 

  3. Certain Voting Matters . Holders of shares of Designated Preferred Stock will be entitled to one vote for each such share on any matter on which holders of Designated Preferred Stock are entitled to vote, including any action by written consent.

Preferred Stock – Not Classified . Shares of other Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series in any manner permitted by law pursuant to a resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors under authority hereby vested in it, each such series to be appropriately designated, prior to the issuance of any shares thereof, by some distinguishing letter, number or title. Prior to the issue of any shares of a series so established or to be established, the Board of Directors shall have full authority permitted by law and is hereby expressly empowered to fix, by resolution or resolutions, the relative rights and preferences of the shares of such series, including without limitation: (1) the number of shares to constitute each such series, and the designation of each such series; (2) the dividend rate of each such series, the conditions and dates upon which such dividends shall be payable, the relationship which such dividends shall bear to the dividends payable on any other class or classes or on any other series of any class or classes of stock, and whether such dividends shall be cumulative, noncumulative or partially cumulative; (3) whether the shares of each such series shall be subject to redemption by the Corporation and if made subject to such redemption, the times, prices and other terms and conditions of such redemption; (4) whether or not the securities of the Corporation, including shares of any other class, classes or series of any other class or classes of stock of the Corporation, or any debt securities of the Corporation, and, if provision be made for conversion or exchange, the times, prices, rates of exchange, adjustments, and other terms and conditions of such conversion or exchange; (5) the rights of the holders of the shares of each such series upon the dissolution of, or upon the distribution of the assets of, the Corporation; and (6) the extent to which the shares of each such series shall have voting rights and the manner in which such voting rights may be exercised and any restrictions or limitations on such voting rights.

 

11


ARTICLE IV PREEMPTIVE RIGHTS

No shareholder of the Corporation shall have any preemptive or other subscription rights nor be entitled, as of right, to purchase or subscribe for any part of the unissued or treasury stock of this Corporation or of any additional stock issued by reason of any increase in authorized capital stock of this Corporation or other securities, whether or not convertible into stock of the Corporation.

ARTICLE V BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The authorized number of directors of the Corporation which shall constitute the entire Board of Directors shall be such as from time to time shall be fixed by the Bylaws. The Bylaws of the Corporation may provide that the directors of the Corporation shall be divided with respect to the time for which they severally hold office into two (2) or three (3) classes, as determined by the Board of Directors, with the members of each class to hold office until their successors have been elected and qualified, or until their earlier resignation or removal.

ARTICLE VI SHAREHOLDER ACTIONS

The Bylaws may provide that any action required or permitted by the WBCL to be taken at a shareholders’ meeting to be taken without a meeting by shareholders who would be entitled to vote at a meeting holding shares with voting power sufficient to cast not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take the action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote were present and voted.

ARTICLE VII STATUTORY ELECTION

By virtue of this Article VII and pursuant to Section 180.1143(1) of the WBCL, the Corporation elects to be subject to the provisions of Sections 180.1140 to 180.1144 of the WBCL, and such provisions shall apply to a business combination of the Corporation with an interested stockholder, as said terms are defined in the WBCL.

ARTICLE VIII LIABILITY OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

To the fullest extent permitted by the WBCL, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended, no person who is or was an officer or director of the Corporation shall be personally liable to the Corporation or its shareholders for damages, settlements, fees, fines, penalties, or other monetary liabilities arising from a breach of, or failure to perform, any duty arising solely out of his or her status as an officer or director. Any amendment or repeal of this Article VIII (or of the applicable provisions of the WBCL) shall not adversely affect the rights of any officer or director hereunder (or thereunder) with respect to acts or omissions of such officer or director occurring prior to such amendment or repeal.

 

12


ARTICLE IX REGISTERED OFFICE AND AGENT

The address of the registered office of the Corporation is 860 North Rapids Road, P.O. Box 700, Manitowoc, Wisconsin 54221-0700, and the name of the registered agent at such address is William C. Censky.

 

13


Schedule A

STANDARD PROVISIONS

Section 1. General Matters . Each share of Designated Preferred Stock shall be identical in all respects to every other share of Designated Preferred Stock. The Designated Preferred Stock shall be perpetual, subject to the provisions of Section 5 of these Standard Provisions that form a part of the Certificate of Designation. The Designated Preferred Stock shall rank equally with Parity Stock and shall rank senior to Junior Stock with respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets in the event of any dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the Issuer, as set forth below.

Section 2. Standard Definitions . As used herein with respect to Designated Preferred Stock:

(a) “ Acquiror ,” in any Holding Company Transaction, means the surviving or resulting entity or its ultimate parent in the case of a merger or consolidation or the transferee in the case of a sale, lease or other transfer in one transaction or a series of related transactions of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Issuer and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

(b) “ Affiliate ” means, with respect to any person, any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with, such other person. For purposes of this definition, “ control ” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “ controlled by ” and “ under common control with ”) when used with respect to any person, means the possession, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, of the power to cause the direction of management and/or policies of such person, whether through the ownership of voting securities by contract or otherwise.

(c) “ Applicable Dividend Rate ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(a).

(d) “ Appropriate Federal Banking Agency ” means the “appropriate Federal banking agency” with respect to the Issuer as defined in Section 3(q) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. Section 1813(q)), or any successor provision.

(e) “ Bank Holding Company ” means a company registered as such with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System pursuant to 12 U.S.C. §1842 and the regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System thereunder.

(f) “ Baseline ” means the “Initial Small Business Lending Baseline” set forth on the Initial Supplemental Report (as defined in the Definitive Agreement), subject to adjustment pursuant to Section 3(a).

(g) “ Business Combination ” means a merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange or similar transaction that requires the approval of the Issuer’s stockholders.

 

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(h) “ Business Day ” means any day except Saturday, Sunday and any day on which banking institutions in the State of New York or the District of Columbia generally are authorized or required by law or other governmental actions to close.

(i) “ Bylaws ” means the bylaws of the Issuer, as they may be amended from time to time.

(j) “ Call Report ” has the meaning set forth in the Definitive Agreement.

(k) “ Certificate of Designation ” means the Certificate of Designation or comparable instrument relating to the Designated Preferred Stock, of which these Standard Provisions form a part, as it may be amended from time to time.

(l) “ Charge-Offs ” means the net amount of loans charged off by the Issuer or, if the Issuer is a Bank Holding Company or a Savings and Loan Holding Company, by the IDI Subsidiary(ies) during quarters that begin on or after the Signing Date, determined as follows:

(i) if the Issuer or the applicable IDI Subsidiary is a bank, by subtracting (A) the aggregate dollar amount of recoveries reflected on line RIAD4605 of its Call Reports for such quarters from (B) the aggregate dollar amount of charge-offs reflected on line RIAD4635 of its Call Reports for such quarters (without duplication as a result of such dollar amounts being reported on a year-to-date basis); or

(ii) if the Issuer or the applicable IDI Subsidiary is a thrift, by subtracting (A) the sum of the aggregate dollar amount of recoveries reflected on line VA140 of its Call Reports for such quarters and the aggregate dollar amount of adjustments reflected on line VA150 of its Call Reports for such quarters from (B) the aggregate dollar amount of charge-offs reflected on line VA160 of its Call Reports for such quarters.

(m) “ Charter ” means the Issuer’s certificate or articles of incorporation, articles of association, or similar organizational document.

(n) “ CPP Lending Incentive Fee ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(e).

(o) “ Current Period ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(a)(i)(2).

(p) “ Dividend Payment Date ” means January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 of each year.

(q) “ Dividend Period ” means the period from and including any Dividend Payment Date to, but excluding, the next Dividend Payment Date; provided, however , the initial Dividend Period shall be the period from and including the Original Issue Date to, but excluding, the next Dividend Payment Date (the “ Initial Dividend Period ”).

(r) “ Dividend Record Date ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(b).

 

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(s) “ Dividend Reference Period ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(a)(i)(2).

(t) “ GAAP ” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.

(u) “ Holding Company Preferred Stock ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7(c)(v).

(v) “ Holding Company Transaction ” means the occurrence of (a) any transaction (including, without limitation, any acquisition, merger or consolidation) the result of which is that a “person” or “group” within the meaning of Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (i) becomes the direct or indirect ultimate “beneficial owner,” as defined in Rule 13d-3 under that Act, of common equity of the Issuer representing more than 50% of the voting power of the outstanding Common Stock or (ii) is otherwise required to consolidate the Issuer for purposes of generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or (b) any consolidation or merger of the Issuer or similar transaction or any sale, lease or other transfer in one transaction or a series of related transactions of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Issuer and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to any Person other than one of the Issuer’s subsidiaries; provided that, in the case of either clause (a) or (b), the Issuer or the Acquiror is or becomes a Bank Holding Company or Savings and Loan Holding Company.

(w) “ IDI Subsidiary ” means any Issuer Subsidiary that is an insured depository institution.

(x) “ Increase in QSBL ” means:

(i) with respect to the first (1st) Dividend Period, the difference obtained by subtracting (A) the Baseline from (B) QSBL set forth in the Initial Supplemental Report (as defined in the Definitive Agreement); and

(ii) with respect to each subsequent Dividend Period, the difference obtained by subtracting (A) the Baseline from (B) QSBL for the Dividend Reference Period for the Current Period.

(y) “ Initial Dividend Period ” has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Dividend Period”.

(z) “ Issuer Subsidiary ” means any subsidiary of the Issuer.

(aa) “ Liquidation Preference ” has the meaning set forth in Section 4(a).

(bb) “ Non-Qualifying Portion Percentage ” means, with respect to any particular Dividend Period, the percentage obtained by subtracting the Qualifying Portion Percentage from one (1).

 

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(cc) “ Original Issue Date ” means the date on which shares of Designated Preferred Stock are first issued.

(dd) “ Percentage Change in QSBL ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(a)(ii).

(ee) “ Person ” means a legal person, including any individual, corporation, estate, partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, limited liability company or trust.

(ff) “ Preferred Directo r” has the meaning set forth in Section 7(c).

(gg) “ Preferred Stock ” means any and all series of preferred stock of the Issuer, including the Designated Preferred Stock.

(hh) “ Previously Acquired Preferred Shares ” has the meaning set forth in the Definitive Agreement.

(ii) “ Private Capital ” means, if the Issuer is Matching Private Investment Supported (as defined in the Definitive Agreement), the equity capital received by the Issuer or the applicable Affiliate of the Issuer from one or more non-governmental investors in accordance with Section 1.3(m) of the Definitive Agreement.

(jj) “ Publicly-traded ” means a company that (i) has a class of securities that is traded on a national securities exchange and (ii) is required to file periodic reports with either the Securities and Exchange Commission or its primary federal bank regulator.

(kk) “ Qualified Small Business Lending ” or “ QSBL ” means, with respect to any particular Dividend Period, the “Quarter-End Adjusted Qualified Small Business Lending” for such Dividend Period set forth in the applicable Supplemental Report.

(ll) “ Qualifying Portion Percentage ” means, with respect to any particular Dividend Period, the percentage obtained by dividing (i) the Increase in QSBL for such Dividend Period by (ii) the aggregate Liquidation Amount of then-outstanding Designated Preferred Stock.

(mm) “ Savings and Loan Holding Company ” means a company registered as such with the Office of Thrift Supervision pursuant to 12 U.S.C. §1467a(b) and the regulations of the Office of Thrift Supervision promulgated thereunder.

(nn) “ Share Dilution Amount ” means the increase in the number of diluted shares outstanding (determined in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis, and as measured from the date of the Issuer’s most recent consolidated financial statements prior to the Signing Date) resulting from the grant, vesting or exercise of equity-based compensation to employees and equitably adjusted for any stock split, stock dividend, reverse stock split, reclassification or similar transaction.

(oo) “ Signing Date Tier 1 Capital Amount ” means $68,095,000.

 

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(pp) “ Standard Provisions ” mean these Standard Provisions that form a part of the Certificate of Designation relating to the Designated Preferred Stock.

(qq) “ Supplemental Report ” means a Supplemental Report delivered by the Issuer to Treasury pursuant to the Definitive Agreement.

(rr) “ Tier 1 Dividend Threshold ” means, as of any particular date, the result of the following formula:

( ( A + B – C ) * 0.9 ) – D

where:

 

  A  = Signing Date Tier 1 Capital Amount;

 

  B  = the aggregate Liquidation Amount of the Designated Preferred Stock issued to Treasury;

 

  C  = the aggregate amount of Charge-Offs since the Signing Date; and

 

  D  = (i) beginning on the first day of the eleventh (11th) Dividend Period, the amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the aggregate Liquidation Amount of the Designated Preferred Stock issued to Treasury as of the Effective Date (without regard to any redemptions of Designated Preferred Stock that may have occurred thereafter) for every one percent (1%) of positive Percentage Change in Qualified Small Business Lending between the ninth (9th) Dividend Period and the Baseline; and

(ii) zero (0) at all other times.

(ss) “ Voting Parity Stock ” means, with regard to any matter as to which the holders of Designated Preferred Stock are entitled to vote as specified in Section 7(d) of these Standard Provisions that form a part of the Certificate of Designation, any and all series of Parity Stock upon which like voting rights have been conferred and are exercisable with respect to such matter.

Section 3. Dividends .

 

  (a) “Rate.

 

  (i) The “ Applicable Dividend Rate ” shall be determined as follows:

 

  (1) With respect to the Initial Dividend Period, the Applicable Dividend Rate shall be three percent (3%).

 

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  (2) With respect to each of the second (2nd) through the tenth (10th) Dividend Periods, inclusive (in each case, the “ Current Period ”), the Applicable Dividend Rate shall be:

(A) (x) the applicable rate set forth in column “A” of the table in Section 3(a)(iii), based on the Percentage Change in QSBL between the Dividend Period that was two Dividend Periods prior to the Current Period (the “ Dividend Reference Period ”) and the Baseline, multiplied by (y) the Qualifying Portion Percentage; plus

(B) (x) five percent (5%) multiplied by (y) the Non-Qualifying Portion Percentage.

In each such case, the Applicable Dividend Rate shall be determined at the time the Issuer delivers a complete and accurate Supplemental Report to Treasury with respect to the Dividend Reference Period.

 

  (3) With respect to the eleventh (11th) through the eighteenth (18th) Dividend Periods, inclusive, and that portion of the nineteenth (19th) Dividend Period prior to, but not including, the four and one half (4  1 2 ) year anniversary of the Original Issue Date, the Applicable Dividend Rate shall be:

(A) (x) the applicable rate set forth in column “B” of the table in Section 3(a)(iii), based on the Percentage Change in QSBL between the ninth (9th) Dividend Period and the Baseline, multiplied by (y) the Qualifying Portion Percentage, calculated as of the last day of the ninth (9th) Dividend Period; plus

(B) (x) five percent (5%) multiplied by (y) the Non-Qualifying Portion Percentage, calculated as of the last day of the ninth (9th) Dividend Period.

In such case, the Applicable Dividend Rate shall be determined at the time the Issuer delivers a complete and accurate Supplemental Report to Treasury with respect to the ninth (9th) Dividend Period.

 

  (4) With respect to (A) that portion of the nineteenth (19th) Dividend Period beginning on the four and one half (4  1 2 ) year anniversary of the Original Issue Date and (B) all Dividend Periods thereafter, the Applicable Dividend Rate shall be nine percent (9%).

 

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  (5) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if the Issuer fails to submit a Supplemental Report that is due during any of the second (2nd) through tenth (10th) Dividend Periods on or before the sixtieth (60th) day of such Dividend Period, the Issuer’s QSBL for the Dividend Period that would have been covered by such Supplemental Report shall be zero (0) for purposes hereof.

 

  (6) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, but subject to Section 3(a)(i)(5) above, if the Issuer fails to submit the Supplemental Report that is due during the tenth (10th) Dividend Period, the Issuer’s QSBL for the shall be zero (0) for purposes of calculating the Applicable Dividend Rate pursuant to Section 3(a)(i)(3) and (4). The Applicable Dividend Rate shall be re-determined effective as of the first day of the calendar quarter following the date such failure is remedied, provided it is remedied prior to the four and one half (4  1 2 ) anniversary of the Original Issue Date.

 

  (7) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if the Issuer fails to submit any of the certificates required by Sections 3.1(d)(ii) or 3.1(d)(iii) of the Definitive Agreement when and as required thereby, the Issuer’s QSBL for the shall be zero (0) for purposes of calculating the Applicable Dividend Rate pursuant to Section 3(a)(i)(2) or (3) above until such failure is remedied.

(ii) The “ Percentage Change in Qualified Lending ” between any given Dividend Period and the Baseline shall be the result of the following formula, expressed as a percentage:

 

  (  

( QSBL for the Dividend Period – Baseline )

  )   x 100  
    Baseline      

 

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(iii) The following table shall be used for determining the Applicable Dividend Rate:

 

     The Applicable Dividend Rate shall be:  

If the Percentage Change in Qualified Lending is:

   Column “A”
(each of the
2nd – 10th
Dividend Periods)
    Column “B”
(11th – 18th, and
the first part of the
19th, Dividend
Periods)
 

0% or less

     5     7

More than 0%, but less than 2.5%

     5     5

2.5% or more, but less than 5%

     4     4

5% or more, but less than 7.5%

     3     3

7.5% or more, but less than 10%

     2     2

10% or more

     1     1

(iv) If the Issuer consummates a Business Combination, a purchase of loans or a purchase of participations in loans and the Designated Preferred Stock remains outstanding thereafter, then the Baseline shall thereafter be the “Quarter-End Adjusted Small Business Lending Baseline” set forth on the Quarterly Supplemental Report (as defined in the Definitive Agreement).

(b) Payment . Holders of Designated Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, on each share of Designated Preferred Stock if, as and when declared by the Board of Directors or any duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors, but only out of assets legally available therefor, non-cumulative cash dividends with respect to:

(i) each Dividend Period (other than the Initial Dividend Period) at a rate equal to one-fourth (  1 4 ) of the Applicable Dividend Rate with respect to each Dividend Period on the Liquidation Amount per share of Designated Preferred Stock, and no more, payable quarterly in arrears on each Dividend Payment Date; and

(ii) the Initial Dividend Period, on the first such Dividend Payment Date to occur at least twenty (20) calendar days after the Original Issue Date, an amount equal to (A) the Applicable Dividend Rate with respect to the Initial Dividend Period multiplied by (B) the number of days from the Original Issue Date to the last day of the Initial Dividend Period (inclusive) divided by 360.

In the event that any Dividend Payment Date would otherwise fall on a day that is not a Business Day, the dividend payment due on that date will be postponed to the next day that is a Business Day and no additional dividends will accrue as a result of that postponement. For avoidance of doubt, “payable quarterly in arrears” means that, with respect to any particular Dividend Period, dividends begin accruing on the first day of such Dividend Period and are payable on the first day of the next Dividend Period.

 

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The amount of dividends payable on Designated Preferred Stock on any date prior to the end of a Dividend Period, and for the initial Dividend Period, shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of four 90-day quarters, and actual days elapsed over a 90-day quarter.

Dividends that are payable on Designated Preferred Stock on any Dividend Payment Date will be payable to holders of record of Designated Preferred Stock as they appear on the stock register of the Issuer on the applicable record date, which shall be the 15th calendar day immediately preceding such Dividend Payment Date or such other record date fixed by the Board of Directors or any duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors that is not more than 60 nor less than 10 days prior to such Dividend Payment Date (each, a “ Dividend Record Date ”). Any such day that is a Dividend Record Date shall be a Dividend Record Date whether or not such day is a Business Day.

Holders of Designated Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to any dividends, whether payable in cash, securities or other property, other than dividends (if any) declared and payable on Designated Preferred Stock as specified in this Section 3 (subject to the other provisions of the Certificate of Designation).

(c) Non-Cumulative . Dividends on shares of Designated Preferred Stock shall be non-cumulative. If the Board of Directors or any duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors does not declare a dividend on the Designated Preferred Stock in respect of any Dividend Period:

(i) the holders of Designated Preferred Stock shall have no right to receive any dividend for such Dividend Period, and the Issuer shall have no obligation to pay a dividend for such Dividend Period, whether or not dividends are declared for any subsequent Dividend Period with respect to the Designated Preferred Stock; and

(ii) the Issuer shall, within five (5) calendar days, deliver to the holders of the Designated Preferred Stock a written notice executed by the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Issuer stating the Board of Directors’ rationale for not declaring dividends.

(d) Priority of Dividends; Restrictions on Dividends .

(i) Subject to Sections 3(d)(ii), (iii) and (v) and any restrictions imposed by the Appropriate Federal Banking Agency or, if applicable, the Issuer’s state bank supervisor (as defined in Section 3(r) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. § 1813(q)), so long as any share of Designated Preferred Stock remains outstanding, the Issuer may declare and pay dividends on the Common Stock, any other shares of Junior Stock, or Parity Stock, in each case only if (A) after giving effect to such dividend the Issuer’s Tier 1 capital would be at least equal to the Tier 1 Dividend Threshold , and (B) full dividends on all outstanding shares of Designated Preferred Stock for the most recently completed Dividend Period have been or are contemporaneously declared and paid.

 

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(ii) If a dividend is not declared and paid in full on the Designated Preferred Stock in respect of any Dividend Period, then from the last day of such Dividend Period until the last day of the third (3rd) Dividend Period immediately following it, no dividend or distribution shall be declared or paid on the Common Stock or any other shares of Junior Stock (other than dividends payable solely in shares of Common Stock) or Parity Stock; provided, however , that in any such Dividend Period in which a dividend is declared and paid on the Designated Preferred Stock, dividends may be paid on Parity Stock to the extent necessary to avoid any material breach of a covenant by which the Issuer is bound.

(iii) When dividends have not been declared and paid in full for an aggregate of four (4) Dividend Periods or more, and during such time the Issuer was not subject to a regulatory determination that prohibits the declaration and payment of dividends, the Issuer shall, within five (5) calendar days of each missed payment, deliver to the holders of the Designated Preferred Stock a certificate executed by at least a majority of the Board of Directors stating that the Board of Directors used its best efforts to declare and pay such dividends in a manner consistent with (A) safe and sound banking practices and (B) the directors’ fiduciary obligations.

(iv) Subject to the foregoing and Section 3(e) below and not otherwise, such dividends (payable in cash, securities or other property) as may be determined by the Board of Directors or any duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors may be declared and paid on any securities, including Common Stock and other Junior Stock, from time to time out of any funds legally available for such payment, and holders of Designated Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to participate in any such dividends.

(v) If the Issuer is not Publicly-Traded, then after the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Signing Date, so long as any share of Designated Preferred Stock remains outstanding, no dividend or distribution shall be declared or paid on the Common Stock or any other shares of Junior Stock (other than dividends payable solely in shares of Common Stock) or Parity Stock.

(e) Special Lending Incentive Fee Related to CPP . If Treasury held Previously Acquired Preferred Shares immediately prior to the Original Issue Date and the Issuer did not apply to Treasury to redeem such Previously Acquired Preferred Shares prior to December 16, 2010, and if the Issuer’s Supplemental Report with respect to the ninth (9th) Dividend Period reflects an amount of Qualified Small Business Lending that is less than or equal to the Baseline (or if the Issuer fails to timely file a Supplemental Report with respect to the ninth (9th) Dividend Period), then beginning on [ NOT APPLICABLE ] and on all Dividend Payment Dates thereafter ending on [ NOT APPLICABLE ], the Issuer shall pay to the Holders of Designated Preferred Stock, on each share of Designated Preferred Stock, but only out of assets legally available therefor, a fee equal to 0.5% of the Liquidation Amount per share of Designated Preferred Stock (“ CPP Lending Incentive Fee ”). All references in Section 3(d) to “dividends” on the Designated Preferred Stock shall be deemed to include the CPP Lending Incentive Fee.

 

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Section 4. Liquidation Rights .

(a) Voluntary or Involuntary Liquidation . In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Issuer, whether voluntary or involuntary, holders of Designated Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive for each share of Designated Preferred Stock, out of the assets of the Issuer or proceeds thereof (whether capital or surplus) available for distribution to stockholders of the Issuer, subject to the rights of any creditors of the Issuer, before any distribution of such assets or proceeds is made to or set aside for the holders of Common Stock and any other stock of the Issuer ranking junior to Designated Preferred Stock as to such distribution, payment in full in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Liquidation Amount per share and (ii) the amount of any accrued and unpaid dividends on each such share (such amounts collectively, the “ Liquidation Preference ”).

(b) Partial Payment . If in any distribution described in Section 4(a) above the assets of the Issuer or proceeds thereof are not sufficient to pay in full the amounts payable with respect to all outstanding shares of Designated Preferred Stock and the corresponding amounts payable with respect of any other stock of the Issuer ranking equally with Designated Preferred Stock as to such distribution, holders of Designated Preferred Stock and the holders of such other stock shall share ratably in any such distribution in proportion to the full respective distributions to which they are entitled.

(c) Residual Distributions . If the Liquidation Preference has been paid in full to all holders of Designated Preferred Stock and the corresponding amounts payable with respect of any other stock of the Issuer ranking equally with Designated Preferred Stock as to such distribution has been paid in full, the holders of other stock of the Issuer shall be entitled to receive all remaining assets of the Issuer (or proceeds thereof) according to their respective rights and preferences.

(d) Merger, Consolidation and Sale of Assets Is Not Liquidation . For purposes of this Section 4, the merger or consolidation of the Issuer with any other corporation or other entity, including a merger or consolidation in which the holders of Designated Preferred Stock receive cash, securities or other property for their shares, or the sale, lease or exchange (for cash, securities or other property) of all or substantially all of the assets of the Issuer, shall not constitute a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Issuer.

Section 5. Redemption .

 

  (a) Optional Redemption .

 

  (i) Subject to the other provisions of this Section 5:

 

  (1) The Issuer, at its option, subject to the approval of the Appropriate Federal Banking Agency, may redeem, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, out of funds legally available therefor, the shares of Designated Preferred Stock at the time outstanding; and

 

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  (2) If, after the Signing Date, there is a change in law that modifies the terms of Treasury’s investment in the Designated Preferred Stock or the terms of Treasury’s Small Business Lending Fund program in a materially adverse respect for the Issuer, the Issuer may, after consultation with the Appropriate Federal Banking Agency, redeem all of the shares of Designated Preferred Stock at the time outstanding.

(ii) The per-share redemption price for shares of Designated Preferred Stock shall be equal to the sum of:

 

  (1) the Liquidation Amount per share,

 

  (2) the per-share amount of any unpaid dividends for the then current Dividend Period at the Applicable Dividend Rate to, but excluding, the date fixed for redemption (regardless of whether any dividends are actually declared for that Dividend Period; and

 

  (3) the pro rata amount of CPP Lending Incentive Fees for the current Dividend Period.

The redemption price for any shares of Designated Preferred Stock shall be payable on the redemption date to the holder of such shares against surrender of the certificate(s) evidencing such shares to the Issuer or its agent. Any declared but unpaid dividends for the then current Dividend Period payable on a redemption date that occurs subsequent to the Dividend Record Date for a Dividend Period shall not be paid to the holder entitled to receive the redemption price on the redemption date, but rather shall be paid to the holder of record of the redeemed shares on such Dividend Record Date relating to the Dividend Payment Date as provided in Section 3 above.

(b) No Sinking Fund . The Designated Preferred Stock will not be subject to any mandatory redemption, sinking fund or other similar provisions. Holders of Designated Preferred Stock will have no right to require redemption or repurchase of any shares of Designated Preferred Stock.

(c) Notice of Redemption . Notice of every redemption of shares of Designated Preferred Stock shall be given by first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the holders of record of the shares to be redeemed at their respective last addresses appearing on the books of the Issuer. Such mailing shall be at least 30 days and not more than 60 days before the date fixed for redemption. Any notice mailed as provided in this Subsection shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the holder receives such notice, but failure duly to give such notice by mail, or any defect in such notice or in the mailing thereof, to any holder of shares of Designated Preferred Stock designated for redemption shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other shares of Designated Preferred

 

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Stock. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if shares of Designated Preferred Stock are issued in book-entry form through The Depository Trust Company or any other similar facility, notice of redemption may be given to the holders of Designated Preferred Stock at such time and in any manner permitted by such facility. Each notice of redemption given to a holder shall state: (1) the redemption date; (2) the number of shares of Designated Preferred Stock to be redeemed and, if less than all the shares held by such holder are to be redeemed, the number of such shares to be redeemed from such holder; (3) the redemption price; and (4) the place or places where certificates for such shares are to be surrendered for payment of the redemption price.

(c) Partial Redemption . In case of any redemption of part of the shares of Designated Preferred Stock at the time outstanding, the shares to be redeemed shall be selected either pro rata or in such other manner as the Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee thereof may determine to be fair and equitable, but in any event the shares to be redeemed shall not be less than the Minimum Amount. Subject to the provisions hereof, the Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee thereof shall have full power and authority to prescribe the terms and conditions upon which shares of Designated Preferred Stock shall be redeemed from time to time, subject to the approval of the Appropriate Federal Banking Agency. If fewer than all the shares represented by any certificate are redeemed, a new certificate shall be issued representing the unredeemed shares without charge to the holder thereof.

(e) Effectiveness of Redemption . If notice of redemption has been duly given and if on or before the redemption date specified in the notice all funds necessary for the redemption have been deposited by the Issuer, in trust for the pro rata benefit of the holders of the shares called for redemption, with a bank or trust company doing business in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, and having a capital and surplus of at least $500 million and selected by the Board of Directors, so as to be and continue to be available solely therefor, then, notwithstanding that any certificate for any share so called for redemption has not been surrendered for cancellation, on and after the redemption date dividends shall cease to accrue on all shares so called for redemption, all shares so called for redemption shall no longer be deemed outstanding and all rights with respect to such shares shall forthwith on such redemption date cease and terminate, except only the right of the holders thereof to receive the amount payable on such redemption from such bank or trust company, without interest. Any funds unclaimed at the end of three years from the redemption date shall, to the extent permitted by law, be released to the Issuer, after which time the holders of the shares so called for redemption shall look only to the Issuer for payment of the redemption price of such shares.

(f) Status of Redeemed Shares . Shares of Designated Preferred Stock that are redeemed, repurchased or otherwise acquired by the Issuer shall revert to authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock ( provided that any such cancelled shares of Designated Preferred Stock may be reissued only as shares of any series of Preferred Stock other than Designated Preferred Stock).

Section 6. Conversion . Holders of Designated Preferred Stock shares shall have no right to exchange or convert such shares into any other securities.

 

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Section 7. Voting Rights .

(a) General . The holders of Designated Preferred Stock shall not have any voting rights except as set forth below or as otherwise from time to time required by law.

(b) Board Observation Rights . Whenever, at any time or times, dividends on the shares of Designated Preferred Stock have not been declared and paid in full within five (5) Business Days after each Dividend Payment Date for an aggregate of five (5) Dividend Periods or more, whether or not consecutive, the Issuer shall invite a representative selected by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Designated Preferred Stock, voting as a single class, to attend all meetings of its Board of Directors in a nonvoting observer capacity and, in this respect, shall give such representative copies of all notices, minutes, consents, and other materials that it provides to its directors in connection with such meetings; provided , that the holders of the Designated Preferred Stock shall not be obligated to select such a representative, nor shall such representative, if selected, be obligated to attend any meeting to which he/she is invited. The rights of the holders of the Designated Preferred Stock set forth in this Section 7(b) shall terminate when full dividends have been timely paid on the Designated Preferred Stock for at least four consecutive Dividend Periods, subject to revesting in the event of each and every subsequent default of the character above mentioned.

(c) Preferred Stock Directors . Whenever, at any time or times, (i) dividends on the shares of Designated Preferred Stock have not been declared and paid in full within five (5) Business Days after each Dividend Payment Date for an aggregate of six (6) Dividend Periods or more, whether or not consecutive, and (ii) the aggregate liquidation preference of the then-outstanding shares of Designated Preferred Stock is greater than or equal to $25,000,000, the authorized number of directors of the Issuer shall automatically be increased by two and the holders of the Designated Preferred Stock, voting as a single class, shall have the right, but not the obligation, to elect two directors (hereinafter the “ Preferred Directors ” and each a “ Preferred Director ”) to fill such newly created directorships at the Issuer’s next annual meeting of stockholders (or, if the next annual meeting is not yet scheduled or is scheduled to occur more than thirty days later, the President of the Company shall promptly call a special meeting for that purpose) and at each subsequent annual meeting of stockholders until full dividends have been timely paid on the Designated Preferred Stock for at least four consecutive Dividend Periods, at which time such right shall terminate with respect to the Designated Preferred Stock, except as herein or by law expressly provided, subject to revesting in the event of each and every subsequent default of the character above mentioned; provided that it shall be a qualification for election for any Preferred Director that the election of such Preferred Director shall not cause the Issuer to violate any corporate governance requirements of any securities exchange or other trading facility on which securities of the Issuer may then be listed or traded that listed or traded companies must have a majority of independent directors. Upon any termination of the right of the holders of shares of Designated Preferred Stock to vote for directors as provided above, the Preferred Directors shall cease to be qualified as directors, the term of office of all Preferred Directors then in office shall terminate immediately and the authorized number of directors shall be reduced by the number of Preferred Directors elected pursuant hereto. Any Preferred Director may be removed at any time, with or without cause, and any vacancy created thereby may be filled, only by the affirmative vote of the holders a majority of the shares of Designated Preferred

 

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Stock at the time outstanding voting separately as a class. If the office of any Preferred Director becomes vacant for any reason other than removal from office as aforesaid, the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Designated Preferred Stock, voting as a single class, may choose a successor who shall hold office for the unexpired term in respect of which such vacancy occurred.

(d) Class Voting Rights as to Particular Matters . So long as any shares of Designated Preferred Stock are outstanding, in addition to any other vote or consent of stockholders required by law or by the Charter, the written consent of (x) Treasury if Treasury holds any shares of Designated Preferred Stock, or (y) the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Designated Preferred Stock, voting as a single class, if Treasury does not hold any shares of Designated Preferred Stock, shall be necessary for effecting or validating:

(i) Authorization of Senior Stock . Any amendment or alteration of the Certificate of Designation for the Designated Preferred Stock or the Charter to authorize or create or increase the authorized amount of, or any issuance of, any shares of, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of, any class or series of capital stock of the Issuer ranking senior to Designated Preferred Stock with respect to either or both the payment of dividends and/or the distribution of assets on any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Issuer;

(ii) Amendment of Designated Preferred Stock . Any amendment, alteration or repeal of any provision of the Certificate of Designation for the Designated Preferred Stock or the Charter (including, unless no vote on such merger or consolidation is required by Section 7(d)(iii) below, any amendment, alteration or repeal by means of a merger, consolidation or otherwise) so as to adversely affect the rights, preferences, privileges or voting powers of the Designated Preferred Stock;

(iii) Share Exchanges, Reclassifications, Mergers and Consolidations . Subject to Section 7(d)(v) below, any consummation of a binding share exchange or reclassification involving the Designated Preferred Stock, or of a merger or consolidation of the Issuer with another corporation or other entity, unless in each case (x) the shares of Designated Preferred Stock remain outstanding or, in the case of any such merger or consolidation with respect to which the Issuer is not the surviving or resulting entity, are converted into or exchanged for preference securities of the surviving or resulting entity or its ultimate parent, and (y) such shares remaining outstanding or such preference securities, as the case may be, have such rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers, and limitations and restrictions thereof that are the same as the rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers, and limitations and restrictions thereof, of Designated Preferred Stock immediately prior to such consummation, taken as a whole; provided , that in all cases, the obligations of the Issuer are assumed (by operation of law or by express written assumption) by the resulting entity or its ultimate parent;

(iv) Certain Asset Sales . Any sale of all, substantially all, or any material portion of, the assets of the Company, if the Designated Preferred Stock will not be redeemed in full contemporaneously with the consummation of such sale; and

 

28


(v) Holding Company Transactions . Any consummation of a Holding Company Transaction, unless as a result of the Holding Company Transaction each share of Designated Preferred Stock shall be converted into or exchanged for one share with an equal liquidation preference of preference securities of the Issuer or the Acquiror (the “ Holding Company Preferred Stock ”). Any such Holding Company Preferred Stock shall entitle holders thereof to dividends from the date of issuance of such Holding Company Preferred Stock on terms that are equivalent to the terms set forth herein, and shall have such other rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers, and limitations and restrictions thereof that are the same as the rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers, and limitations and restrictions thereof, of Designated Preferred Stock immediately prior to such conversion or exchange, taken as a whole;

provided , however , that for all purposes of this Section 7(d), any increase in the amount of the authorized Preferred Stock, including any increase in the authorized amount of Designated Preferred Stock necessary to satisfy preemptive or similar rights granted by the Issuer to other persons prior to the Signing Date, or the creation and issuance, or an increase in the authorized or issued amount, whether pursuant to preemptive or similar rights or otherwise, of any other series of Preferred Stock, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any other series of Preferred Stock, ranking equally with and/or junior to Designated Preferred Stock with respect to the payment of dividends (whether such dividends are cumulative or non-cumulative) and the distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Issuer will not be deemed to adversely affect the rights, preferences, privileges or voting powers, and shall not require the affirmative vote or consent of, the holders of outstanding shares of the Designated Preferred Stock.

(e) Changes after Provision for Redemption . No vote or consent of the holders of Designated Preferred Stock shall be required pursuant to Section 7(d) above if, at or prior to the time when any such vote or consent would otherwise be required pursuant to such Section, all outstanding shares of the Designated Preferred Stock shall have been redeemed, or shall have been called for redemption upon proper notice and sufficient funds shall have been deposited in trust for such redemption, in each case pursuant to Section 5 above.

(f) Procedures for Voting and Consents . The rules and procedures for calling and conducting any meeting of the holders of Designated Preferred Stock (including, without limitation, the fixing of a record date in connection therewith), the solicitation and use of proxies at such a meeting, the obtaining of written consents and any other aspect or matter with regard to such a meeting or such consents shall be governed by any rules of the Board of Directors or any duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors, in its discretion, may adopt from time to time, which rules and procedures shall conform to the requirements of the Charter, the Bylaws, and applicable law and the rules of any national securities exchange or other trading facility on which Designated Preferred Stock is listed or traded at the time.

Section 8. Restriction on Redemptions and Repurchases .

(a) Subject to Sections 8(b) and (c), so long as any share of Designated Preferred Stock remains outstanding, the Issuer may repurchase or redeem any shares of Capital

 

29


Stock (as defined below), in each case only if (i) after giving effect to such dividend, repurchase or redemption, the Issuer’s Tier 1 capital would be at least equal to the Tier 1 Dividend Threshold and (ii) dividends on all outstanding shares of Designated Preferred Stock for the most recently completed Dividend Period have been or are contemporaneously declared and paid (or have been declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof has been set aside for the benefit of the holders of shares of Designated Preferred Stock on the applicable record date).

(b) If a dividend is not declared and paid on the Designated Preferred Stock in respect of any Dividend Period, then from the last day of such Dividend Period until the last day of the third (3rd) Dividend Period immediately following it, neither the Issuer nor any Issuer Subsidiary shall, redeem, purchase or acquire any shares of Common Stock, Junior Stock, Parity Stock or other capital stock or other equity securities of any kind of the Issuer or any Issuer Subsidiary, or any trust preferred securities issued by the Issuer or any Affiliate of the Issuer (“Capital Stock”), (other than (i) redemptions, purchases, repurchases or other acquisitions of the Designated Preferred Stock and (ii repurchases of Junior Stock or Common Stock in connection with the administration of any employee benefit plan in the ordinary course of business (including purchases to offset any Share Dilution Amount pursuant to a publicly announced repurchase plan) and consistent with past practice; provided that any purchases to offset the Share Dilution Amount shall in no event exceed the Share Dilution Amount, (iii) the acquisition by the Issuer or any of the Issuer Subsidiaries of record ownership in Junior Stock or Parity Stock for the beneficial ownership of any other persons (other than the Issuer or any other Issuer Subsidiary), including as trustees or custodians, (iv) the exchange or conversion of Junior Stock for or into other Junior Stock or of Parity Stock or trust preferred securities for or into other Parity Stock (with the same or lesser aggregate liquidation amount) or Junior Stock, in each case set forth in this clause (iv), solely to the extent required pursuant to binding contractual agreements entered into prior to the Signing Date or any subsequent agreement for the accelerated exercise, settlement or exchange thereof for Common Stock, (v) redemptions of securities held by the Issuer or any wholly-owned Issuer Subsidiary or (vi) redemptions, purchases or other acquisitions of capital stock or other equity securities of any kind of any Issuer Subsidiary required pursuant to binding contractual agreements entered into prior to (x) if Treasury held Previously Acquired Preferred Shares immediately prior to the Original Issue Date, the original issue date of such Previously Acquired Preferred Shares, or (y) otherwise, the Signing Date).

(c) If the Issuer is not Publicly-Traded, then after the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Signing Date, so long as any share of Designated Preferred Stock remains outstanding, no Common Stock, Junior Stock or Parity Stock shall be, directly or indirectly, purchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired for consideration by the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries.

Section 9. No Preemptive Rights . No share of Designated Preferred Stock shall have any rights of preemption whatsoever as to any securities of the Issuer, or any warrants, rights or options issued or granted with respect thereto, regardless of how such securities, or such warrants, rights or options, may be designated, issued or granted.

 

30


Section 10. References to Line Items of Supplemental Reports . If Treasury modifies the form of Supplemental Report, pursuant to its rights under the Definitive Agreement, and any such modification includes a change to the caption or number of any line item on the Supplemental Report, then any reference herein to such line item shall thereafter be a reference to such re-captioned or re-numbered line item.

Section 11. Record Holders . To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Issuer and the transfer agent for Designated Preferred Stock may deem and treat the record holder of any share of Designated Preferred Stock as the true and lawful owner thereof for all purposes, and neither the Issuer nor such transfer agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.

Section 12. Notices . All notices or communications in respect of Designated Preferred Stock shall be sufficiently given if given in writing and delivered in person or by first class mail, postage prepaid, or if given in such other manner as may be permitted in this Certificate of Designation, in the Charter or Bylaws or by applicable law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if shares of Designated Preferred Stock are issued in book-entry form through The Depository Trust Company or any similar facility, such notices may be given to the holders of Designated Preferred Stock in any manner permitted by such facility.

Section 13. Replacement Certificates . The Issuer shall replace any mutilated certificate at the holder’s expense upon surrender of that certificate to the Issuer. The Issuer shall replace certificates that become destroyed, stolen or lost at the holder’s expense upon delivery to the Issuer of reasonably satisfactory evidence that the certificate has been destroyed, stolen or lost, together with any indemnity that may be reasonably required by the Issuer.

Section 14. Other Rights . The shares of Designated Preferred Stock shall not have any rights, preferences, privileges or voting powers or relative, participating, optional or other special rights, or qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, other than as set forth herein or in the Charter or as provided by applicable law.

 

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Exhibit 3.2

 

 

A MENDED AND R ESTATED

B YLAWS

OF

C OUNTY B ANCORP , I NC .

As of October 21, 2014

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

    A RTICLE I. O FFICES ; R ECORDS   

1.01

  Principal and Business Offices      1   

1.02

  Registered Office      1   

1.03

  Corporate Records      1   
    A RTICLE II. S HAREHOLDERS   

2.01

  Annual Meeting      1   

2.02

  Special Meetings      1   

2.03

  Place of Meeting      2   

2.04

  Notices to Shareholders      2   

2.05

  Director Nominations and Proposed Action by Shareholders      2   

2.06

  Fixing of Record Date      3   

2.07

  Shareholder List      4   

2.08

  Quorum      4   

2.09

  Conduct of Meetings      5   

2.10

  Proxies      5   

2.11

  Voting of Shares      5   

2.12

  Voting of Shares by Certain Holders      5   

2.13

  No Nominee Procedures.      6   

2.14

  Unanimous Consent without Meeting      6   
    A RTICLE III. B OARD O F D IRECTORS   

3.01

  General Powers      6   

3.02

  Number of Directors; Tenure and Qualifications; Vacancies      7   

3.03

  Removal of Directors      7   

3.04

  Regular Meetings      8   

3.05

  Special Meetings      8   

3.06

  Meetings By Telephone or Other Communication Technology      8   

3.07

  Notice of Meetings      8   

3.08

  Quorum      9   

3.09

  Manner of Acting      9   

3.10

  Conduct of Meetings      9   

3.11

  Compensation      9   

3.12

  Presumption of Assent      9   

3.13

  Committees      9   

3.14

  Director Action Without Meeting      10   
    A RTICLE IV. O FFICERS   

4.01

  In General      10   

4.02

  Appointment, Term of Office, Resignation and Removal      11   


4.03

  Vacancies      11   

4.04

  President      11   

4.05

  The Vice Presidents      12   

4.06

  The Secretary      12   

4.07

  The Treasurer      12   

4.08

  Assistant Secretaries and Assistant Treasurers      12   

4.10

  Other Assistants and Acting Officers      13   

4.11

  Salaries      13   
     A RTICLE V. C ERTIFICATES F OR S HARES A ND T HEIR T RANSFER   

5.01

  Certificates for Shares.      13   

5.02

  Signature by Former Officer, Transfer Agent or Registrar      14   

5.03

  Transfer of Shares.      14   

5.04

  [Reserved]      14   

5.05

  [Reserved]      14   

5.06

  Lost, Destroyed or Stolen Certificates      14   

5.07

  Consideration for Shares      14   

5.08

  Stock Regulations      15   
     A RTICLE VI. W AIVER O F N OTICE   

6.01

  Shareholder Written Waiver      15   

6.02

  Shareholder Waiver by Attendance      15   

6.03

  Director Written Waiver      15   

6.04

  Director Waiver by Attendance      15   
     A RTICLE VII. L IABILITY O F D IRECTORS   

7.01

  Liability of Directors      16   
     A RTICLE VIII. C ONTRACTS B ETWEEN C ORPORATION A ND R ELATED P ERSONS   

8.01

  Director Conflict of Interest      16   

8.02

  Loans to Directors      17   
     A RTICLE IX. C ONTRACTS , L OANS , C HECKS A ND D EPOSITS ; S PECIAL C ORPORATE A CTS   

9.01

  Contracts      17   

9.02

  Loans      17   

9.03

  Checks, Drafts, Etc      18   

9.04

  Deposits      18   

9.05

  Voting of Securities Owned by This Corporation.      18   
     A RTICLE X. I NDEMNIFICATION   

10.01

  Indemnification for Successful Defense      18   

10.02

  Other Indemnification      18   

10.03

  Written Request      19   


10.04

  Nonduplication      19   

10.05

  Determination of Right to Indemnification      19   

10.06

  Advance of Expenses      20   

10.07

  Nonexclusivity      21   

10.08

  Court-Ordered Indemnification      21   

10.09

  Indemnification and Allowance of Expenses of Employees and Agents      21   

10.10

  Insurance      22   

10.11

  Securities Law Claims      22   

10.12

  Liberal Construction      22   

10.13

  Definitions Applicable to this Article      22   
     A RTICLE XI. G ENERAL   

11.01

  Seal      23   

11.02

  Fiscal Year      23   
     A RTICLE XII. A MENDMENTS   

12.01

  By Shareholders      24   

12.02

  By Directors      24   

12.03

  Implied Amendments      24   


A RTICLE I. O FFICES ; R ECORDS

1.01 Principal and Business Offices. The Corporation may have such principal and other business offices, either within or without the State of Wisconsin, as the Board of Directors may designate or as the business of the Corporation may require from time to time.

1.02 Registered Office. The registered office of the Corporation required by the Wisconsin Business Corporation Law (hereinafter the “WBCL”) to be maintained in the State of Wisconsin may be, but need not be, identical with the principal office in the State of Wisconsin. The address of the registered office may be changed from time to time by any officer or by the registered agent. The office of the registered agent of the Corporation shall be identical to such registered office.

1.03 Corporate Records . The following documents and records shall be kept at the Corporation’s principal office or at such other reasonable location as may be specified by the Corporation: (a) minutes of shareholders’ and Board of Directors’ meetings and any written notices thereof; (b) records of actions taken by the shareholders or directors without a meeting; (c) records of actions taken by committees of the Board of Directors; (d) accounting records; (e) records of the shareholders; (f) current Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation; (g) written waivers of notice by shareholders or directors (if any); (h) written consents by shareholders or directors for actions without a meeting (if any); (i) voting trust agreements (if any); and (j) stock transfer agreements to which the Corporation is a party or of which it has notice (if any).

A RTICLE II. S HAREHOLDERS

2.01 Annual Meeting. The annual meeting of the shareholders shall be held on the fourth Tuesday in April of each year at 5:00 p.m. Central Time, or at such other time and date as may be fixed by or under the authority of the Board of Directors, for the purpose of electing directors and for the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting. If the day fixed for the annual meeting is a legal holiday in the State of Wisconsin, such meeting shall be held on the next succeeding business day. If the election of directors is not held on the day designated herein, or fixed as herein provided, for any annual meeting of the shareholders, or at any adjournment thereof, the Board of Directors shall cause the election to be held at a meeting of the shareholders as soon thereafter as may be convenient.

2.02 Special Meetings. Special meetings of the shareholders, for any purpose or purposes, unless otherwise prescribed by statute, may be called by the Chairman of the Board, the President, or by the Board of Directors. If and as required by the WBCL, a special meeting shall be called upon written demand describing one or more purposes for which it is to be held by holders of shares with at least 10% of the votes entitled to be cast on any issue proposed to be considered at the meeting. The purpose or purposes of any special meeting shall be described in the notice required by Section 2.04 of these Bylaws.


2.03 Place of Meeting. The Board of Directors may designate any place, either within or without the State of Wisconsin, as the place of meeting for any annual meeting or any special meeting. If no designation is made, the place of meeting shall be the principal office of the Corporation but any meeting may be adjourned to reconvene at any place designated by vote of a majority of the shares represented thereat.

2.04 Notices to Shareholders.

(a) Required Notice . Written notice stating the place, day and hour of the meeting and, in case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called, shall be delivered not less than ten (10) days nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting (unless a different time is provided by law or the Articles of Incorporation), by or at the direction of the Chairman of the Board, the President, or the Secretary or other officer or person calling such meeting, to each shareholder entitled to vote at such meeting or, if required under the WBCL, to all shareholders. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be delivered when deposited in the United States mail, and shall be addressed to the shareholder’s address shown in the current record of shareholders of the Corporation, with postage thereon prepaid. The affidavit of the Secretary or an assistant secretary or of the transfer agent of the Corporation, if one be appointed, that the notice has been given shall, in the absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein. At least twenty (20) days’ notice shall be provided if the purpose, or one of the purposes, of the meeting is to consider a plan of merger or share exchange for which shareholder approval is required by law, or the sale, lease, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Corporation’s property, with or without good will, otherwise than in the usual and regular course of business.

(b) Adjourned Meeting . Except as provided in the next sentence, if any shareholder meeting is adjourned to a different date, time, or place, notice need not be given of the new date, time, and place, if the new date, time, and place is announced at the meeting before adjournment. If a new record date for the adjourned meeting is or must be fixed, then notice must be given pursuant to the requirements of paragraph (a) of this Section 2.04, to those persons who are shareholders as of the new record date.

(c) Waiver of Notice . A shareholder may waive notice in accordance with Article VI of these Bylaws.

(d) Contents of Notice . The notice of each special shareholder meeting shall include a description of the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called. Except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws, in the Articles of Incorporation, or in the WBCL, the notice of an annual shareholder meeting need not include a description of the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called.

2.05 Director Nominations and Proposed Action by Shareholders. Nominations for the election of directors or any other action proposed to be taken at a shareholders’ meeting may be made or proposed by any shareholder entitled to vote for the election of directors or for such proposed action. A shareholder entitled to vote for the election of directors at a meeting may

 

2


nominate persons for election as directors or propose action to be taken at a meeting only if written notice of such shareholder’s intent to make such nomination or proposal is given, either by personal delivery or by United States mail, postage prepaid, to the Secretary of the Corporation not later than (1) with respect to an election to be held or a proposal to be considered at an annual meeting of shareholders, 90 days in advance of such meeting, or (2) with respect to an election to be held or a proposal to be considered at a special meeting of shareholders, the close of business on the seventh day following the date on which notice of such meeting is first given to shareholders. Such notice shall contain the name and address of the shareholder, the number of shares held of record by the shareholder, the date or dates on which the shareholder acquired such shares and, as applicable, background information about the proposed nominee or nominees, or a description of the proposed business to be brought before the shareholders’ meeting. The chairman of the meeting may refuse to acknowledge the nomination or proposal of any person made without compliance with the foregoing procedure.

2.06 Fixing of Record Date. The Board of Directors may fix in advance a date as the record date for any determination of shareholders entitled to notice of a shareholders’ meeting, to demand a special meeting, to vote, or to take any other action, such date in any case to be not more than seventy (70) days prior to the meeting or action requiring such determination of shareholders, and may fix the record date for determining shareholders entitled to a share dividend or distribution. If no record date is fixed for the determination of shareholders entitled to demand a shareholder meeting or to notice of or to vote at a meeting of shareholders, (a) the close of business on the day before the Corporation receives the first written demand for a shareholder meeting, or (b) the close of business on the day before the first notice of the meeting is mailed or otherwise delivered to shareholders, as the case may be, shall be the record date for the determination of shareholders. If no record date is fixed for the determination of shareholders entitled to receive a share dividend or distribution (other than a distribution involving a purchase, redemption or other acquisition of the Corporation’s shares), the close of business on the day on which the resolution of the Board of Directors is adopted declaring the dividend or distribution shall be the record date. When a determination of shareholders entitled to vote at any meeting of shareholders has been made as provided in this section, such determination shall be applied to any adjournment thereof unless the Board of Directors fixes a new record date and except as otherwise required by law. A new record date must be set if a meeting is adjourned to a date more than 120 days after the date fixed for the original meeting.

In order that the Corporation may determine the shareholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors, and which date shall not be more than ten (10) days after the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors. Any shareholder of record seeking to have the shareholders authorize or take corporate action by written consent shall, by written notice to the Secretary, request the Board of Directors to fix the record date. The Board of Directors shall promptly, but in all events within ten (10) days after the date on which such a request is received, adopt a resolution fixing the record date. If no record date has been

 

3


fixed by the Board of Directors within ten (10) days of the date on which such a request is received, the record date for determining shareholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, when no prior action by the Board of Directors is required by applicable law, shall be the first date on which a signed written consent setting forth the action taken or proposed to be taken is delivered to the Corporation by delivery to its registered office in the State of Wisconsin, its principal place of business, or any officer or agent of the Corporation having custody of the book in which proceedings of meetings of shareholders are recorded. Delivery made to the Corporation’s registered office shall be by hand or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested. If no record date has been fixed by the Board of Directors and prior action by the Board of Directors is required by applicable law, the record date for determining shareholders entitled to consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting shall be at the close of business on the date on which the Board of Directors adopts a resolution taking such prior action.

2.07 Shareholder List. The officer or agent having charge of the stock transfer books for shares of the Corporation shall, before each meeting of shareholders, make a complete record of the shareholders entitled to notice of such meeting, arranged by class or series of shares and showing the address of and the number of shares held by each shareholder. The shareholder list shall be available at the meeting and may be inspected by any shareholder or his or her agent or attorney at any time during the meeting or any adjournment. Any shareholder or his or her agent or attorney may inspect the shareholder list beginning two (2) business days after the notice of the meeting is given and continuing to the date of the meeting, at the Corporation’s principal office or at a place identified in the meeting notice in the city where the meeting will be held and, subject to §180.1602(2)(b)3 to 5 of the WBCL, may copy the list, during regular business hours and at his or her expense, during the period that it is available for inspection hereunder. The original stock transfer books and nominee certificates on file with the Corporation (if any) shall be prima facie evidence as to who are the shareholders entitled to inspect the shareholder list or to vote at any meeting of shareholders. Failure to comply with the requirements of this section shall not affect the validity of any action taken at such meeting.

2.08 Quorum. Except as otherwise provided in the Articles of Incorporation or in the WBCL, a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by shares entitled to vote as a separate voting group on a matter, represented in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum of that voting group for action on that matter at a meeting of shareholders. Though less than a quorum of the outstanding shares is represented at a meeting, a majority of the shares so represented may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice. The shareholders present at a duly organized meeting may continue to transact business until adjournment notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough shareholders to leave less than a quorum. Once a share is represented for any purpose at a meeting, other than for the purpose of objecting to holding the meeting or transacting business at the meeting, it is considered present for purposes of determining whether a quorum exists for the remainder of the meeting and for any adjournment of that meeting unless a new record date is or must be set for that meeting. If a quorum exists, action on a matter by a voting group is approved if the votes cast within the voting group favoring the action exceed the votes cast opposing the action unless a greater number of affirmative votes is required by the WBCL or the Articles of Incorporation.

 

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2.09 Conduct of Meetings. Meetings of the shareholders shall be presided over by one of the following officers in the following order or seniority, if present and acting: the Chairman of the Board, the President, a Vice President (in the order provided in Section 4.01), or, if none of the foregoing is in office and present and acting, by a chairman chosen by the shareholders present or represented by proxy. The Secretary of the Corporation shall act as secretary of all meetings of the shareholders, but, in the absence of the Secretary, the presiding officer may appoint any other person to act as secretary of the meeting.

2.10 Proxies. At all meetings of shareholders, a shareholder entitled to vote may vote in person or by proxy appointed in writing by the shareholder or by his or her duly authorized attorney-in-fact. All proxy appointment forms shall be filed with the Secretary or other officer or agent of the Corporation authorized to tabulate votes before or at the time of the meeting. Unless the appointment form conspicuously states that it is irrevocable and the appointment is coupled with an interest, a proxy appointment may be revoked at any time. The presence of a shareholder who has filed a proxy appointment shall not of itself constitute a revocation. No proxy appointment shall be valid after eleven months from the date of its execution, unless otherwise expressly provided in the appointment form. The Board of Directors shall have the power and authority to make rules that are not inconsistent with the WBCL as to the validity and sufficiency of proxy appointments.

2.11 Voting of Shares. Each outstanding share shall be entitled to one (1) vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of shareholders, except to the extent that the voting rights of the shares are enlarged, limited or denied by the Articles of Incorporation or the WBCL. Shares owned directly or indirectly by another corporation are not entitled to vote if this Corporation owns, directly or indirectly, sufficient shares to elect a majority of the directors of such other corporation. However, the prior sentence shall not limit the power of the Corporation to vote any shares, including its own shares, held by it in a fiduciary capacity.

2.12 Voting of Shares by Certain Holders. The Corporation in its discretion may require such evidence as it deems advisable to verify proper authority of any person to vote shares not registered of record in such person’s name.

(a) Other Entities . Shares standing in the name of another entity may be voted either in person or by proxy, by an officer or agent of the entity.

(b) Legal Representatives or Fiduciaries . Shares held by a personal representative, administrator, executor, guardian, or conservator, trustee in bankruptcy, receiver, or assignee for creditors which shares are not standing in the name of such fiduciary may be voted by him/her, either in person or by proxy, without a transfer of such shares into his/her name.

 

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(c) Pledgees . A shareholder whose votes are pledged shall be entitled to vote such shares until the shares have been transferred into the name of the pledgee, and thereafter the pledgee shall be entitled to vote the shares so transferred.

(d) Treasury Shares and Shares Held by Subsidiaries . Neither treasury shares nor shares held by another corporation, if a majority of the shares entitled to vote for the election of directors of such other corporation is held directly or indirectly by this Corporation, shall be voted at any meeting or counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares at any given time for purposes of any meeting. Provided, however, this shall not limit the power of the Corporation to vote any shares, including its own shares, held by it in a fiduciary capacity.

(e) Minors . Shares held by a minor may be voted by such minor in person or by proxy and no such vote shall be subject to disaffirmance or avoidance, unless prior to such vote the Secretary of the Corporation has received written notice or has actual knowledge that such shareholder is a minor.

(f) Incompetents and Spendthrifts . Shares held by an incompetent or spendthrift may be voted by such incompetent or spendthrift in person or by proxy and no such vote shall be subject to disaffirmance or avoidance, unless prior to such vote the Secretary of the Corporation has actual knowledge that such shareholder has been adjudicated an incompetent or spendthrift or actual knowledge of filing of judicial proceedings for appointment of a guardian.

(g) Cotenants or Fiduciaries . Shares registered in the name of two or more individuals who are named in the registration as cotenants or fiduciaries may be voted in person or by proxy signed by any one or more of such individuals if the person signing appears to be acting on behalf of all co-owners.

2.13 No Nominee Procedures. The Corporation has not established, and nothing in these Bylaws shall be deemed to establish, any procedure by which a beneficial owner of the Corporation’s shares that are registered in the name of a nominee is recognized by the Corporation as the shareholder under §180.0723 of the WBCL.

2.14 Unanimous Consent without Meeting. Any action required or permitted by the Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws or any provision of law to be taken at a meeting of the shareholders, may be taken without a meeting if a consent in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by all of the shareholders entitled to vote with respect to the subject matter thereof.

A RTICLE III. B OARD O F D IRECTORS

3.01 General Powers. All corporate powers shall be exercised by or under the authority of, and the business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed under the direction of, its Board of Directors.

 

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3.02 Number of Directors; Tenure and Qualifications; Vacancies.

(a) The authorized number of directors of the Corporation which shall constitute the entire Board of Directors shall be such as from time to time shall be determined by a majority of the then authorized number of directors, but in no case shall the authorized number of directors be less than one (1). No decrease in the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors shall shorten the term of an incumbent director.

(b) The directors shall be divided with respect to the time for which they severally hold office into three (3) classes, as nearly equal in number as possible, as determined by the Board of Directors, with the members of each class to hold office until their successors have been elected and qualified, or until their earlier resignation or removal. At each annual meeting of shareholders, the successors of the members of the class of directors whose term expires at that meeting shall be elected to hold office for a term expiring at the annual meeting of shareholders held in the third (3rd) year following the year of their election. Each director shall hold office until the annual meeting for the year in which his term expires and until such director’s successor shall be elected and qualified, subject, however, to such director’s earlier death, resignation, disqualification or removal from office. A director may resign at any time by delivering a written resignation to the Board of Directors, to the Chairman of the Board, or to the Corporation through the Secretary or otherwise.

(c) Directors need not be residents of the State of Wisconsin or shareholders of the Corporation.

(d) Any vacancy on the Board of Directors, whether resulting from an increase in the number of directors or resulting from death, resignation, disqualification, removal or otherwise, shall be filled by the vote of the majority of the directors then in office, even if less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director. If no director remains in office, any vacancy may be filled by the shareholders. Any director so elected to fill any vacancy on the Board of Directors, including a vacancy created by an increase in the number of directors, shall hold office for the remaining term of directors of the class to which he has been elected and until his successor shall be elected and shall qualify. A vacancy that will occur at a specific later date, (because of a resignation effective at a later date) may be filled before the vacancy occurs, but the new director may not take office until the vacancy occurs.

(e) No person shall be elected or appointed to the Board of Directors if the term for which he or she is elected or appointed will begin on or after such person’s seventieth (70th) birthday. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any director who attains age 70 while serving on the Board of Directors shall be permitted to serve for the remainder of his or her then-current term.

3.03 Removal of Directors. A director of the Corporation may be removed from office prior to the expiration of his term of office at any time, but only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote with respect to the election of such director at a meeting of the shareholders duly called for such purpose.

 

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3.04 Regular Meetings. The Board of Directors may provide, by resolution, the time and place, either within or without the State of Wisconsin, for the holding of regular meetings without other notice than such resolution.

3.05 Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by or at the request of the Chairman of the Board, the President, Secretary, or any one (1) director. Special meetings of any committee may be called by or at the request of the foregoing persons or the Chairman of the committee. The persons calling any special meeting of the Board of Directors or committee may fix any place, either within or without the State of Wisconsin, as the place for holding any special meeting called by them, and if no other place is fixed the place of meeting shall be the principal office of the Corporation in the State of Wisconsin.

3.06 Meetings By Telephone or Other Communication Technology.

(a) Any or all directors may participate in a regular or special meeting or in a committee meeting of the Board of Directors by, or conduct the meeting through the use of, telephone or any other means of communication by which either: (1) all participating directors may simultaneously hear each other during the meeting, or (2) all communication during the meeting is immediately transmitted to each participating director, and each participating director is able to immediately send messages to all other participating directors.

(b) If a meeting will be conducted through the use of any means described in paragraph (a), all participating directors shall be informed that a meeting is taking place at which official business may be transacted. A director participating in a meeting by any means described in paragraph (a) is deemed to be present in person at the meeting.

3.07 Notice of Meetings. Except as otherwise provided in the Articles of Incorporation or the WBCL, notice of the date, time and place of any special meeting of the Board of Directors and of any special meeting of a committee of the Board shall be given orally or in writing to each director or committee member at least 48 hours prior to the meeting, except that notice by mail shall be given at least 72 hours prior to the meeting. The notice need not describe the purpose of the meeting. Notice may be communicated in person, by telephone, telegraph or facsimile, or by mail or private carrier. Oral notice is effective when communicated. Written notice is effective as follows: If delivered in person, when received; if given by mail, when deposited, postage prepaid, in the United States mail addressed to the director at his or her business or home address (or such other address as the director may have designated in writing filed with the Secretary); if given by facsimile, at the time transmitted to a facsimile number at any address designated above; and if given by telegraph, when delivered to the telegraph company.

 

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3.08 Quorum. Except as otherwise provided by the WBCL or the Articles of Incorporation, at least one-half (1/2) of the number of directors set forth in Section 3.02 shall constitute a quorum of the Board of Directors. Except as otherwise provided by the WBCL, at least one-half (1/2) of the number of directors appointed to serve on a committee shall constitute a quorum of the committee.

3.09 Manner of Acting. Except as otherwise provided by the WBCL or the Articles of Incorporation, the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof.

3.10 Conduct of Meetings. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be presided over by one of the following officers in the following order of seniority, if present and acting: the Chairman of the Board, the President, a Vice President (provided, in any such case, that such person is a director of the Corporation), or, if none of the foregoing is present and acting, by a chairman chosen by the directors. The Secretary of the Corporation shall act as secretary of all meetings of the directors, but, in the absence of the Secretary, the presiding officer may appoint an Assistant Secretary or any other director to act as secretary of the meeting.

3.11 Compensation. The Board of Directors, irrespective of any personal interest of any of its members, may fix the compensation of directors (including pensions, disability or death benefits and other payments to or on behalf of the directors, their estates or personal representatives, or their dependents and/or beneficiaries) for their services as directors, officers, or otherwise, or may delegate such authority to an appropriate committee. Members of the Board may be reimbursed for their expenses in attending meetings of the Board of Directors or of any committee.

3.12 Presumption of Assent. A director who is present and is announced as present at a meeting of the Board of Directors or a committee thereof at which action on any corporate matter is taken shall be presumed to have assented to the action taken unless (1) the director objects at the beginning of the meeting or promptly upon his or her arrival to holding the meeting or transacting business at the meeting; (2) the director’s dissent or abstention from the action taken is entered in the minutes of the meeting; (3) the director delivers his or her written dissent or abstention to the presiding officer of the meeting before the adjournment thereof or to the Corporation immediately after the adjournment of the meeting; or (4) the director dissents or abstains from an action taken, minutes of the meeting are prepared that fail to show the director’s dissent or abstention from the action taken and the director delivers to the Corporation a written notice of that failure promptly after receiving the minutes. Such right to dissent or abstain shall not apply to a director who voted in favor of such action.

3.13 Committees. Unless the Articles of Incorporation otherwise provide, the Board of Directors, by resolution adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of all the directors then in office, may create one (1) or more committees, each committee to consist of one (1) or more directors as members, which to the extent provided in the resolution as initially adopted, and as

 

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thereafter supplemented or amended by further resolution adopted by a like vote, may exercise the authority of the Board of Directors, except that no committee may: (a) authorize distributions; (b) approve or propose to shareholders action that the WBCL requires be approved by shareholders; (c) fill vacancies on the Board of Directors or any of its committees, except that the Board of Directors may provide by resolution that any vacancies on a committee shall be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining committee members; (d) amend the Articles of Incorporation; (e) adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws; (f) approve a plan of merger not requiring shareholder approval; (g) authorize or approve reacquisition of shares, except according to a formula or method prescribed by the Board of Directors; or (h) authorize or approve the issuance or sale or contract for sale of shares, or determine the designation and relative rights, preferences and limitations of a class or series of shares, except within limits prescribed by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may elect one or more of its members as alternate members of any such committee who may take the place of any absent member or members at any meeting of such committee, upon request by the Chairman of the Board, the President or upon request by the chairman of such meeting. Each such committee shall fix its own rules (consistent with the WBCL, the Articles of Incorporation and these Bylaws) governing the conduct of its activities and shall make such reports to the Board of Directors of its activities as the Board of Directors may request. Unless otherwise provided by the Board of Directors in creating a committee, a committee may employ counsel, accountants and other consultants to assist it in the exercise of authority. The creation of a committee, delegation of authority to a committee or action by a committee does not relieve the Board of Directors or any of its members of any responsibility imposed on the Board of Directors or its members by law.

3.14 Director Action Without Meeting. Unless the Articles of Incorporation provide otherwise, action required or permitted by the WBCL to be taken at a Board of Directors meeting or committee meeting may be taken without a meeting if the action is taken by all members of the Board or committee. The action shall be evidenced by one or more written consents describing the action taken, signed by each director and retained by the Corporation. Action taken hereunder is effective when the last director signs the consent, unless the consent specifies a different effective date. A consent signed hereunder has the effect of a unanimous vote taken at a meeting at which all directors or committee members were present, and may be described as such in any document.

A RTICLE IV. O FFICERS

4.01 In General. The principal officers shall include a President, one or more Vice Presidents (the number and designations to be determined by the Board of Directors), a Secretary, a Treasurer and such other officers if any, as may be deemed necessary by the Board of Directors, each of whom shall be appointed by the Board of Directors. Such other officers and assistant officers as may be deemed necessary may be appointed by the Board of Directors. Any two or more offices may be held by the same person. The duties of the officers shall be those enumerated herein and any further duties designated by the Board of Directors. The duties herein specified for particular officers may be transferred to and vested in such other officers as the Board of Directors shall appoint, from time to time and for such periods or without limitation as to time as the Board shall order.

 

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4.02 Appointment, Term of Office, Resignation and Removal.

(a) The officers of the Corporation shall be appointed by the Board of Directors for a term as determined by the Board of Directors. If no term is specified, an officer shall hold office until he or she resigns, dies, is removed hereunder, or a different person is appointed to the office. Appointment of an officer does not of itself create contract rights.

(b) An officer may resign at any time by delivering an appropriate written notice to the Corporation. The resignation is effective when the notice is delivered, unless the notice specifies a later effective date and the Corporation accepts the later effective date.

(c) Any officer may be removed by the Board of Directors with or without cause and notwithstanding the contract rights, if any, of the person removed. Except as provided in the preceding sentence, the resignation or removal is subject to any remedies provided by any contract between the officer and the Corporation or otherwise provided by law.

4.03 Vacancies. A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal or otherwise, may be filled by the Board of Directors. If a resignation is effective at a later date, the Board of Directors may fill the vacancy before the effective date if the Board of Directors provides that the successor may not take office until the effective date.

4.04 President. The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation and, subject to the control of the Board of Directors, shall in general supervise and control all of the business and affairs of the Corporation. He/she shall, when present, preside at all meetings of the shareholders and Board of Directors unless the Board of Directors shall have elected a Chairman of the Board of Directors. He/she shall have authority, subject to such rules as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors, to appoint such agents and employees of the Corporation as he/she shall deem necessary, to prescribe their powers, duties and compensation, and to delegate authority to them. Such agents and employees shall hold office at the discretion of the President. He/she shall have authority to sign, execute and acknowledge, on behalf of the Corporation, all deeds, mortgages, bonds, stock certificates, contracts, leases, reports and all other documents or instruments necessary or proper to be executed in the course of the Corporation’s regular business, or which shall be authorized by resolution of the Board of Directors; and except as otherwise provided by law or the Board of Directors, he/she may authorize any Vice President or other officer or agent of the Corporation to sign, execute and acknowledge such documents or instruments in his/her place and stead. In general he/she shall perform all duties incident to the office of the chief executive officer and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors from time to time.

 

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4.05 The Vice Presidents. In the absence of the President or in the event of his/her death, inability or refusal to act, or in the event for any reason it shall be impracticable for the President to act personally, the Vice President (if any appointed), or if more than one, the Vice Presidents in the order designated at the time of their election, or in the absence of any such designation, then in the order of their appointment, shall perform the duties of the President and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the President. Any Vice President may sign with the Secretary or Assistant Secretary certificates for shares of the Corporation and shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him/her by the President or the Board of Directors.

4.06 The Secretary. The Secretary shall: (a) keep the minutes of the meetings of the shareholders and of the Board of Directors in one or more books provided for that purpose; (b) see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these by-laws or as required by law; (c) be custodian of the corporate records and of the seal of the Corporation, if any, and see that the seal of the Corporation, if any, is affixed to all documents the execution of which on behalf of the Corporation under its seal is duly authorized; (d) keep or arrange for the keeping of a register of the post office address of each shareholder which shall be furnished to the Secretary by such shareholder; (e) sign with the President, or a Vice President, certificates for shares of the Corporation, the issuance of which shares shall have been authorized by resolution of the Board of Directors; (f) have general charge of the stock transfer books of the Corporation; and (g) in general perform all duties incident to the office of Secretary and have such other duties and exercise such authority as from time to time may be delegated or assigned to him/her by the President or by the Board of Directors.

4.07 The Treasurer. The Treasurer shall: (a) have charge and custody and be responsible for all funds and securities of the Corporation; (b) receive and give receipts for moneys due and payable to the Corporation from any source whatsoever, and deposit all such moneys in the name of the Corporation in such banks, trust companies or other depositaries as shall be selected in accordance with the provisions of Section 9.04; and (c) in general perform all of the duties incident to the office of Treasurer and have such other duties and exercise such other authority as shall from time to time be delegated or assigned to him/her by the President or by the Board of Directors.

4.08 Assistant Secretaries and Assistant Treasurers. There shall be such number of Assistant Secretaries and Assistant Treasurers as the Board of Directors may from time to time authorize. The Assistant Secretaries may sign with the President or a Vice President certificates for shares of the Corporation, the issuance of which shall have been authorized by a resolution of the Board of Directors. The Assistant Secretaries and Assistant Treasurers, in general, shall perform such duties and have such authority as shall from time to time be delegated or assigned to them by the Secretary or the Treasurer, respectively, or by the President or the Board of Directors.

 

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4.10 Other Assistants and Acting Officers. The Board of Directors shall have the power to appoint any person to act as assistant to any officer, or as agent for the Corporation in his/her stead, or to perform the duties of such officer whenever for any reason it is impracticable for such officer to act personally, and such assistant or acting officer or other agent so appointed by the Board of Directors shall have the power to perform all the duties of the office to which he/she is so appointed to be assistant, or as to which he/she is so appointed to act, except as such power may be otherwise defined or restricted by the Board of Directors.

4.11 Salaries. The salaries of the principal officers shall be fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors or by a duly authorized committee thereof, and no officer shall be prevented from receiving such salary by reason of the fact that such officer is also a director of the Corporation.

A RTICLE V. C ERTIFICATES F OR S HARES A ND T HEIR T RANSFER

5.01 Certificates for Shares. The Board of Directors may authorize the issuance of any shares of any classes or series with or without the issuance of a corresponding certificate. The issuance of such shares shall be done in accordance with this Section 5.01 and applicable Wisconsin Statutes.

(a) Certificated Shares . Any certificates representing shares of the Corporation shall be in such form, consistent with law, as shall be determined by the Board of Directors. At a minimum, a share certificate shall state on its face the name of the Corporation and that it is organized under the laws of the State of Wisconsin, the name of the person to whom issued, and the number and class of shares and the designation of the series, if any, that the certificate represents. If the Corporation is authorized to issue different classes of shares or different series within a class, the front or back of the certificate must contain either (i) a summary of the designations, relative rights, preferences and limitations applicable to each class, and the variations in the rights, preferences and limitations determined for each series and the authority of the Board of Directors to determine variations for future series, or (ii) a conspicuous statement that the Corporation will furnish the shareholder the information described in clause (i) on request, in writing and without charge. Such certificates shall be signed, either manually or in facsimile, by the Chairman of the Board, the President, a Vice President and by the Secretary. All certificates for shares shall be consecutively numbered or otherwise identified. The name and address of the person to whom the shares represented thereby are issued, with the number of shares and date of issue, shall be entered on the stock transfer books of the Corporation. All certificates surrendered to the Corporation for transfer shall be canceled and no new certificate shall be issued until the former certificate for a like number of shares shall have been surrendered and canceled, except as provided in Section 5.06.

(b) Shares Without Certificates . If the Board of Directors authorizes the issuance of shares without certificates, that authorization does not affect shares already represented by certificates until the certificates are surrendered to the Corporation. In instances where certificates are not going to be issued, within a reasonable time after the issuance or transfer

 

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of the corresponding shares, the Corporation shall send the shareholder a written statement identifying the name of the Corporation and that it is organized under the laws of the State of Wisconsin, the name of the person to whom issued, and the number and class of shares and the designation of the series, if any. If the Corporation issues different classes of shares or different series within a class, the written statement must also contain either (i) a summary of the designations, relative rights, preferences and limitations applicable to each class, and the variations in the rights, preferences and limitations determined for each series and the authority of the Board of Directors to determine variations for future series, or (ii) a conspicuous statement that the Corporation will furnish the shareholder the information described in clause (i) on request, in writing and without charge

5.02 Signature by Former Officer, Transfer Agent or Registrar. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon any certificate for shares has ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, the certificate may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if that person were still an officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of its issue.

5.03 Transfer of Shares. Prior to due presentment of a certificate for shares for registration of transfer, and unless the Corporation has established a procedure by which a beneficial owner of shares held by a nominee is to be recognized by the Corporation as the shareholder, the Corporation may treat the registered owner of such shares as the person exclusively entitled to vote, to receive notifications and otherwise to have and exercise all the rights and power of an owner. The Corporation may require reasonable assurance that all transfer endorsements are genuine and effective and in compliance with all regulations prescribed by or under the authority of the Board of Directors.

5.04 [Reserved]

5.05 [Reserved]

5.06 Lost, Destroyed or Stolen Certificates. Where the owner of certificated shares of the Corporation claims that his or her certificate for shares has been lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken, a new certificate shall be issued in place thereof if the owner (a) so requests before the Corporation has notice that such shares have been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, and (b) if required by the Corporation, files with the Corporation a sufficient indemnity bond, and (c) satisfies such other reasonable requirements as may be prescribed by or under the authority of the Board of Directors.

5.07 Consideration for Shares. The shares of the Corporation may be issued for such consideration as shall be fixed from time to time and determined to be adequate by the Board of Directors, provided that any shares having a par value shall not be issued for a consideration less than the par value thereof. The consideration may consist of any tangible or intangible property or benefit to the Corporation, including cash, promissory notes, services performed, contracts for

 

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services to be performed, or other securities of the Corporation. When the Corporation receives the consideration for which the Board of Directors authorized the issuance of shares, such shares shall be deemed to be fully paid and nonassessable by the Corporation.

5.08 Stock Regulations. The Board of Directors shall have the power and authority to make all such rules and regulations not inconsistent with the statutes of the State of Wisconsin as it may deem expedient concerning the issue, transfer and registration of certificates representing shares of the Corporation, including the appointment or designation of one or more stock transfer agents and one or more registrars.

A RTICLE VI. W AIVER O F N OTICE

6.01 Shareholder Written Waiver. A shareholder may waive any notice required by the WBCL, the Articles of Incorporation or these Bylaws before or after the date and time stated in the notice. The waiver shall be in writing and signed by the shareholder entitled to the notice, shall contain the same information that would have been required in the notice under the WBCL except that the time and place of meeting need not be stated, and shall be delivered to the Corporation for inclusion in the corporate records.

6.02 Shareholder Waiver by Attendance. A shareholder’s attendance at a meeting, in person or by proxy, waives objection to both of the following:

(a) Lack of notice or defective notice of the meeting, unless the shareholder at the beginning of the meeting or promptly upon arrival objects to holding the meeting or transacting business at the meeting.

(b) Consideration of a particular matter at the meeting that is not within the purpose described in the meeting notice, unless the shareholder objects to considering the matter when it is presented.

6.03 Director Written Waiver. A director may waive any notice required by the WBCL, the Articles of Incorporation or these Bylaws before or after the date and time stated in the notice. The waiver shall be in writing (except as provided in Section 6.04 of these Bylaws), signed by the director entitled to the notice and retained by the Corporation.

6.04 Director Waiver by Attendance. A director’s attendance at or participation in a meeting of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof waives any required notice to him or her of the meeting unless the director at the beginning of the meeting or promptly upon his or her arrival objects to holding the meeting or transacting business at the meeting and does not thereafter vote for or assent to action taken at the meeting.

 

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A RTICLE VII. L IABILITY O F D IRECTORS

7.01 Liability of Directors. Except as otherwise provided by law, no person shall be liable to the Corporation, its shareholders, or any person asserting rights on behalf of the Corporation or its shareholders, for damages, settlements, fees, fines, penalties or other monetary liabilities arising from a breach of, or failure to perform, any duty resulting solely from his/her status as a director of the Corporation, unless the person asserting liability proves that the breach or failure to perform constitutes (a) a willful failure to deal fairly with the Corporation or its shareholders in connection with a matter in which the director has a material conflict of interest, (b) a violation of criminal law, unless the director had reasonable cause to believe his/her conduct was lawful or no reasonable cause to believe his/her conduct was unlawful, (c) a transaction from which the director derived an improper personal profit, or (d) willful misconduct.

A RTICLE VIII. C ONTRACTS B ETWEEN C ORPORATION A ND R ELATED P ERSONS

8.01 Director Conflict of Interest.

(a) In this section, “conflict of interest transaction” means a transaction with the Corporation in which a director of the Corporation has a direct or indirect interest.

(b) A conflict of interest transaction is not voidable by the Corporation solely because of the director’s interest in the transaction if any of the following is true: (1) the material facts of the transaction and the director’s interest were disclosed or known to the Board of Directors or a committee of the Board of Directors and the Board of Directors or committee authorized, approved or specifically ratified the transaction under Section 8.04(d); (2) the material facts of the transaction and the director’s interest were disclosed or known to the shareholders entitled to vote and they authorized, approved or specifically ratified the transaction under Section 8.04(e); or (3) the transaction was fair to the Corporation.

(c) For purposes of this section, the circumstances in which a director of the Corporation has an indirect interest in a transaction include but are not limited to a transaction under any of the following circumstances: (1) another entity in which the director has a material financial interest or in which the director is a general partner is a party to the transaction; or (2) another entity of which the director is a director, officer or trustee is a party to the transaction and the transaction is or, because of its significance to the Corporation, should be considered by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

(d) For purposes of Section 8.04(b)(1), a conflict of interest transaction is authorized, approved or specifically ratified if it receives the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors on the Board of Directors or on the committee acting on the transaction, who have no direct or indirect interest in the transaction. If a majority of the directors who have no direct or indirect interest in the transaction vote to authorize, approve or ratify the transaction, a quorum is

 

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present for the purpose of taking action under this section. The presence of, or a vote cast by, a director with a direct or indirect interest in the transaction does not affect the validity of any action taken under Section 8.04(b)(1) if the transaction is otherwise authorized, approved or ratified as provided in this section.

(e) For purposes of Section 8.04(b)(2), a conflict of interest transaction is authorized, approved or specifically ratified if it receives the vote of a majority of the shares entitled to be counted under this subsection. Shares owned by or voted under the control of a director who has a direct or indirect interest in the transaction, and shares owned by or voted under the control of an entity described in Section 8.04(c)(1), may not be counted in a vote of shareholders to determine whether to authorize, approve or ratify a conflict of interest transaction under Section 8.04(b)(2). The vote of those shares shall be counted in determining whether the transaction is approved under other sections of these Bylaws. A majority of the shares, whether or not present, that are entitled to be counted in a vote on the transaction under this subsection constitutes a quorum for the purpose of taking action under this section.

8.02 Loans to Directors. The Corporation may not lend money to or guarantee the obligation of a director of the Corporation unless (1) the particular loan or guarantee is approved by a majority of the votes represented by the outstanding voting shares of all classes, voting as a single voting group, except the votes of shares owned by or voted under the control of the benefited director, or (2) the Corporation’s Board of Directors determines that the loan or guarantee benefits the Corporation and either approves the specific loan or guarantee or a general plan authorizing loans and guarantees. The fact that a loan or guarantee is made in violation of this section does not affect the borrower’s liability on the loan. This section does not apply to an advance to a director that is permitted under Section 10.06 of these Bylaws or that is made to defray expenses incurred by the director in the ordinary course of the Corporation’s business.

A RTICLE IX. C ONTRACTS , L OANS , C HECKS A ND D EPOSITS ; S PECIAL C ORPORATE A CTS

9.01 Contracts. The Board of Directors may authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents, to enter into any contract or execute or deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation, and such authorization may be general or confined to specific instances. In the absence of other designation, all deeds, mortgages and instruments of assignment or pledge made by the Corporation shall be executed in the name of the Corporation by the President or one of the Vice Presidents; the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, when necessary or required, shall affix the corporate seal, if any, thereto; and when so executed no other party to such instrument or any third party shall be required to make any inquiry into the authority of the signing officer or officers.

9.02 Loans. No indebtedness for borrowed money shall be contracted on behalf of the Corporation and no evidences of such indebtedness shall be issued in its name unless authorized by or under the authority of a resolution of the Board of Directors. Such authorization may be general or confined to specific instances.

 

17


9.03 Checks, Drafts, Etc. All checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Corporation, shall be signed by such officer or officers, agent or agents of the Corporation and in such manner, including by means of facsimile signatures, as shall from time to time be determined by or under the authority of a resolution of the Board of Directors.

9.04 Deposits. All funds of the Corporation not otherwise employed shall be deposited from time to time to the credit of the Corporation in such banks, trust companies or other depositaries as may be selected by or under the authority of a resolution of the Board of Directors.

9.05 Voting of Securities Owned by This Corporation. Subject always to the specific directions of the Board of Directors, (a) any shares or other securities issued by any other corporation and owned or controlled by this Corporation may be voted at any meeting of security holders of such other corporation by the President of this Corporation if he/she be present, or in his/her absence by any Vice President of this Corporation who may be present, and (b) whenever, in the judgment of the President, or in his/her absence, of any Vice President, it is desirable for this Corporation to execute a proxy or written consent with respect to any shares or other securities issued by any other corporation and owned by this Corporation, such proxy or consent shall be executed in the name of this Corporation by the President or one of the Vice Presidents of this Corporation, without necessity of any authorization by the Board of Directors, affixation of corporate seal or countersignature or attestation by another officer. Any person or persons designated in the manner above stated as the proxy or proxies of this Corporation shall have full right, power and authority to vote the shares or other securities issued by such other corporation and owned by this Corporation the same as such shares or other securities might be voted by this Corporation.

A RTICLE X I NDEMNIFICATION

10.01 Indemnification for Successful Defense. Within twenty (20) days after receipt of a written request pursuant to Section 10.03, the Corporation shall indemnify a director or officer, to the extent he or she has been successful on the merits or otherwise in the defense of a proceeding, for all reasonable expenses incurred in the proceeding if the director or officer was a party because he or she is a director or officer of the Corporation.

10.02 Other Indemnification.

(a) In cases not included under Section 10.01, the Corporation shall indemnify a director or officer against all liabilities and expenses incurred by the director or officer in a proceeding to which the director or officer was a party because he or she is a director or officer of the Corporation, unless liability was incurred because the director or officer breached or failed to perform a duty he or she owes to the Corporation and the breach or failure to perform constitutes

 

18


any of the following: (1) A willful failure to deal fairly with the Corporation or its shareholders in connection with a matter in which the director or officer has a material conflict of interest; (2) A violation of criminal law, unless the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was lawful or no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful; (3) A transaction from which the director or officer derived an improper personal profit; or (4) Willful misconduct.

(b) Determination of whether indemnification is required under this Section shall be made pursuant to Section 10.05.

(c) The termination of a proceeding by judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of no contest or an equivalent plea, does not, by itself, create a presumption that indemnification of the director or officer is not required under this Section.

10.03 Written Request. A director or officer who seeks indemnification under Sections 10.01 or 10.02 shall make a written request to the Corporation.

10.04 Nonduplication. The Corporation shall not indemnify a director or officer under Sections 10.01 or 10.02 if the director or officer has previously received indemnification or allowance of expenses from any person, including the Corporation, in connection with the same proceeding. However, the director or officer has no duty to look to any other person for indemnification.

10.05 Determination of Right to Indemnification.

(a) Unless otherwise provided by the Articles of Incorporation or by written agreement between the director or officer and the Corporation, the director or officer seeking indemnification under Section 10.02 shall select one of the following means for determining his or her right to indemnification:

(1) By a majority vote of a quorum of the Board of Directors consisting of directors not at the time parties to the same or related proceedings. If a quorum of disinterested directors cannot be obtained, by majority vote of a committee duly appointed by the Board of Directors and consisting solely of one (1) or more directors who are not at the time parties to the same or related proceedings. Directors who are parties to the same or related proceedings may participate in the designation of members of the committee.

(2) By independent legal counsel selected by a quorum of the Board of Directors or its committee in the manner prescribed in sub. (1) or, if unable to obtain such a quorum or committee, by a majority vote of the full Board of Directors, including directors who are parties to the same or related proceedings.

 

19


(3) By a panel of three (3) arbitrators consisting of one arbitrator selected by those directors entitled under sub. (2) to select independent legal counsel, one arbitrator selected by the director or officer seeking indemnification and one arbitrator selected by the two (2) arbitrators previously selected.

(4) By an affirmative vote of shares represented at a meeting of shareholders at which a quorum of the voting group entitled to vote thereon is present. Shares owned by, or voted under the control of, persons who are at the time parties to the same or related proceedings, whether as plaintiffs or defendants or in any other capacity, may not be voted in making the determination.

(5) By a court under Section 10.08.

(6) By any other method provided for in any additional right to indemnification permitted under Section 10.07.

(b) In any determination under (a), the burden of proof is on the Corporation to prove by clear and convincing evidence that indemnification under Section 10.02 should not be allowed.

(c) If it is determined that indemnification is required under Section 10.02, the Corporation shall pay all liabilities and expenses not prohibited by Section 10.04 within ten (10) days after such determination. The Corporation shall also pay all expenses incurred by the director or officer in the determination process under (a).

10.06 Advance of Expenses. Within ten (10) days after receipt of a written request by a director or officer who is a party to a proceeding, the Corporation shall pay or reimburse his or her reasonable expenses as incurred if the director or officer provides the Corporation with all of the following:

(1) A written affirmation of his or her good faith belief that he or she has not breached or failed to perform his or her duties to the Corporation.

(2) A written undertaking, executed personally or on his or her behalf, to repay the allowance to the extent that it is ultimately determined under Section 10.05 that indemnification under Section 10.02 is not required and that indemnification is not ordered by a court under Section 10.08(b)(2). The undertaking under this subsection shall be an unlimited general obligation of the director or officer and may be accepted without reference to his or her ability to repay the allowance. The undertaking may be secured or unsecured.

 

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10.07 Nonexclusivity.

(a) Except as provided in (b), Sections 10.01, 10.02 and 10.06 do not preclude any additional right to indemnification or allowance of expenses that a director or officer may have under any of the following: (1) The Articles of Incorporation; (2) A written agreement between the director or officer and the Corporation; (3) A resolution of the Board of Directors; or (4) A resolution, after notice, adopted by a majority vote of all of the Corporation’s voting shares then issued and outstanding.

(b) Regardless of the existence of an additional right under (a), the Corporation shall not indemnify a director or officer, or permit a director or officer to retain any allowance of expenses unless it is determined by or on behalf of the Corporation that the director or officer did not breach or fail to perform a duty he or she owes to the Corporation which constitutes conduct under Section 10.02(a)(1), (2), (3) or (4). A director or officer who is a party to the same or related proceedings for which indemnification or an allowance of expenses is sought may not participate in a determination under this subsection.

(c) Sections 10.01 to 10.13 do not affect the Corporation’s power to pay or reimburse expenses incurred by a director or officer in any of the following circumstances: (1) As a witness in a proceeding to which he or she is not a party; or (2) As a plaintiff or petitioner in a proceeding because he or she is or was an employee, agent, director or officer of the Corporation.

10.08 Court-Ordered Indemnification.

(a) Except as provided otherwise by written agreement between the director or officer and the Corporation, a director or officer who is a party to a proceeding may apply for indemnification to the court conducting the proceeding or to another court of competent jurisdiction. Application shall be made for an initial determination by the court under Section 10.05(a)(5) or for review by the court of an adverse determination under Section 10.05(a)(1), (2), (3), (4) or (6). After receipt of an application, the court shall give any notice it considers necessary.

(b) The court shall order indemnification if it determines any of the following: (1) that the director or officer is entitled to indemnification under Sections 10.01 or 10.02; or (2) that the director or officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification in view of all the relevant circumstances, regardless of whether indemnification is required under Section 10.02.

(c) If the court determines under (b) that the director or officer is entitled to indemnification, the Corporation shall pay the director’s or officer’s expenses incurred to obtain the court ordered indemnification.

10.09 Indemnification and Allowance of Expenses of Employees and Agents. The Corporation shall indemnify an employee of the Corporation who is not a director or officer of the Corporation, to the extent that he or she has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of a proceeding, for all reasonable expenses incurred in the proceeding if the employee was a

 

21


party because he or she was an employee of the Corporation. In addition, the Corporation may indemnify and allow reasonable expenses of an employee or agent who is not a director or officer of the Corporation to the extent provided by the Articles of Incorporation or these Bylaws, by general or specific action of the Board of Directors or by contract.

10.10 Insurance. The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of an individual who is an employee, agent, director or officer of the Corporation against liability asserted against or incurred by the individual in his or her capacity as an employee, agent, director or officer, regardless of whether the Corporation is required or authorized to indemnify or allow expenses to the individual against the same liability under Sections 10.01, 10.02, 10.06, 10.07 and 10.09.

10.11 Securities Law Claims.

(a) Pursuant to the public policy of the State of Wisconsin, the Corporation shall provide indemnification and allowance of expenses and may insure for any liability incurred in connection with a proceeding involving securities regulation described under (b) to the extent required or permitted under Sections 10.01 to 10.13.

(b) Sections 10.01 to 10.13 apply, to the extent applicable to any other proceeding, to any proceeding involving a federal or state statute, rule or regulation regulating the offer, sale or purchase of securities, securities brokers or dealers, or investment companies or investment advisers.

10.12 Liberal Construction. In order for the Corporation to obtain and retain qualified directors, officers and employees, the foregoing provisions shall be liberally administered in order to afford maximum indemnification of directors, officers and, where Section 10.09 of these Bylaws applies, employees. The indemnification above provided for shall be granted in all applicable cases unless to do so would clearly contravene law, controlling precedent or public policy.

10.13 Definitions Applicable to this Article. For purposes of this Article:

(a) “Affiliate” shall include, without limitation, any corporation, partnership, joint venture, employee benefit plan, trust or other enterprise that directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Corporation.

(b) “Corporation” means County Bancorp, Inc. and any domestic or foreign predecessor of County Bancorp, Inc. where the predecessor corporation’s existence ceased upon the consummation of a merger or other transaction with County Bancorp, Inc.

 

22


(c) “Director or officer” means any of the following: (1) An individual who is or was a director or officer of this Corporation; (2) An individual who, while a director or officer of this Corporation, is or was serving at the Corporation’s request as a director, officer, partner, trustee, member of any governing or decision-making committee, employee or agent of another Corporation or foreign Corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise; (3) An individual who, while a director or officer of this Corporation, is or was serving an employee benefit plan because his or her duties to the Corporation also impose duties on, or otherwise involve services by, the person to the plan or to participants in or beneficiaries of the plan; or (4) Unless the context requires otherwise, the estate or personal representative of a director or officer. For purposes of this Article, it shall be conclusively presumed that any director or officer serving as a director, officer, partner, trustee, member of any governing or decision-making committee, employee or agent of an Affiliate shall be so serving at the request of the Corporation.

(c) “Expenses” include fees, costs, charges, disbursements, attorney fees and other expenses incurred in connection with a proceeding.

(d) “Liability” includes the obligation to pay a judgment, settlement, penalty, assessment, forfeiture or fine, including an excise tax assessed with respect to an employee benefit plan, plus costs, fees and surcharges, and reasonable expenses.

(e) “Party” includes an individual who was or is, or who is threatened to be made, a named defendant or respondent in a proceeding.

(f) “Proceeding” means any threatened, pending or completed civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit, arbitration or other proceeding, whether formal or informal, which involves foreign, federal, state or local law and which is brought by or in the right of the Corporation or by any other person.

A RTICLE XI G ENERAL

11.01 Seal. The Board of Directors may provide for a corporate seal, which may be circular in form and have inscribed thereon any designation including the name of the Corporation and the words “Corporate Seal, Wisconsin.”

11.02 Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Corporation shall begin on January 1 and end on December 31 of each year.

 

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A RTICLE XII A MENDMENTS

12.01 By Shareholders. Except as specifically provided herein, these Bylaws may be amended or repealed and new Bylaws may be adopted by the shareholders by a majority vote at any regular meeting or special meeting of such shareholders.

12.02 By Directors. Except as the Articles of Incorporation or these Bylaws may otherwise provide, these Bylaws may also be amended or repealed and new Bylaws may be adopted by the Board of Directors by the vote provided in Section 3.09, but (a) no Bylaw adopted by the shareholders shall be amended, repealed or readopted by the Board of Directors if the Bylaw so adopted so provides and (b) a Bylaw adopted or amended by the shareholders that fixes a greater or lower quorum requirement or a greater voting requirement for the Board of Directors than otherwise is provided in the WBCL may not be amended or repealed by the Board of Directors unless the Bylaw expressly provides that it may be amended or repealed by a specified vote of the Board of Directors. Action by the Board of Directors to adopt or amend a Bylaw that changes the quorum or voting requirement for the Board of Directors must meet the same quorum requirement and be adopted by the same vote required to take action under the quorum and voting requirement then in effect, unless a different voting requirement is specified as provided by the preceding sentence. A Bylaw that fixes a greater or lower quorum requirement or a greater voting requirement for shareholders or voting groups of shareholders than otherwise is provided in the WBCL may not be adopted, amended or repealed by the Board of Directors.

12.03 Implied Amendments. Any action taken or authorized by the shareholders or by the Board of Directors, which would be inconsistent with the Bylaws then in effect but is taken or authorized by a vote that would be sufficient to amend the Bylaws so that the Bylaws would be consistent with such action, shall be given the same effect as though the Bylaws had been temporarily amended or suspended so far, but only so far, as is necessary to permit the specific action so taken or authorized.

 

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Exhibit 4.2

 

LOGO

No: 1338
Number
No: 1338
Shares
County Bancorp, Inc.
Incorporated Under THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF WISCONSIN
AUTHORIZED COMMON 5,000,000 SHARES $0.01 PAR VALUE
THIS CERTIFIES THAT is the owner of full paid and non-assessable common shares $0.01 par value of County Bancorp, Inc. transferable on the books of the Corporation in person or by duly authorized Attorney upon surrender of this Certificate properly endorsed.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the said Corporation has caused this Certificate to be signed by its duly authorized officers and sealed with the Seal of the Corporation this day of A.D.
SECRETARY
PRESIDENT


LOGO

For Value Received, hereby sell, assign and transfer unto represented by the within
Certificate, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint Attorney to transfer the said Shares on the books of the within named Corporation with full power of substitution in the premises.
Dated
Signature Guaranteed By:
NOTICE: THE SIGNATURE OF THIS ASSIGNMENT MUST CORRESPOND WITH THE NAME AS WRITTEN UPON THE FACE OF THE CERTIFICATE, IN EVERY PARTICULAR, WITHOUT ALTERATION OR ENLARGEMENT, OR ANY CHANGE WHATEVER.
RESTRICTIONS ON OWNERSHIP AND TRANSFER
THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “1933 ACT”), AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, OFFERED FOR SALE, PLEDGED OR HYPOTHECATED IN THE ABSENCE OF (I) AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AS TO THE SECURITIES UNDER THE 1933 ACT AND AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION OR QUALIFICATION OF SUCH SECURITIES FOR SALE UNDER ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAW; OR (II) AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE CORPORATION THAT SUCH REGISTRATIONS OR QUALIFICATIONS ARE NOT REQUIRED.

Exhibit 4.3

[Execution Copy]

SMALL BUSINESS LENDING FUND – SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

County Bancorp, Inc.

  

0590

Name of Company   

SBLF No.

 

860 N. Rapids Road

 

Corporation

Street Address for Notices   Organizational Form (e.g., corporation, national bank)

 

    Manitowoc                   WI                             54220

 

Wisconsin

            City                          State                         Zip Code   Jurisdiction of Organization

 

William Censky

 

Federal Reserve

Name of Contact Person to Receive Notices   Appropriate Federal Banking Agency

 

(920) 686-5688

 

(920) 686-5608

 

August 23, 2011

Fax Number for Notices   Phone Number for Notices   Effective Date

THIS SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT (the “ Agreement ”) is made as of the Effective Date set forth above (the “ Signing Date ”) between the Secretary of the Treasury (“ Treasury ”) and the Company named above (the “ Company ”), an entity existing under the laws of the Jurisdiction of Organization stated above in the Organizational Form stated above. The Company has elected to participate in Treasury’s Small Business Lending Fund program (“ SBLF ”). This Agreement contains the terms and conditions on which the Company intends to issue preferred stock to Treasury, which Treasury will purchase using SBLF funds.

This Agreement consists of the following attached parts, all of which together constitute the entire agreement of Treasury and the Company (the “ Parties ”) with respect to the subject matter hereof, superseding all prior written and oral agreements and understandings between the Parties with respect to such subject matter:

 

Annex A:    Information Specific to    Annex G:    Form of Officer’s Certificate
   the Company and the Investment    Annex H:    Form of Supplemental Reports
Annex B:    Definitions    Annex I:    Form of Annual Certification
Annex C:    General Terms and Conditions    Annex J:    Form of Opinion
Annex D:    Disclosure Schedule    Annex K:    Form of Repayment Document
Annex E:    Registration Rights      
Annex F:    Form of Certificate of Designation      

This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each being deemed to be an original instrument, and all of which will together constitute the same agreement. Executed signature pages to this Agreement may be delivered by facsimile or electronic mail attachment.


[Execution Copy]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF , this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the duly authorized representatives of the parties hereto as of the Effective Date.

 

THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY     COUNTY BANCORP, INC.
By:  

/s/ Don Graves

    By:  

/s/ William Censky

Name:   Don Graves     Name:   William Censky
Title:   Deputy Assistant Secretary     Title:   Chairman and President

 

 

[Signature Page- SBLF Securities Purchase Agreement – County Bancorp, Inc. (SBLF #0590)]


[Execution Copy]

 

ANNEX A

INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO THE COMPANY AND THE INVESTMENT

 

Purchase Information

Terms of the Purchase:

 

Series of Preferred Stock Purchased:   Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C
Per Share Liquidation Preference of Preferred Stock:   $1,000 per share
Number of Shares of Preferred Stock Purchased:   15,000
Dividend Payment Dates on the Preferred Stock:   Payable quarterly in arrears on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 of each year.
Purchase Price:   $15,000,000

Closing:

 

Location of Closing:   Virtual
Time of Closing:   10:00 a.m. (EST)
Date of Closing:   August 23, 2011

Redemption Information

(Only complete if the Company was a CPP or CDCI participant; leave blank otherwise.)

 

Prior Program:   

¨       CPP

  
  

¨       CDCI

  

Series of Previously Acquired Preferred Stock:

Number of Shares of Previously Acquired Preferred Stock:

Repayment Amount:

Residual Amount:

 

Annex A (Information Specific to the Company and the Investment)   Page 1


[Execution Copy]

 

Matching Private Investment Information

 

Treasury investment is contingent on the Company raising Matching Private Investment (check one):   

¨       Yes

 

x       No

  
If Yes, complete the following (leave blank otherwise):      
Aggregate Dollar Amount of Matching Private Investment Required:      
Aggregate Dollar Amount of Matching Private Investment Received:      
Class of securities representing Matching Private Investment:      
Date of issuance of Matching Private Investment:      

 

Annex A (Information Specific to the Company and the Investment)   Page 2


[Execution Copy]

 

ANNEX B

DEFINITIONS

 

1. Definitions . Except as otherwise specified herein or as the context may otherwise require, the following terms have the respective meanings set forth below for all purposes of this Agreement.

Affiliate ” means, with respect to any person, any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with, such other person. For purposes of this definition, “ control ” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “ controlled by ” and “ under common control with ”) when used with respect to any person, means the possession, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, of the power to cause the direction of management and/or policies of such person, whether through the ownership of voting securities by contract or otherwise.

Application Date ” means the date of the Company’s completed application to participate in SBLF.

Appropriate Federal Banking Agency ” means the “appropriate Federal banking agency” with respect to the Company or such Company Subsidiaries, as applicable, as defined in Section 3(q) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. Section 1813(q)). The Appropriate Federal Banking Agency is identified on the cover page of this Agreement.

Appropriate State Banking Agency ” means, if the Company is a State-chartered bank, the Company’s State bank supervisor (as defined in Section 3(r) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, 12 U.S.C. § 1813(q).

Bank Holding Company ” means a company registered as such with the Federal Reserve pursuant to 12 U.S.C. §1842 and the regulations of the Federal Reserve promulgated thereunder.

Call Report ” has the meaning assigned thereto in Section 4102(4) of the SBJA. If the Company is a Bank Holding Company or a Savings and Loan Holding Company, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: (a) the term “Call Report” shall mean the Call Report(s) (as defined in Section 4102(4) of the SBJA) of the IDI Subsidiary(ies); and (b) if there are multiple IDI Subsidiaries, all references herein or in any document executed or delivered in connection herewith (including the Certificate of Designation, the Initial Supplemental Report and all Quarterly Supplemental Reports) to any data reported in a Call Report shall refer to the aggregate of such data across the Call Reports for all such IDI Subsidiaries.

CDCI ” means the Community Development Capital Initiative, as authorized under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.

Company Material Adverse Effect ” means a material adverse effect on (i) the business, results of operation or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries taken as a whole; provided , however , that Company Material Adverse Effect shall not be deemed to include the effects of (A) changes after the Signing Date in general

 

Annex B (Definitions)   Page 1


[Execution Copy]

 

business, economic or market conditions (including changes generally in prevailing interest rates, credit availability and liquidity, currency exchange rates and price levels or trading volumes in the United States or foreign securities or credit markets), or any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, declared or undeclared acts of war or terrorism, in each case generally affecting the industries in which the Company and its subsidiaries operate, (B) changes or proposed changes after the Signing Date in GAAP, or authoritative interpretations thereof, or (C) changes or proposed changes after the Signing Date in securities, banking and other laws of general applicability or related policies or interpretations of Governmental Entities (in the case of each of these clauses (A), (B) and (C), other than changes or occurrences to the extent that such changes or occurrences have or would reasonably be expected to have a materially disproportionate adverse effect on the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries taken as a whole relative to comparable U.S. banking or financial services organizations); or (ii) the ability of the Company to consummate the Purchase and other transactions contemplated by this Agreement and perform its obligations hereunder and under the Certificate of Designation on a timely basis and declare and pay dividends on the Dividend Payment Dates set forth in the Certificate of Designations.

CPP ” means the Capital Purchase Program, as authorized under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.

Disclosure Schedule” means that certain schedule to this Agreement delivered to Treasury on or prior to the Signing Date, setting forth, among other things, items the disclosure of which is necessary or appropriate in response to an express disclosure requirement contained in a provision hereof. The Disclosure Schedule is contained in Annex D of this Agreement.

Executive Officers ” means the Company’s “executive officers” as defined in 12 C.F.R. § 215.2(e)(1) (regardless of whether or not such regulation is applicable to the Company).

Federal Reserve ” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

GAAP ” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.

General Terms and Conditions ” and “ General T&C ” each mean Annex C of this Agreement.

IDI Subsidiary ” means any Company Subsidiary that is an insured depository institution.

Junior Stock ” means Common Stock and any other class or series of stock of the Company the terms of which expressly provide that it ranks junior to the Preferred Shares as to dividend and redemption rights and/or as to rights on liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company.

knowledge of the Company ” or “ Company’s knowledge ” means the actual knowledge after reasonable and due inquiry of the “ officers ” (as such term is defined in Rule 3b-2 under the Exchange Act) of the Company.

 

Annex B (Definitions)   Page 2


[Execution Copy]

 

Matching Private Investment-Supported, ” when used to describe the Company (if applicable), means the Company’s eligibility for participation in the SBLF program is conditioned upon the Company or an Affiliate of the Company acceptable to Treasury receiving Matching Private Investment, as contemplated by Section 4103(d)(3)(B) of the SBJA.

Original Letter Agreement ” means, if applicable, the Letter Agreement (and all terms incorporated therein) pursuant to which Treasury purchased from the Company, and the Company issued to Treasury, the Previously Acquired Preferred Shares (or warrants exercised to acquire the Previously Acquired Preferred Shares or the securities exchanged for the Previously Acquired Preferred Stock).

Oversight Officials ” means, interchangeably and collectively as context requires, the Special Deputy Inspector General for SBLF Program Oversight, the Inspector General of the Department of the Treasury, and the Comptroller General of the United States.

Parity Stock ” means any class or series of stock of the Company the terms of which do not expressly provide that such class or series will rank senior or junior to the Preferred Shares as to dividend rights and/or as to rights on liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company (in each case without regard to whether dividends accrue cumulatively or non-cumulatively).

Preferred Shares ” means the number of shares of Preferred Stock identified in the “Purchase Information” section of Annex A opposite “Number of Shares of Preferred Stock Purchased.”

Preferred Stock ” means the series of the Company’s preferred stock identified in the “Purchase Information” section of Annex A opposite “Series of Preferred Stock Purchased.”

“Previously Acquired Preferred Shares ” means, if the Company participated in CPP or CDCI, the number of shares of Previously Acquired Preferred Stock identified in the “Redemption Information” section of Annex A opposite “Number of Shares of Previously Acquired Preferred Stock.”

Previously Acquired Preferred Stock ” means, if the Company participated in CPP or CDCI, the series of the Company’s preferred stock identified in the “Redemption Information” section of Annex A opposite “Series of Previously Acquired Preferred Stock.”

Previously Disclosed ” means information set forth on the Disclosure Schedule or the Disclosure Update, as applicable; provided , however , that disclosure in any section of such Disclosure Schedule or Disclosure Update, as applicable, shall apply only to the indicated section of this Agreement; provided , further , that the existence of Previously Disclosed information, pursuant to a Disclosure Update, shall neither obligate Treasury to consummate the Purchase nor limit or affect any rights of or remedies available to Treasury.

Prior Program ” means (a) CPP, if the Company is a participant in CPP immediately prior to the Closing, or (b) CDCI, if the Company is a participant in CDCI immediately prior to the Closing.

 

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Publicly-traded ” means a company that (i) has a class of securities that is traded on a national securities exchange and (ii) is required to file periodic reports with either the Securities and Exchange Commission or its primary federal bank regulator.

Purchase ” means the purchase of the Preferred Shares by Treasury from the Company pursuant to this Agreement.

“Repayment ” has the meaning set forth in the Repayment Document.

Repayment Amount ” means, if the Company participated in CPP or CDCI, the aggregate amount payable by the Company as of the Closing Date to redeem the Previously Acquired Preferred Stock in accordance with its terms, which amount is set forth in the “Redemption Information” section of Annex A .

Savings and Loan Holding Company ” means a company registered as such with the Office of Thrift Supervision or any successor thereto pursuant to 12 U.S.C. §1467(a) and the regulations of the Office of Thrift Supervision promulgated thereunder.

SBJA ” means the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, as it may be amended from time to time.

Subsidiary ” means any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other entity (A) of which such person or a subsidiary of such person is a general partner or (B) of which a majority of the voting securities or other voting interests, or a majority of the securities or other interests of which having by their terms ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors or persons performing similar functions with respect to such entity, is directly or indirectly owned by such person and/or one or more subsidiaries thereof.

Tax ” or “ Taxes ” means any federal, state, local or foreign income, gross receipts, property, sales, use, license, excise, franchise, employment, payroll, withholding, alternative or add-on minimum, ad valorem , transfer or excise tax, or any other tax, custom, duty, governmental fee or other like assessment or charge of any kind whatsoever, together with any interest, penalty or addition imposed by any Governmental Entity.

Total Assets ” means, with respect to an insured depository institution, the total assets of such insured depository institution.

Total Risk-Weighted Assets ” means, with respect to an insured depository institution, the risk-weighted assets of such insured depository institution.

Warrant ” has the meaning set forth in the Repayment Document.

 

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2. Index of Definitions . The following table, which is provided solely for convenience of reference and shall not affect the interpretation of this Agreement, identifies the location where capitalized terms are defined in this Agreement:

 

Term

  

Location of

Definition

Affiliate    Annex B, §1
Agreement    Cover Page
Appropriate Federal Banking Agency    Annex B, §1
Appropriate State Banking Agency    Annex B, §1
Bank Holding Company    Annex B, §1
Bankruptcy Exceptions    General T&C, §2.5(a)
Board of Directors    General T&C, §2.6
Business Combination    General T&C, §5.8
business day    General T&C, §5.12
Call Report    Annex B, §1
Capitalization Date    General T&C, §2.2
CDCI    Annex B, §1
Certificate of Designation    General T&C, §1.3(d)
Charter    General T&C, §1.3(d)
Closing    General T&C, §1.2(a)
Closing Date    General T&C, §1.2(a)
Closing Deadline    General T&C, §5.1(a)(i)
Code    General T&C, §2.14
Common Stock    General T&C, §2.2
Company    Cover Page
Company Financial Statements    General T&C, §1.3(i)
Company Material Adverse Effect    Annex B, §1
Company Reports    General T&C, §2.9
Company Subsidiary; Company Subsidiaries    General T&C, §2.5(b)
control; controlled by; under common control with    Annex B, §1
CPP    Annex B, §1
Disclosure Schedule    Annex B, §1
Disclosure Update    General T&C, §1.3(h)
ERISA    General T&C, §2.14
Exchange Act    General T&C, §4.3
Federal Reserve    Annex B, §1
GAAP    Annex B, §1
Governmental Entities    General T&C, §1.3(a)
Holders    General T&C, §4.4(a)
Indemnitee    General T&C, §4.4(b)
Information    General T&C, §3.1(c)(iii)
Initial Supplemental Report    General T&C, §1.3(j)
Treasury    Cover Page
Junior Stock    Annex B, §1
knowledge of the Company; Company’s knowledge    Annex B, §1
Matching Private Investment    General T&C, §1.3(l)
Matching Private Investment-Supported    Annex B, § 1
Matching Private Investors    General T&C, §1.3(l)
officers    Annex B, §1

 

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Parity Stock    Annex B, §1
Parties    Cover Page
Plan    General T&C, §2.14
Preferred Shares    Annex B, §1
Preferred Stock    Annex B, §1
Previously Acquired Preferred Shares    Annex B, §1
Previously Acquired Preferred Stock    Annex B, §1
Previously Disclosed    Annex B, §1
Prior Program    General T&C, §1.2(c)
Proprietary Rights    General T&C, §2.21
Purchase    Annex B, §1
Purchase Price    General T&C, §1.1(a)
Regulatory Agreement    General T&C, §2.19
Related Party    General T&C, §2.25
Repayment Document    General T&C, §1.2(b)(ii)(E)
Residual Amount    General T&C, §1.2(b)(ii)(B)
Savings and Loan Holding Company    Annex B, §1
SBJA    Annex B, §1
SBLF    Cover Page
SEC    General T&C, §2.11
Securities Act    General T&C, §2.1
Signing Date    Cover Page
subsidiary    Annex B, §1
Quarterly Supplemental Report    General T&C, §3.1(d)(i)
Tax; Taxes    Annex B, §1
Transfer    General T&C, §4.3

3. Defined Terms in Annex K . Except for defined terms in Annex K that are expressly cross-referenced in another part of this Agreement, terms defined in Annex K are defined therein solely for purposes of Annex K and are not applicable to other parts of this Agreement.

 

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ANNEX C

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

CONTENTS OF GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

               Page  
ARTICLE I    PURCHASE; CLOSING      3   
   1.1    Purchase      3   
   1.2    Closing      3   
   1.3    Closing Conditions      4   
ARTICLE II    REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES      6   
   2.1    Organization, Authority and Significant Subsidiaries      6   
   2.2    Capitalization      6   
   2.3    Preferred Shares      7   
   2.4    Compliance With Identity Verification Requirements      7   
   2.5    Authorization; Enforceability      7   
   2.6    Anti-takeover Provisions and Rights Plan      8   
   2.7    No Company Material Adverse Effect      8   
   2.8    Company Financial Statements      9   
   2.9    Reports      9   
   2.10    No Undisclosed Liabilities      9   
   2.11    Offering of Securities      10   
   2.12    Litigation and Other Proceedings      10   
   2.13    Compliance with Laws      10   
   2.14    Employee Benefit Matters      11   
   2.15    Taxes      11   
   2.16    Properties and Leases      11   
   2.17    Environmental Liability      12   
   2.18    Risk Management Instruments      12   
   2.19    Agreements with Regulatory Agencies      12   
   2.20    Insurance      13   
   2.21    Intellectual Property      13   
   2.22    Brokers and Finders      13   
   2.23    Disclosure Schedule      13   
   2.24    Previously Acquired Preferred Shares      14   
   2.25    Related Party Transactions      14   
   2.26    Ability to Pay Dividends      14   
ARTICLE III COVENANTS      14   
   3.1    Affirmative Covenants      14   
   3.2    Negative Covenants      20   

 

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ARTICLE IV    ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS      21   
   4.1    Purchase for Investment      21   
   4.2    Legends      21   
   4.3    Transfer of Preferred Shares      22   
   4.4    Rule 144; Rule 144A; 4(1  1 2 ) Transactions      22   
   4.5    Depositary Shares      24   
   4.6    Expenses and Further Assurances      24   
ARTICLE V    MISCELLANEOUS      24   
   5.1    Termination      24   
   5.2    Survival      25   
   5.3    Amendment      25   
   5.4    Waiver of Conditions      26   
   5.5    Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction; etc.      26   
   5.6    No Relationship to TARP      26   
   5.7    Notices      26   
   5.8    Assignment      27   
   5.9    Severability      27   
   5.10    No Third Party Beneficiaries      27   
   5.11    Specific Performance      27   
   5.12    Interpretation      27   

 

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ARTICLE I

PURCHASE; CLOSING

1.1 Purchase . On the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, the Company agrees to sell to Treasury, and Treasury agrees to purchase from the Company, at the Closing, the Preferred Shares for the aggregate price set forth on Annex A (the “ Purchase Price ”).

1.2 Closing . (a) On the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, the closing of the Purchase (the “ Closing ”) will take place at the location specified in Annex A , at the time and on the date set forth in Annex A or as soon as practicable thereafter, or at such other place, time and date as shall be agreed between the Company and Treasury. The time and date on which the Closing occurs is referred to in this Agreement as the “ Closing Date ”.

(b) Subject to the fulfillment or waiver of the conditions to the Closing in Section 1.3, at the Closing:

(i) if Treasury holds Previously Acquired Preferred Shares:

(A) the Purchase Price shall first be applied to pay the Repayment Amount;

(B) if the Purchase Price is less than the Repayment Amount, the Company shall pay the positive difference (if any) between the Repayment Amount and the Purchase Price (a “ Residual Amount ”) to Treasury’s Office of Financial Stability by wire transfer of immediately available United States funds to an account designated in writing by Treasury; and

(C) upon receipt of the full Repayment Amount (by application of the Purchase Price and, if applicable, the Company’s payment of the Residual Amount), Treasury and the Company will consummate the Repayment;

(D) the Company will deliver to Treasury a statement of adjustment as contemplated by Section 13(J) of the Warrant; and

(E) the Company and Treasury will execute and deliver a properly completed repurchase document in the form attached hereto as Annex K , (the “ Repayment Document ”).

(ii) the Company will deliver the Preferred Shares as evidenced by one or more certificates dated the Closing Date and bearing appropriate legends as hereinafter provided for, in exchange for payment in full of the Purchase Price by application of the Purchase Price to the Repayment and by wire transfer of immediately available United States funds to a bank account designated by the Company in the Initial Supplemental Report, as applicable.

 

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1.3 Closing Conditions . The obligation of Treasury to consummate the Purchase is subject to the fulfillment (or waiver by Treasury) at or prior to the Closing of each of the following conditions:

(a) (i) any approvals or authorizations of all United States federal, state, local, foreign and other governmental, regulatory or judicial authorities (collectively, “ Governmental Entities ”) required for the consummation of the Purchase shall have been obtained or made in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to each party and shall be in full force and effect and all waiting periods required by United States and other applicable law, if any, shall have expired and (ii) no provision of any applicable United States or other law and no judgment, injunction, order or decree of any Governmental Entity shall prohibit the purchase and sale of the Preferred Shares as contemplated by this Agreement;

(b) (i) the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in (A) Sections 2.7 and 2.26 shall be true and correct in all respects as though made on and as of the Closing Date; (B) Sections 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.19, 2.22, 2.23, 2.24 and 2.25 shall be true and correct in all material respects as though made on and as of the Closing Date (other than representations and warranties that by their terms speak as of another date, which representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all respects as of such other date); and (C) Sections 2.8 through 2.18 and Sections 2.20 through 2.21 (disregarding all qualifications or limitations set forth in such representations and warranties as to “materiality”, “Company Material Adverse Effect” and words of similar import) shall be true and correct as though made on and as of the Closing Date (other than representations and warranties that by their terms speak as of another date, which representations and warranties shall be true and correct as of such other date), except to the extent that the failure of such representations and warranties referred to in this Section 1.3(b)(i)(C) to be so true and correct, individually or in the aggregate, does not have and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect; and (ii) the Company shall have performed in all respects all obligations required to be performed by it under this Agreement at or prior to the Closing;

(c) the Company shall have delivered to Treasury a certificate signed on behalf of the Company by an Executive Officer certifying to the effect that the conditions set forth in Section 1.3(b) have been satisfied, in substantially the form of Annex G ;

(d) the Company shall have duly adopted and filed with the Secretary of State of its jurisdiction of organization or other applicable Governmental Entity an amendment to its certificate or articles of incorporation, articles of association, or similar organizational document (“ Charter ”) in substantially the form of Annex F (the “ Certificate of Designation ”) and the Company shall have delivered to Treasury a copy of the filed Certificate of Designation with appropriate evidence from the Secretary of State or other applicable Governmental Entity that the filing has been accepted, or if a filed copy is unavailable, a certificate signed on behalf of the Company by an Executive Officer certifying to the effect that the filing of the Certificate of Designation has been accepted, in substantially the form attached hereto as Annex F ;

(e) the Company shall have delivered to Treasury true, complete and correct certified copies of the Charter and bylaws of the Company;

 

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(f) the Company shall have delivered to Treasury a written opinion from counsel to the Company (which may be internal counsel), addressed to Treasury and dated as of the Closing Date, in substantially the form of Annex J ;

(g) the Company shall have delivered certificates in proper form or, with the prior consent of Treasury, evidence of shares in book-entry form, evidencing the Preferred Shares to Treasury or its designee(s);

(h) the Company shall have delivered to Treasury a copy of the Disclosure Schedule on or prior to the Signing Date and, to the extent that any information set forth on the Disclosure Schedule needs to be updated or supplemented to make it true, complete and correct as of the Closing Date, (i) the Company shall have delivered to Treasury an update to the Disclosure Schedule (the “ Disclosure Update ”), setting forth any information necessary to make the Disclosure Schedule true, correct and complete as of the Closing Date and (ii) Treasury, in its sole discretion, shall have approved the Disclosure Update, provided, however , that the delivery and acceptance of the Disclosure Update shall not limit or affect any rights of or remedies available to Treasury;

(i) the Company shall have delivered to Treasury on or prior to the Signing Date each of the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for each of the last three completed fiscal years of the Company (which shall be audited to the extent audited financial statements are available prior to the Signing Date) (together with the Call Reports filed by the Company or the IDI Subsidiary(ies) for each completed quarterly period since the last completed fiscal year, the “ Company Financial Statements ”);

(j) the Company shall have delivered to Treasury, not later than five (5) business days prior to the Closing Date, a certificate (the “ Initial Supplemental Report ”) in substantially the form attached hereto as Annex H setting forth a complete and accurate statement of loans held by the Company (or if the Company is a Bank Holding Company or a Savings and Loan Holding Company, by the IDI Subsidiary(ies)) in each of the categories described therein, for the time periods specified therein, (A) including a signed certification of the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and all directors or trustees of the Company or the IDI Subsidiary(ies) who attested to the Call Reports for the quarters covered by such certificate, that such certificate (x) has been prepared in conformance with the instructions issued by Treasury and (y) is true and correct to the best of their knowledge and belief; and (B) completed for the last full calendar quarter prior to the Closing Date and the four (4) quarters ended September 30, 2009, December 31, 2009, March 31, 2010 and June 30, 2010;

(k) prior to the Signing Date, the Company shall have delivered to Treasury, the Appropriate Federal Banking Agency and, if the Company is a State-chartered bank, the Appropriate State Banking Agency, a small business lending plan describing how the Company’s business strategy and operating goals will allow it to address the needs of small businesses in the area it serves, as well as a plan to provide linguistically and culturally appropriate outreach, where appropriate; and

 

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(l) if the Company is Matching Private Investment-Supported, on or after September 27, 2010 the Company or an Affiliate of the Company acceptable to Treasury shall (i) have received equity capital (“ Matching Private Investment ”) from one or more non-governmental investors (“ Matching Private Investors ”) (A) in an amount equal to or greater than the Aggregate Dollar Amount of Matching Private Investment Required set forth on Annex A (net of all dividends paid with respect to, and all repurchases and redemptions of, the Company’s equity securities), (B) that is subordinate in right of payment of dividends, liquidation preference and redemption rights to the Preferred Shares and (C) that is acceptable in form and substance to Treasury, in its sole discretion and (ii) have satisfied the following requirements reasonably in advance of the Closing Date: (A) delivery of copies of the definitive documentation for the Matching Private Investment to Treasury, (B) delivery of the organizational charts of such non-governmental investors to Treasury, each certified by the applicable non-governmental investor and demonstrating that such non-governmental investor is not an Affiliate of the Company, (C) delivery of any other documents or information as Treasury may reasonably request, in its sole discretion and (D) any other terms and conditions imposed by Treasury or the Appropriate Federal Banking Agency, in their sole discretion.

ARTICLE II

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

The Company represents and warrants to Treasury that as of the Signing Date and as of the Closing Date (or such other date specified herein):

2.1 Organization, Authority and Significant Subsidiaries . The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, with the necessary power and authority to own, operate and lease its properties and conduct its business as it is being currently conducted, and except as has not, individually or in the aggregate, had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification; each subsidiary of the Company that would be considered a “significant subsidiary” within the meaning of Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “ Securities Act ”), has been duly organized and is validly existing in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization. The Charter and bylaws of the Company, copies of which have been provided to Treasury prior to the Signing Date, are true, complete and correct copies of such documents as in full force and effect as of the Signing Date and as of the Closing Date.

2.2 Capitalization . The outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and are validly issued and outstanding, fully paid and nonassessable, and subject to no preemptive or similar rights (and were not issued in violation of any preemptive rights). As of the Signing Date, the Company does not have outstanding any securities or other obligations providing the holder the right to acquire its common stock (“ Common Stock ”) or other capital stock that is not reserved for issuance as specified in Part 2.2 of the Disclosure Schedule, and the Company has not made any other commitment to authorize, issue or sell any Common Stock or other capital stock. Since the last day of the fiscal period covered by the last Call Report filed by

 

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the Company or the IDI Subsidiary(ies) prior to the Application Date (the “ Capitalization Date ”), the Company has not (a) declared, and has no present intention of declaring, any dividends on its Common Stock in a per-share amount greater than the per-share amount of declared dividends that are reflected in such Call Report; (b) declared, and has no present intention of declaring (except as contemplated by the Certificate of Designation) any dividends on any of its preferred stock in a per-share amount greater than the per-share amount of declared dividends that are reflected in such Call Report; or (c) issued any shares of Common Stock or other capital stock, other than (i) shares issued upon the exercise of stock options or delivered under other equity-based awards or other convertible securities or warrants which were issued and outstanding on the Capitalization Date and disclosed in Part 2.2 of the Disclosure Schedule, (ii) shares disclosed in Part 2.2 of the Disclosure Schedule, and (iii) if the Company is Matching Private Investment-Supported, shares or other capital stock representing Matching Private Investment disclosed in the “Matching Private Investment” section of Annex A . Except as disclosed in Part 2.2 of the Disclosure Schedule, the Company has no agreements providing for the accelerated exercise, settlement or exchange of any capital stock of the Company for Common Stock. Each holder of 5% or more of any class of capital stock of the Company and such holder’s primary address are set forth in Part 2.2 of the Disclosure Schedule. The Company has received a representation from each Matching Private Investor that such Matching Private Investor has not received or applied for any investment from the SBLF, and the Company has no reason to believe that any such representation is inaccurate. If the Company is a Bank Holding Company or a Savings and Loan Holding Company, (x) the percentage of each IDI Subsidiary’s issued and outstanding capital stock that is owned by the Company is set forth on Part 2.2 of the Disclosure Schedule; and (y) all shares of issued and outstanding capital stock of the IDI Subsidiary(ies) owned by the Company are free and clear of all liens, security interests, charges or encumbrances. Since the Application Date, there has been no change in the organizational hierarchy information regarding the Company that was available on the Application Date from the National Information Center of the Federal Reserve System.

2.3 Preferred Shares . The Preferred Shares have been duly and validly authorized, and, when issued and delivered pursuant to this Agreement, such Preferred Shares will be duly and validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable, will not be issued in violation of any preemptive rights, and will rank pari passu with or senior to all other series or classes of preferred stock, whether or not designated, issued or outstanding, with respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets in the event of any dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the Company.

2.4 Compliance with Identity Verification Requirements . The Company and the Company Subsidiaries (to the extent such regulations are applicable to the Company Subsidiaries) are in compliance with the requirements of Section 103.121 of title 31, Code of Federal Regulations.

2.5 Authorization, Enforceability .

(a) The Company has the corporate power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to carry out its obligations hereunder (which includes the issuance of the Preferred Shares). The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby have been duly

 

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authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and its stockholders, and no further approval or authorization is required on the part of the Company. This Agreement is a valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to any limitations of applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and general equitable principles, regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity (“ Bankruptcy Exceptions ”).

(b) The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and compliance by the Company with the provisions hereof, will not (i) violate, conflict with, or result in a breach of any provision of, or constitute a default (or an event which, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute a default) under, or result in the termination of, or accelerate the performance required by, or result in a right of termination or acceleration of, or result in the creation of, any lien, security interest, charge or encumbrance upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company (each subsidiary, a “ Company Subsidiary ” and, collectively, the “ Company Subsidiaries ”) under any of the terms, conditions or provisions of (A) its organizational documents or (B) any note, bond, mortgage, indenture, deed of trust, license, lease, agreement or other instrument or obligation to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is a party or by which it or any Company Subsidiary may be bound, or to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary or any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Company Subsidiary may be subject, or (ii) subject to compliance with the statutes and regulations referred to in the next paragraph, violate any statute, rule or regulation or any judgment, ruling, order, writ, injunction or decree applicable to the Company or any Company Subsidiary or any of their respective properties or assets except, in the case of clauses (i)(B) and (ii), for those occurrences that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

(c) Other than the filing of the Certificate of Designation with the Secretary of State of its jurisdiction of organization or other applicable Governmental Entity, such filings and approvals as are required to be made or obtained under any state “blue sky” laws and such as have been made or obtained, no notice to, filing with, exemption or review by, or authorization, consent or approval of, any Governmental Entity is required to be made or obtained by the Company in connection with the consummation by the Company of the Purchase except for any such notices, filings, exemptions, reviews, authorizations, consents and approvals the failure of which to make or obtain would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

2.6 Anti-takeover Provisions and Rights Plan . The Board of Directors of the Company (the “ Board of Directors ”) has taken all necessary action to ensure that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will be exempt from any anti-takeover or similar provisions of the Company’s Charter and bylaws, and any other provisions of any applicable “moratorium”, “control share”, “fair price”, “interested stockholder” or other anti-takeover laws and regulations of any jurisdiction.

2.7 No Company Material Adverse Effect . Since the last day of the fiscal period covered by the last Call Report filed by the Company or the IDI Subsidiary(ies) prior to the

 

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Application Date, no fact, circumstance, event, change, occurrence, condition or development has occurred that, individually or in the aggregate, has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

2.8 Company Financial Statements . The Company Financial Statements present fairly in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates indicated therein and the consolidated results of their operations for the periods specified therein; and except as stated therein, such financial statements (a) were prepared in conformity with GAAP applied on a consistent basis (except as may be noted therein) and (b) have been prepared from, and are in accordance with, the books and records of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries.

2.9 Reports .

(a) Since December 31, 2007, the Company and each Company Subsidiary has filed all reports, registrations, documents, filings, statements and submissions, together with any amendments thereto, that it was required to file with any Governmental Entity (the foregoing, collectively, the “C ompany Reports ”) and has paid all fees and assessments due and payable in connection therewith, except, in each case, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. As of their respective dates of filing, the Company Reports complied in all material respects with all statutes and applicable rules and regulations of the applicable Governmental Entities.

(b) The records, systems, controls, data and information of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries are recorded, stored, maintained and operated under means (including any electronic, mechanical or photographic process, whether computerized or not) that are under the exclusive ownership and direct control of the Company or the Company Subsidiaries or their accountants (including all means of access thereto and therefrom), except for any non-exclusive ownership and non-direct control that would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the system of internal accounting controls described below in this Section 2.9(b). The Company (i) has implemented and maintains adequate disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including the consolidated Company Subsidiaries, is made known to the chief executive officer and the chief financial officer of the Company by others within those entities, and (ii) has disclosed, based on its most recent evaluation prior to the Signing Date, to the Company’s outside auditors and the audit committee of the Board of Directors (A) any significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls that are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information and (B) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.

2.10 No Undisclosed Liabilities . Neither the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries has any liabilities or obligations of any nature (absolute, accrued, contingent or otherwise) which are not properly reflected in the Company Financial Statements to the extent required to be so reflected and, if applicable, reserved against in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis, except for (a) liabilities that have arisen since the last fiscal year end in the ordinary and usual course of business and consistent with past practice and (b) liabilities that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

 

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2.11 Offering of Securities . Neither the Company nor any person acting on its behalf has taken any action (including any offering of any securities of the Company under circumstances which would require the integration of such offering with the offering of any of the Preferred Shares under the Securities Act, and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ SEC ”) promulgated thereunder), which might subject the offering, issuance or sale of any of the Preferred Shares to Treasury pursuant to this Agreement to the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

2.12 Litigation and Other Proceedings . Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, there is no (a) pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, claim, action, suit, investigation or proceeding, against the Company or any Company Subsidiary or to which any of their assets are subject nor is the Company or any Company Subsidiary subject to any order, judgment or decree or (b) unresolved violation, criticism or exception by any Governmental Entity with respect to any report or relating to any examinations or inspections of the Company or any Company Subsidiaries. There is no claim, action, suit, investigation or proceeding pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against any institution-affiliated party (as defined in 12 U.S.C. §1813(u)) of the Company or any of the IDI Subsidiaries that, if determined or resolved in a manner adverse to such institution-affiliated party, could result in such institution-affiliated party being prohibited from participation in the conduct of the affairs of any financial institution or holding company of any financial institution and, to the Company’s knowledge, there are no facts or circumstances could reasonably be expected to provide a basis for any such claim, action, suit, investigation or proceeding.

2.13 Compliance with Laws . Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, the Company and the Company Subsidiaries have all permits, licenses, franchises, authorizations, orders and approvals of, and have made all filings, applications and registrations with, Governmental Entities that are required in order to permit them to own or lease their properties and assets and to carry on their business as presently conducted and that are material to the business of the Company or such Company Subsidiary. Except as set forth in Part 2.13 of the Disclosure Schedule, the Company and the Company Subsidiaries have complied in all respects and are not in default or violation of, and none of them is, to the knowledge of the Company, under investigation with respect to or, to the knowledge of the Company, have been threatened to be charged with or given notice of any violation of, any applicable domestic (federal, state or local) or foreign law, statute, ordinance, license, rule, regulation, policy or guideline, order, demand, writ, injunction, decree or judgment of any Governmental Entity, other than such noncompliance, defaults or violations that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect. Except for statutory or regulatory restrictions of general application, no Governmental Entity has placed any restriction on the business or properties of the Company or any Company Subsidiary that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

 

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2.14 Employee Benefit Matters . Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, either individually or in the aggregate, a Company Material Adverse Effect: (a) each “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ ERISA ”)) providing benefits to any current or former employee, officer or director of the Company or any member of its “ Controlled Group ” (defined as any organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “ Code ”)) that is sponsored, maintained or contributed to by the Company or any member of its Controlled Group and for which the Company or any member of its Controlled Group would have any liability, whether actual or contingent (each, a “ Plan ”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and with the requirements of all applicable statutes, rules and regulations, including ERISA and the Code; (b) with respect to each Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA (including, for purposes of this clause (b), any plan subject to Title IV of ERISA that the Company or any member of its Controlled Group previously maintained or contributed to in the six years prior to the Signing Date), (1) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA), other than a reportable event for which the notice period referred to in Section 4043(c) of ERISA has been waived, has occurred in the three years prior to the Signing Date or is reasonably expected to occur, (2) no “accumulated funding deficiency” (within the meaning of Section 302 of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code), whether or not waived, has occurred in the three years prior to the Signing Date or is reasonably expected to occur, (3) the fair market value of the assets under each Plan exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such Plan (determined based on the assumptions used to fund such Plan) and (4) neither the Company nor any member of its Controlled Group has incurred in the six years prior to the Signing Date, or reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including any Plan that is a “multiemployer plan”, within the meaning of Section 4001(c)(3) of ERISA); and (c) each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code has received a favorable determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service with respect to its qualified status that has not been revoked, or such a determination letter has been timely applied for but not received by the Signing Date, and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which could reasonably be expected to cause the loss, revocation or denial of such qualified status or favorable determination letter.

2.15 Taxes . Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, (a) the Company and the Company Subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign income and franchise Tax returns (together with any schedules and attached thereto) required to be filed through the Signing Date, subject to permitted extensions, and have paid all Taxes due thereon, (b) all such Tax returns (together with any schedules and attached thereto) are true, complete and correct in all material respects and were prepared in compliance with all applicable laws and (c) no Tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries, nor does the Company have any knowledge of any Tax deficiencies.

2.16 Properties and Leases . Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, the Company and the Company Subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real properties and all other properties and assets owned by them, in each case free from liens (including, without limitation,

 

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liens for Taxes), encumbrances, claims and defects that would affect the value thereof or interfere with the use made or to be made thereof by them. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, the Company and the Company Subsidiaries hold all leased real or personal property under valid and enforceable leases with no exceptions that would interfere with the use made or to be made thereof by them.

2.17 Environmental Liability . Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect:

(a) there is no legal, administrative, or other proceeding, claim or action of any nature seeking to impose, or that would reasonably be expected to result in the imposition of, on the Company or any Company Subsidiary, any liability relating to the release of hazardous substances as defined under any local, state or federal environmental statute, regulation or ordinance, including the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company or any Company Subsidiary;

(b) to the Company’s knowledge, there is no reasonable basis for any such proceeding, claim or action; and

(c) neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is subject to any agreement, order, judgment or decree by or with any court, Governmental Entity or third party imposing any such environmental liability.

2.18 Risk Management Instruments . Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, all derivative instruments, including, swaps, caps, floors and option agreements, whether entered into for the Company’s own account, or for the account of one or more of the Company Subsidiaries or its or their customers, were entered into (i) only in the ordinary course of business, (ii) in accordance with prudent practices and in all material respects with all applicable laws, rules, regulations and regulatory policies and (iii) with counterparties believed to be financially responsible at the time; and each of such instruments constitutes the valid and legally binding obligation of the Company or one of the Company Subsidiaries, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited by the Bankruptcy Exceptions. Neither the Company or the Company Subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any other party thereto, is in breach of any of its obligations under any such agreement or arrangement other than such breaches that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

2.19 Agreements with Regulatory Agencies . Except as set forth in Part 2.19 of the Disclosure Schedule, neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary is subject to any cease-and-desist or other similar order or enforcement action issued by, or is a party to any written agreement, consent agreement or memorandum of understanding with, or is a party to any commitment letter or similar undertaking to, or is subject to any capital directive by, or since December 31, 2007, has adopted any board resolutions at the request of, any Governmental Entity that currently restricts the conduct of its business or that in any material manner relates to its capital adequacy, its liquidity and funding policies and practices, its ability to pay dividends,

 

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its credit, risk management or compliance policies or procedures, its internal controls, its management or its operations or business (each item in this sentence, a “ Regulatory Agreement ”), nor has the Company or any Company Subsidiary been advised since December 31, 2007, by any such Governmental Entity that it is considering issuing, initiating, ordering, or requesting any such Regulatory Agreement. The Company and each Company Subsidiary is in compliance with each Regulatory Agreement to which it is party or subject, and neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has received any notice from any Governmental Entity indicating that either the Company or any Company Subsidiary is not in compliance with any such Regulatory Agreement.

2.20 Insurance . The Company and the Company Subsidiaries are insured with reputable insurers against such risks and in such amounts as the management of the Company reasonably has determined to be prudent and consistent with industry practice. The Company and the Company Subsidiaries are in material compliance with their insurance policies and are not in default under any of the material terms thereof, each such policy is outstanding and in full force and effect, all premiums and other payments due under any material policy have been paid, and all claims thereunder have been filed in due and timely fashion, except, in each case, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect.

2.21 Intellectual Property . Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Company and each Company Subsidiary owns or otherwise has the right to use, all intellectual property rights, including all trademarks, trade dress, trade names, service marks, domain names, patents, inventions, trade secrets, know-how, works of authorship and copyrights therein, that are used in the conduct of their existing businesses and all rights relating to the plans, design and specifications of any of its branch facilities (“ Proprietary Rights ”) free and clear of all liens and any claims of ownership by current or former employees, contractors, designers or others and (ii) neither the Company nor any of the Company Subsidiaries is materially infringing, diluting, misappropriating or violating, nor has the Company or any of the Company Subsidiaries received any written (or, to the knowledge of the Company, oral) communications alleging that any of them has materially infringed, diluted, misappropriated or violated, any of the Proprietary Rights owned by any other person. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect, to the Company’s knowledge, no other person is infringing, diluting, misappropriating or violating, nor has the Company or any or the Company Subsidiaries sent any written communications since December 31, 2007, alleging that any person has infringed, diluted, misappropriated or violated, any of the Proprietary Rights owned by the Company and the Company Subsidiaries.

2.22 Brokers and Finders . Treasury has no liability for any amounts that any broker, finder or investment banker is entitled to for any financial advisory, brokerage, finder’s or other fee or commission in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of the Company or any Company Subsidiary.

2.23 Disclosure Schedule . The Company has delivered the Disclosure Schedule and, if applicable, the Disclosure Update to Treasury and the information contained in the Disclosure Schedule, as modified by the information contained in the Disclosure Update, if applicable, is true, complete and correct.

 

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2.24 Previously Acquired Preferred Shares . If Treasury holds Previously Acquired Preferred Shares:

(a) The Company has not breached any representation, warranty or covenant set forth in the Original Letter Agreement or any of the other documents governing the Previously Acquired Preferred Stock.

(b) The Company has paid to Treasury: (i) if the Previously Acquired Preferred Stock is cumulative, all accrued and unpaid dividends and/or interest then due on the Previously Acquired Preferred Stock; or (ii) if the Previously Acquired Preferred Stock is non-cumulative, all unpaid dividends and/or interest due on the Previously Acquired Preferred Shares for the fiscal quarter prior to the Closing Date plus the accrued and unpaid dividends and/or interest due on the Previously Acquired Preferred Shares as of the Closing Date for the fiscal quarter in which the Closing shall occur.

2.25 Related Party Transactions . Neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary has made any extension of credit to any director or Executive Officer of the Company or any Company Subsidiary, any holder of 5% or more of the Company’s issued and outstanding capital stock, or any of their respective spouses or children or to any Affiliate of any of the foregoing (each, a “ Related Party ”), other than in compliance with 12 C.F.R Part 215 (Regulation O). Except as set forth in Part 2.25 of the Disclosure Schedule, to the Company’s knowledge, no Related Party has any (i) material commercial, industrial, banking, consulting, legal, accounting, charitable or familial relationship with any vendor or material customer of the Company or any Company Subsidiary that is not on arms-length terms, or (ii) direct or indirect ownership interest in any person or entity with which the Company or any Company Subsidiary has a material business relationship that is not on arms-length terms (not including Publicly-traded entities in which such person owns less than two percent (2%) of the outstanding capital stock).

2.26 Ability to Pay Dividends . The Company has all permits, licenses, franchises, authorizations, orders and approvals of, and has made all filings, applications and registrations with, Governmental Entities and third parties that are required in order to permit the Company to declare and pay dividends on the Preferred Shares on the Dividend Payment Dates set forth in the Certificate of Designation.

ARTICLE III

COVENANTS

3.1 Affirmative Covenants . The Company hereby covenants and agrees with Treasury that:

(a) Commercially Reasonable Efforts . Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, each of the parties will use its commercially reasonable efforts in good faith to take, or cause to be taken, all actions, and to do, or cause to be done, all things necessary, proper

 

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or desirable, or advisable under applicable laws, so as to permit consummation of the Purchase as promptly as practicable and otherwise to enable consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with the other party to that end.

(b) Certain Notifications until Closing . From the Signing Date until the Closing, the Company shall promptly notify Treasury of (i) any fact, event or circumstance of which it is aware and which would reasonably be expected to cause any representation or warranty of the Company contained in this Agreement to be untrue or inaccurate in any material respect or to cause any covenant or agreement of the Company contained in this Agreement not to be complied with or satisfied in any material respect and (ii) except as Previously Disclosed, any fact, circumstance, event, change, occurrence, condition or development of which the Company is aware and which, individually or in the aggregate, has had or would reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect; provided , however , that delivery of any notice pursuant to this Section 3.1(b) shall not limit or affect any rights of or remedies available to Treasury.

(c) Access, Information and Confidentiality .

(i) From the Signing Date until the date on which all of the Preferred Shares have been redeemed in whole, the Company will permit, and shall cause each of the Company’s Subsidiaries to permit, Treasury, the Oversight Officials and their respective agents, consultants, contractors and advisors to (x) examine any books, papers, records, Tax returns (including all schedules attached thereto), data and other information; (y) make copies thereof; and (z) discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries with the personnel of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries, all upon reasonable notice; provided , that:

 

  (A) any examinations and discussions pursuant to this Section 3.1(c)(i) shall be conducted during normal business hours and in such manner as not to interfere unreasonably with the conduct of the business of the Company;

 

  (B) neither the Company nor any Company Subsidiary shall be required by this Section 3.1(c)(i) to disclose any information to the extent (x) prohibited by applicable law or regulation, or (y) that such disclosure would reasonably be expected to cause a violation of any agreement to which the Company or any Company Subsidiary is a party or would cause a risk of a loss of privilege to the Company or any Company Subsidiary ( provided that the Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to make appropriate substitute disclosure arrangements under circumstances where the restrictions in this clause (B) apply);

 

  (C)

the obligations of the Company and the Company Subsidiaries to disclose information pursuant to this Section 3.1(c)(i) to any Oversight Official or any agent, consultant, contractor and

 

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  advisor thereof, such Oversight Official shall have agreed, with respect to documents obtained under this Section 3.1(c)(i), to follow applicable law and regulation (and the applicable customary policies and procedures) regarding the dissemination of confidential materials, including redacting confidential information from the public version of its reports and soliciting input from the Company as to information that should be afforded confidentiality, as appropriate; and

 

  (D) for avoidance of doubt, such examinations and discussions may, at Treasury’s option, be conducted on site at any office of the Company or any Company Subsidiary.

(ii) From the Signing Date until the date on which all of the Preferred Shares have been redeemed in whole, the Company will deliver, or will cause to be delivered, to Treasury:

 

  (A) as soon as available after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, and in any event within 90 days thereafter, a consolidated balance sheet of the Company as of the end of such fiscal year, and consolidated statements of income, retained earnings and cash flows of the Company for such year, in each case prepared in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis and setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year of the Company and which shall be audited to the extent audited financial statements are available; 1

 

  (B) as soon as available after the end of the first, second and third quarterly periods in each fiscal year of the Company, a copy of any quarterly reports provided to other stockholders of the Company or Company management by the Company;

 

  (C) as soon as available after the Company receives any assessment of the Company’s internal controls, a copy of such assessment (other than assessments provided by the Appropriate Federal Banking Agency or the Appropriate State Banking Agency that the Company is prohibited by applicable law or regulation from disclosing to Treasury);

 

  (D) annually on a date specified by Treasury, a completed survey, in a form specified by Treasury, providing, among other things, a description of how the Company has utilized the funds the

 

1  

To the extent that the Company informed the Treasury on the Signing Date that it does not prepare financial statements in accordance with GAAP in the ordinary course, the Treasury may consider other annual financial reporting packages acceptable to it in its sole discretion.

 

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  Company received hereunder in connection with the sale of the Preferred Shares and the effects of such funds on the operations and status of the Company;

 

  (E) as soon as such items become effective, any amendments to the Charter, bylaws or other organizational documents of the Company; and

 

  (F) at the same time as such items are sent to any stockholders of the Company, copies of any information or documents sent by the Company to its stockholders.

(iii) Treasury will use reasonable best efforts to hold, and will use reasonable best efforts to cause its agents, consultants, contractors and advisors and United States executive branch officials and employees, to hold, in confidence all non-public records, books, contracts, instruments, computer data and other data and information (collectively, “ Information ”) concerning the Company furnished or made available to it by the Company or its representatives pursuant to this Agreement (except to the extent that such information can be shown to have been (A) previously known by such party on a non-confidential basis, (B) in the public domain through no fault of such party or (C) later lawfully acquired from other sources by the party to which it was furnished (and without violation of any other confidentiality obligation)); provided that nothing herein shall prevent Treasury from disclosing any Information to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process. Treasury understands that the Information may contain commercially sensitive confidential information entitled to an exception from a Freedom of Information Act request.

(iv) Treasury’s information rights pursuant to Section 3.1(c)(ii)(A), (B), (C), (E) and (F) and Treasury’s right to receive certifications from the Company pursuant to Section 3.1(d)(i) may be assigned by Treasury to a transferee or assignee of the Preferred Shares with a liquidation preference of no less than an amount equal to 2% of the initial aggregate liquidation preference of the Preferred Shares.

(v) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to limit the authority that any Oversight Official or any other applicable regulatory authority has under law.

(vi) The Company shall provide to Treasury all such information as Treasury may request from time to time for the purpose of carrying out the study required by Section 4112 of the SBJA.

(d) Quarterly Supplemental Reports and Annual Certifications .

(i) Concurrently with the submission of Call Reports by the Company or the IDI Subsidiary(ies) (as the case may be) for each quarter ending after the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver to Treasury a certificate in substantially the form attached hereto as Annex H setting forth a complete and accurate statement of loans held by the Company in each of the categories described therein, for the time periods specified therein, (A) including a signed certification of the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and all directors or

 

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trustees of the Company or the IDI Subsidiary(ies) who attested to the Call Report for the quarter covered by such certificate, that such certificate (x) has been prepared in conformance with the instructions issued by Treasury and (y) is true and correct to the best of their knowledge and belief; (B) completed for such quarter (each, a “ Quarterly Supplemental Report ”).

(ii) Within ninety (90) days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company during which the Initial Supplemental Report is submitted pursuant to Section 1.3(j) or the first ten (10) Quarterly Supplemental Reports are submitted pursuant to Section 3.1(d)(i), the Company shall deliver to Treasury a certification from the Company’s independent auditors that the Initial Supplemental Report and/or Quarterly Supplemental Reports during such fiscal year are complete and accurate with respect to accounting matters, including policies and procedures and controls over such.

(iii) Until the date on which the Preferred Shares are redeemed pursuant to Section 5 of the Certificate of Designation, within ninety (90) days after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, the Company shall deliver to Treasury a certificate in substantially the form attached hereto as Annex I , signed on behalf of the Company by an Executive Officer.

(iv) If any Initial Supplemental Report or Quarterly Supplemental Report is inaccurate, Treasury shall be entitled to recover from the Company, upon demand, the amount of any difference between (x) the amount of the dividend payment(s) actually made to Treasury based on such inaccurate report and (y) the correct amount of the dividend payment(s) that should have been made, but for such inaccuracy. The Company shall provide Treasury with a written description of any such inaccuracy within three (3) business days after the Company’s discovery thereof.

(v) Treasury shall have the right from time to time to modify Annex H , by posting an amended and restated version of Annex H on Treasury’s web site, to conform Annex H to (A) reflect changes in GAAP, (B) reflect changes in the form or content of, or definitions used in, Call Reports, or (C) to make clarifications and/or technical corrections as Treasury determines to be reasonably necessary. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, upon posting by Treasury on its web site, Annex H shall be deemed to be amended and restated as so posted, without the need for any further act on the part of any person or entity. If any such modification includes a change to the caption or number of any line item of Annex H , any reference herein to such line item shall thereafter be a reference to such re-captioned or re-numbered line item.

(e) Bank and Thrift Holding Company Status . If the Company is a Bank Holding Company or a Savings and Loan Holding Company on the Signing Date, then the Company shall maintain its status as a Bank Holding Company or Savings and Loan Holding Company, as the case may be, for as long as Treasury owns any Preferred Shares. The Company shall redeem all Preferred Shares held by Treasury prior to terminating its status as a Bank Holding Company or Savings and Loan Holding Company, as applicable.

(f) Predominantly Financial . For as long as Treasury owns any Preferred Shares, the Company, to the extent it is not itself an insured depository institution, agrees to

 

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remain predominantly engaged in financial activities. A company is predominantly engaged in financial activities if the annual gross revenues derived by the company and all subsidiaries of the company (excluding revenues derived from subsidiary depository institutions), on a consolidated basis, from engaging in activities that are financial in nature or are incidental to a financial activity under subsection (k) of Section 4 of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (12 U.S.C. 1843(k)) represent at least 85 percent of the consolidated annual gross revenues of the company.

(g) Capital Covenant . From the Signing Date until the date on which all of the Preferred Shares have been redeemed in whole, the Company and the Company Subsidiaries shall maintain such capital as may be necessary to meet the minimum capital requirements of the Appropriate Federal Banking Agency, as in effect from time to time.

(h) Reporting Requirements . Prior to the date on which all of the Preferred Shares have been redeemed in whole, the Company covenants and agrees that, at all times on or after the Closing Date, (i) to the extent it is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, it shall comply with the terms and conditions set forth in Annex E or (ii) as soon as practicable after the date that the Company becomes subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, it shall comply with the terms and conditions set forth in Annex E .

(i) Transfer of Proceeds to Depository Institutions . If the Company is a Bank Holding Company or a Savings and Loan Holding Company, the Company shall immediately transfer to the IDI Subsidiaries, as equity capital contributions (in a manner that will cause such equity capital contributions to qualify for inclusion in the Tier 1 capital of the IDI Subsidiaries), not less than ninety percent (90%) of the proceeds it receives in connection with the sale of Preferred Shares; provided, however , that:

(A) no IDI Subsidiary shall receive any amount pursuant to this Section 3.1(i) in excess of (A) three percent (3%) of the insured depository institution’s Total Risk-Weighted Assets as reported in its Call Report filed immediately prior to the Application Date, if the insured depository institution has Total Assets of more than $1,000,000,000 and less than $10,000,000,000 as of December 31, 2009or (B) five percent (5%) of the IDI Subsidiary’s Total Risk-Weighted Assets as reported in its Call Report filed immediately prior to the Application Date, if the IDI Subsidiary has Total Assets of $1,000,000,000 or less as of December 31, 2009; and

(B) if Treasury held Previously Acquired Preferred Shares immediately prior to the Closing Date, the amount required to be transferred pursuant this Section 3.1(i) shall be the difference obtained by subtracting the Repayment Amount from the Purchase Price (unless the Purchase Price is less than the Repayment Amount, in which case no amount shall be required to be transferred pursuant to this Section 3.1(i)).

(j) Outreach to Minorities, Women and Veterans . The Company shall comply with Section 4103(d)(8) of the SBJA.

 

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(k) Certification Related to Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act . The Company shall obtain from any business to which it makes a loan that is funded in whole or in part using funds from the Purchase Price a written certification that no principal of such business has been convicted of a sex offense against a minor (as such terms are defined in section 111 of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, 42 U.S.C. §16911). The Company shall retain all such certifications in accordance with standard recordkeeping practices established by the Appropriate Federal Banking Agency.

3.2 Negative Covenants . The Company hereby covenants and agrees with Treasury that:

(a) Certain Transactions .

(i) The Company shall not merge or consolidate with, or sell, transfer or lease all or substantially all of its property or assets to, any other party unless the successor, transferee or lessee party (or its ultimate parent entity), as the case may be (if not the Company), expressly assumes the due and punctual performance and observance of each and every covenant, agreement and condition of this Agreement to be performed and observed by the Company.

(ii) Without the prior written consent of Treasury, until such time as Treasury shall cease to own any Preferred Shares, the Company shall not permit any of its “significant subsidiaries” (as such term is defined in Rule 12b-2 promulgated under the Exchange Act) to (A) engage in any merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange or similar transaction following the consummation of which such significant subsidiary is not wholly-owned by the Company, (B) dissolve or sell all or substantially all of its assets or property other than in connection with an internal reorganization or consolidation involving wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Company or (C) issue or sell any shares of its capital stock or any securities convertible or exercisable for any such shares, other than issuances or sales in connection with an internal reorganization or consolidation involving wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Company.

(b) Restriction on Dividends and Repurchases . The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not violate any of the restrictions on dividends, distributions, redemptions, repurchases, acquisitions and related actions set forth in the Certificate of Designation, which are incorporated by reference herein as if set forth in full.

(c) Related Party Transactions . Until such time as Treasury ceases to own any debt or equity securities of the Company, including the Preferred Shares, the Company and the Company Subsidiaries shall not enter into transactions with Affiliates or related persons (within the meaning of Item 404 under the SEC’s Regulation S-K) unless (A) such transactions are on terms no less favorable to the Company and the Company Subsidiaries than could be obtained from an unaffiliated third party, and (B) have been approved by the audit committee of the Board of Directors or comparable body of independent directors of the Company, or if there are no independent directors, the Board of Directors, provided that the Board of Directors shall maintain written documentation which supports its determination that the transaction meets the requirements of clause (A) of this Section 3.2(c).

 

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ARTICLE IV

ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS

4.1 Purchase for Investment . Treasury acknowledges that the Preferred Shares have not been registered under the Securities Act or under any state securities laws. Treasury (a) is acquiring the Preferred Shares pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act solely for investment with no present intention to distribute them to any person in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable U.S. state securities laws, (b) will not sell or otherwise dispose of any of the Preferred Shares, except in compliance with the registration requirements or exemption provisions of the Securities Act and any applicable U.S. state securities laws, and (c) has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters and in investments of this type that it is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the Purchase and of making an informed investment decision.

4.2 Legends . (a) Treasury agrees that all certificates or other instruments representing the Preferred Shares will bear a legend substantially to the following effect:

“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS INSTRUMENT ARE NOT SAVINGS ACCOUNTS, DEPOSITS OR OTHER OBLIGATIONS OF A BANK AND ARE NOT INSURED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY.

THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS INSTRUMENT HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE AND MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED, SOLD OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF EXCEPT WHILE A REGISTRATION STATEMENT RELATING THERETO IS IN EFFECT UNDER SUCH ACT AND APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER SUCH ACT OR SUCH LAWS. EACH PURCHASER OF THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS INSTRUMENT IS NOTIFIED THAT THE SELLER MAY BE RELYING ON THE EXEMPTION FROM SECTION 5 OF THE SECURITIES ACT PROVIDED BY RULE 144A THEREUNDER (THE “144A EXEMPTION”). IF ANY TRANSFEREE OF THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS INSTRUMENT IS ADVISED BY THE TRANSFEROR THAT SUCH TRANSFEROR IS RELYING ON THE 144A EXEMPTION, SUCH TRANSFEREE BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF (1) REPRESENTS THAT IT IS A “QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER” (AS DEFINED IN RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT), (2) AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT OFFER, SELL OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS INSTRUMENT EXCEPT (A) PURSUANT TO A REGISTRATION STATEMENT WHICH IS THEN EFFECTIVE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, (B) FOR SO LONG AS THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS INSTRUMENT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR RESALE PURSUANT TO RULE 144A, TO A PERSON IT REASONABLY BELIEVES IS A “QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER” AS DEFINED IN RULE 144A UNDER THE

 

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SECURITIES ACT THAT PURCHASES FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER TO WHOM NOTICE IS GIVEN THAT THE TRANSFER IS BEING MADE IN RELIANCE ON RULE 144A, (C) TO THE ISSUER OR (D) PURSUANT TO ANY OTHER AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND (3) AGREES THAT IT WILL GIVE TO EACH PERSON TO WHOM THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS INSTRUMENT ARE TRANSFERRED A NOTICE SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE EFFECT OF THIS LEGEND.

THIS INSTRUMENT IS ISSUED SUBJECT TO THE RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF A SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ISSUER OF THESE SECURITIES AND TREASURY, A COPY OF WHICH IS ON FILE WITH THE ISSUER. THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS INSTRUMENT MAY NOT BE SOLD OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT IN COMPLIANCE WITH SAID AGREEMENT. ANY SALE OR OTHER TRANSFER NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH SAID AGREEMENT WILL BE VOID.”

(b) In the event that any Preferred Shares (i) become registered under the Securities Act or (ii) are eligible to be transferred without restriction in accordance with Rule 144 or another exemption from registration under the Securities Act (other than Rule 144A), the Company shall issue new certificates or other instruments representing such Preferred Shares, which shall not contain the applicable legends in Section 4.2(a) above; provided that Treasury surrenders to the Company the previously issued certificates or other instruments.

4.3 Transfer of Preferred Shares . Subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, Treasury shall be permitted to transfer, sell, assign or otherwise dispose of (“ Transfer ”) all or a portion of the Preferred Shares at any time, and the Company shall take all steps as may be reasonably requested by Treasury to facilitate the Transfer of the Preferred Shares, including without limitation, as set forth in Section 4.4, provided that Treasury shall not Transfer any Preferred Shares if such transfer would require the Company to be subject to the periodic reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “ Exchange Act ”) and the Company was not already subject to such requirements. In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company shall provide reasonable cooperation to facilitate any Transfers of the Preferred Shares, including, as is reasonable under the circumstances, by furnishing such information concerning the Company and its business as a proposed transferee may reasonably request and making management of the Company reasonably available to respond to questions of a proposed transferee in accordance with customary practice, subject in all cases to the proposed transferee agreeing to a customary confidentiality agreement.

4.4 Rule 144; Rule 144A; 4(1  1 2 ) Transactions . (a) At all times after the Signing Date, the Company covenants that (1) it will, upon the request of Treasury or any subsequent holders of the Preferred Shares (“ Holders ”), use its reasonable best efforts to (x), to the extent any Holder is relying on Rule 144 under the Securities Act to sell any of the Preferred Shares, make “current public information” available, as provided in Section (c)(1) of Rule 144 (if the Company is a “Reporting Issuer” within the meaning of Rule 144) or in Section (c)(2) of Rule 144

 

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(if the Company is a “Non-Reporting Issuer” within the meaning of Rule 144), in either case for such time period as necessary to permit sales pursuant to Rule 144, (y), to the extent any Holder is relying on the so-called “Section 4(1  1 2 )” exemption to sell any of its Preferred Shares, prepare and provide to such Holder such information, including the preparation of private offering memoranda or circulars or financial information, as the Holder may reasonably request to enable the sale of the Preferred Shares pursuant to such exemption, or (z) to the extent any Holder is relying on Rule 144A under the Securities Act to sell any of its Preferred Shares, prepare and provide to such Holder the information required pursuant to Rule 144A(d)(4), and (2) it will take such further action as any Holder may reasonably request from time to time to enable such Holder to sell Preferred Shares without registration under the Securities Act within the limitations of the exemptions provided by (i) the provisions of the Securities Act or any interpretations thereof or related thereto by the SEC, including transactions based on the so-called “Section 4(1  1 2 )” and other similar transactions, (ii) Rule 144 or 144A under the Securities Act, as such rules may be amended from time to time, or (iii) any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the SEC; provided that the Company shall not be required to take any action described in this Section 4.4(a) that would cause the Company to become subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act if the Company was not subject to such requirements prior to taking such action. Upon the request of any Holder, the Company will deliver to such Holder a written statement as to whether it has complied with such requirements and, if not, the specifics thereof.

(b) The Company agrees to indemnify Treasury, Treasury’s officials, officers, employees, agents, representatives and Affiliates, and each person, if any, that controls Treasury within the meaning of the Securities Act (each, an “ Indemnitee ”), against any and all losses, claims, damages, actions, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable fees, expenses and disbursements of attorneys and other professionals incurred in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such losses, claims, damages, actions, liabilities, costs and expenses), joint or several, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of material fact contained in any document or report provided by the Company pursuant to this Section 4.4 or any omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(c) If the indemnification provided for in Section 4.4(b) is unavailable to an Indemnitee with respect to any losses, claims, damages, actions, liabilities, costs or expenses referred to therein or is insufficient to hold the Indemnitee harmless as contemplated therein, then the Company, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnitee, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnitee as a result of such losses, claims, damages, actions, liabilities, costs or expenses in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Indemnitee, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, actions, liabilities, costs or expenses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and of the Indemnitee, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other factors, whether the untrue statement of a material fact or omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Indemnitee and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission; the Company and Treasury agree that it would not be just and

 

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equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 4.4(c) were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 4.4(b). No Indemnitee guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from the Company if the Company was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

4.5 Depositary Shares . Upon request by Treasury at any time following the Closing Date, the Company shall promptly enter into a depositary arrangement, pursuant to customary agreements reasonably satisfactory to Treasury and with a depositary reasonably acceptable to Treasury, pursuant to which the Preferred Shares may be deposited and depositary shares, each representing a fraction of a Preferred Share, as specified by Treasury, may be issued. From and after the execution of any such depositary arrangement, and the deposit of any Preferred Shares, as applicable, pursuant thereto, the depositary shares issued pursuant thereto shall be deemed “Preferred Shares” and, as applicable, “Registrable Securities” for purposes of this Agreement.

4.6 Expenses and Further Assurances . (a) Unless otherwise provided in this Agreement, each of the parties hereto will bear and pay all costs and expenses incurred by it or on its behalf in connection with the transactions contemplated under this Agreement, including fees and expenses of its own financial or other consultants, investment bankers, accountants and counsel.

(b) The Company shall, at the Company’s sole cost and expense, (i) furnish to Treasury all instruments, documents and other agreements required to be furnished by the Company pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, including, without limitation, any documents required to be delivered pursuant to Section 4.4 above, or which are reasonably requested by Treasury in connection therewith; (ii) execute and deliver to Treasury such documents, instruments, certificates, assignments and other writings, and do such other acts necessary or desirable, to evidence, preserve and/or protect the Preferred Shares purchased by Treasury, as Treasury may reasonably require; and (iii) do and execute all and such further lawful and reasonable acts, conveyances and assurances for the better and more effective carrying out of the intents and purposes of this Agreement, as Treasury shall reasonably require from time to time.

ARTICLE V

MISCELLANEOUS

5.1 Termination . This Agreement shall terminate upon the earliest to occur of:

(a) termination at any time prior to the Closing:

(i) by either Treasury or the Company if the Closing shall not have occurred on or before the 30th calendar day following the date on which Treasury issued its preliminary approval of the Company’s application to participate in SBLF (the “ Closing Deadline ”); provided , however , that in the event the Closing has not occurred by the Closing Deadline, the parties will consult in good faith to determine whether to extend the term of this Agreement, it being understood that the parties shall be required to consult only until the fifth calendar day after the Closing Deadline and not be under any obligation to extend the term of

 

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this Agreement thereafter; provided , further , that the right to terminate this Agreement under this Section 5.1(a)(i) shall not be available to any party whose breach of any representation or warranty or failure to perform any obligation under this Agreement shall have caused or resulted in the failure of the Closing to occur on or prior to such date; or

(ii) by either Treasury or the Company in the event that any Governmental Entity shall have issued an order, decree or ruling or taken any other action restraining, enjoining or otherwise prohibiting the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and such order, decree, ruling or other action shall have become final and nonappealable; or

(iii) by the mutual written consent of Treasury and the Company; or

(b) the date on which all of the Preferred Shares have been redeemed in whole; or

(c) the date on which Treasury has transferred all of the Preferred Shares to third parties which are not Affiliates of Treasury.

In the event of termination of this Agreement as provided in this Section 5.1, this Agreement shall forthwith become void and there shall be no liability on the part of either party hereto except that nothing herein shall relieve either party from liability for any breach of this Agreement.

5.2 Survival .

(a) This Agreement and all representations, warranties, covenants and agreements made herein shall survive the Closing without limitation.

(b) The covenants set forth in Article III and Annex E and the agreements set forth in Article IV shall, to the extent such covenants do not explicitly terminate at such time as Treasury no longer owns any Preferred Shares, survive the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 5.1(c) without limitation until the date on which all of the Preferred Shares have been redeemed in whole.

(c) The rights and remedies of Treasury with respect to the representations, warranties, covenants and obligations of the Company herein shall not be affected by any investigation conducted with respect to, or any knowledge acquired (or capable of being acquired) at any time by Treasury or any of its personnel or agents with respect to the accuracy or inaccuracy of, or compliance with, any such representation, warranty, covenant or obligation.

5.3 Amendment . No amendment of any provision of this Agreement will be effective unless made in writing and signed by an officer or a duly authorized representative of each party, except as set forth in Section 3.1(d)(v). No failure or delay by any party in exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise of any other right, power or privilege. The rights and remedies herein provided shall be cumulative of any rights or remedies provided by law.

 

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5.4 Waiver of Conditions . The conditions to each party’s obligation to consummate the Purchase are for the sole benefit of such party and may be waived by such party in whole or in part to the extent permitted by applicable law. No waiver will be effective unless it is in a writing signed by a duly authorized officer of the waiving party that makes express reference to the provision or provisions subject to such waiver.

5.5 Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction, etc. This Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Agreement, the relationship of the parties, and/or the interpretation and enforcement of the rights and duties of the parties shall be enforced, governed, and construed in all respects (whether in contract or in tort) in accordance with the federal law of the United States if and to the extent such law is applicable, and otherwise in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed entirely within such State. Each of the parties hereto agrees (a) to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and the United States Court of Federal Claims for any and all civil actions, suits or proceedings arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the Purchase contemplated hereby and (b) that notice may be served upon (i) the Company at the address and in the manner set forth for notices to the Company in Section 5.7 and (ii) Treasury at the address and in the manner set forth for notices to the Company in Section 5.7, but otherwise in accordance with federal law. TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY CIVIL LEGAL ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE PURCHASE CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

5.6 No Relationship to TARP . The parties acknowledge and agree that (i) the SBLF program is separate and distinct from the Troubled Asset Relief Program established by the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008; and (ii) the Company shall not, by virtue of the investment contemplated hereby, be considered a recipient under the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

5.7 Notices . Any notice, request, instruction or other document to be given hereunder by any party to the other will be in writing and will be deemed to have been duly given (a) on the date of delivery if delivered personally, or by facsimile, upon confirmation of receipt, or (b) on the second business day following the date of dispatch if delivered by a recognized next day courier service. All notices to the Company shall be delivered as set forth on the cover page of this Agreement, or pursuant to such other instruction as may be designated in writing by the Company to Treasury. All notices to Treasury shall be delivered as set forth below, or pursuant to such other instructions as may be designated in writing by Treasury to the Company.

If to Treasury:

United States Department of the Treasury

1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20220

Attention: Small Business Lending Fund, Office of Domestic Finance

E-mail: SBLFComplSubmissions@treasury.gov

 

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5.8 Assignment . Neither this Agreement nor any right, remedy, obligation nor liability arising hereunder or by reason hereof shall be assignable by any party hereto without the prior written consent of the other party, and any attempt to assign any right, remedy, obligation or liability hereunder without such consent shall be void, except (a) an assignment, in the case of a merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange or similar transaction that requires the approval of the Company’s stockholders (a “ Business Combination ”) where such party is not the surviving entity, or a sale of substantially all of its assets, to the entity which is the survivor of such Business Combination or the purchaser in such sale, (b) an assignment of certain rights as provided in Sections 3.1(c) or 3.1(h) or Annex E or (c) an assignment by Treasury of this Agreement to an Affiliate of Treasury; provided that if Treasury assigns this Agreement to an Affiliate, Treasury shall be relieved of its obligations under this Agreement but (i) all rights, remedies and obligations of Treasury hereunder shall continue and be enforceable by such Affiliate, (ii) the Company’s obligations and liabilities hereunder shall continue to be outstanding and (iii) all references to Treasury herein shall be deemed to be references to such Affiliate.

5.9 Severability . If any provision of this Agreement, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions hereof, or the application of such provision to persons or circumstances other than those as to which it has been held invalid or unenforceable, will remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated thereby, so long as the economic or legal substance of the transactions contemplated hereby is not affected in any manner materially adverse to any party. Upon such determination, the parties shall negotiate in good faith in an effort to agree upon a suitable and equitable substitute provision to effect the original intent of the parties.

5.10 No Third Party Beneficiaries . Other than as expressly provided herein, nothing contained in this Agreement, expressed or implied, is intended to confer upon any person or entity other than the Company and Treasury (and any Indemnitee) any benefit, right or remedies.

5.11 Specific Performance . The parties agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms. It is accordingly agreed that the parties shall be entitled (without the necessity of posting a bond) to specific performance of the terms hereof, this being in addition to any other remedies to which they are entitled at law or equity.

5.12 Interpretation . When a reference is made in this Agreement to “Articles” or “Sections” such reference shall be to an Article or Section of the Annex of this Agreement in which such reference is contained, unless otherwise indicated. When a reference is made in this Agreement to an “Annex”, such reference shall be to an Annex to this Agreement, unless otherwise indicated. The terms defined in the singular have a comparable meaning when used in the plural, and vice versa. References to “herein”, “hereof”, “hereunder” and the like refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular section or provision, unless the context requires otherwise. The table of contents and headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and are not part of this Agreement. Whenever the words “include”, “includes” or

 

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“including” are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation”. No rule of construction against the draftsperson shall be applied in connection with the interpretation or enforcement of this Agreement, as this Agreement is entered into between sophisticated parties advised by counsel. All references to “ $ ” or “ dollars ” mean the lawful currency of the United States of America. Except as expressly stated in this Agreement, all references to any statute, rule or regulation are to the statute, rule or regulation as amended, modified, supplemented or replaced from time to time (and, in the case of statutes, include any rules and regulations promulgated under the statute) and to any section of any statute, rule or regulation include any successor to the section. References to a “ business day ” shall mean any day except Saturday, Sunday and any day on which banking institutions in the State of New York or the District of Columbia generally are authorized or required by law or other governmental actions to close.

 

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ANNEX D

DISCLOSURE SCHEDULE

 

 

Part 2.2 Capitalization

 

Capital stock reserved for issuance in connection with securities or obligations giving the holder thereof the right to acquire such capital:   

Equity Compensation Plan

55,889 shares of Common Stock

Shares issued since the Capitalization Date upon exercise of options or pursuant to equity-based awards, warrants, or convertible securities:    None
All other shares issued since the Capitalization Date:    None
Holders of 5% or more of any class of capital stock    Primary Address
Mark R. Binversie   

11710 Hollowbrook Road

Cato, Wisconsin 54206

William C. Censky   

934 N. 23 rd Street

Manitowoc, Wisconsin 54220

Gary J. Ziegelbauer   

2675 Good Shepherd Lane

Green Bay, Wisconsin 54234

Carmen L. Chizek   

4315 County U

Newton, Wisconsin 53063

If the Company is a Bank Holding Company or Savings and Loan Holding Company, complete the following (leave blank otherwise):
Name of IDI Subsidiary    Percentage of IDI Subsidiary’s capital stock owned by the Company
Investors Community Bank    100%

 

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Part 2.13 Compliance With Laws

List any exceptions to the representation and warranty in the second sentence of Section 2.13 of the General Terms and Conditions. If none, please so indicate by checking the box:  x .

List any exceptions to the representation and warranty in the last sentence of Section 2.13 of the General Terms and Conditions. If none, please so indicate by checking the box:  x .

 

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Part 2.19 Regulatory Agreements

List any exceptions to the representation and warranty in Section 2.19 of the General Terms and Conditions. If none, please so indicate by checking the box:  x .

 

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Part 2.25 Related Party Transactions

List any exceptions to the representation and warranty in Section 2.25 of the General Terms and Conditions. If none, please so indicate by checking the box:  x .

 

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ANNEX E

REGISTRATION RIGHTS

 

1. Definitions . Terms not defined in this Annex shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Agreement. As used in this Annex E , the following terms shall have the following respective meanings:

(a) “ Holder ” means Treasury and any other holder of Registrable Securities to whom the registration rights conferred by this Agreement have been transferred in compliance with Section 9 of this Annex E .

(b) “ Holders’ Counsel ” means one counsel for the selling Holders chosen by Holders holding a majority interest in the Registrable Securities being registered.

(c) “ Pending Underwritten Offering ” means, with respect to any Holder forfeiting its rights pursuant to Section 11 of this Annex E , any underwritten offering of Registrable Securities in which such Holder has advised the Company of its intent to register its Registrable Securities either pursuant to Section 2(b) or 2(d) of this Annex E prior to the date of such Holder’s forfeiture.

(d) “ Register ”, “ registered ”, and “ registration ” shall refer to a registration effected by preparing and (A) filing a registration statement or amendment thereto in compliance with the Securities Act and applicable rules and regulations thereunder, and the declaration or ordering of effectiveness of such registration statement or amendment thereto or (B) filing a prospectus and/or prospectus supplement in respect of an appropriate effective registration statement on Form S-3.

(e) “ Registrable Securities ” means (A) all Preferred Shares and (B) any equity securities issued or issuable directly or indirectly with respect to the securities referred to in the foregoing clause (A) by way of conversion, exercise or exchange thereof, or share dividend or share split or in connection with a combination of shares, recapitalization, reclassification, merger, amalgamation, arrangement, consolidation or other reorganization, provided that, once issued, such securities will not be Registrable Securities when (1) they are sold pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, (2) they shall have ceased to be outstanding or (3) they have been sold in any transaction in which the transferor’s rights under this Agreement are not assigned to the transferee of the securities. No Registrable Securities may be registered under more than one registration statement at any one time.

(f) “ Registration Expenses ” mean all expenses incurred by the Company in effecting any registration pursuant to this Agreement (whether or not any registration or prospectus becomes effective or final) or otherwise complying with its obligations under this Annex E , including all registration, filing and listing fees, printing expenses, fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company, blue sky fees and expenses, expenses incurred in connection with any “road show”, the reasonable fees and disbursements of Holders’ Counsel, and expenses of the Company’s independent accountants in connection with any regular or special reviews or audits incident to or required by any such registration, but shall not include Selling Expenses.

 

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(g) “ Rule 144 ”, “ Rule 144A ”, “ Rule 159A ”, “ Rule 405 ” and “ Rule 415 ” mean, in each case, such rule promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor provision), as the same shall be amended from time to time.

(h) “ Selling Expenses ” mean all discounts, selling commissions and stock transfer taxes applicable to the sale of Registrable Securities and fees and disbursements of counsel for any Holder (other than the fees and disbursements of Holders’ Counsel included in Registration Expenses).

(i) “ Special Registration ” means the registration of (A) equity securities and/or options or other rights in respect thereof solely registered on Form S-4 or Form S-8 (or successor form) or (B) shares of equity securities and/or options or other rights in respect thereof to be offered to directors, members of management, employees, consultants, customers, lenders or vendors of the Company or Company Subsidiaries or in connection with dividend reinvestment plans.

2. Registration .

(a) The Company covenants and agrees that as promptly as practicable after the date that the Company becomes subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and in any event no later than 30 days thereafter), the Company shall prepare and file with the SEC a Shelf Registration Statement covering all Registrable Securities (or otherwise designate an existing shelf registration on an appropriate form under Rule 415 under the Securities Act (a “ Shelf Registration Statement ”) filed with the SEC to cover the Registrable Securities), and, to the extent the Shelf Registration Statement has not theretofore been declared effective or is not automatically effective upon such filing, the Company shall use reasonable best efforts to cause such Shelf Registration Statement to be declared or become effective and to keep such Shelf Registration Statement continuously effective and in compliance with the Securities Act and usable for resale of such Registrable Securities for a period from the date of its initial effectiveness until such time as there are no Registrable Securities remaining (including by refiling such Shelf Registration Statement (or a new Shelf Registration Statement) if the initial Shelf Registration Statement expires). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company is not eligible to file a registration statement on Form S-3, then the Company shall not be obligated to file a Shelf Registration Statement unless and until requested to do so in writing by Treasury.

(b) Any registration pursuant to Section 2(a) of this Annex E shall be effected by means of a Shelf Registration Statement on an appropriate form under Rule 415 under the Securities Act (a “ Shelf Registration Statement ”). If any Holder intends to distribute any Registrable Securities by means of an underwritten offering it shall promptly so advise the Company and the Company shall take all reasonable steps to facilitate such distribution, including the actions required pursuant to Section 2(d) of this Annex E ; provided that the Company shall not be required to facilitate an underwritten offering of Registrable Securities unless (i) the expected gross proceeds from such offering exceed $200,000 or (ii) such underwritten offering includes all of the outstanding Registrable Securities held by such Holder. The lead underwriters in any such distribution shall be selected by the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities to be distributed.

 

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(c) The Company shall not be required to effect a registration (including a resale of Registrable Securities from an effective Shelf Registration Statement) or an underwritten offering pursuant to Section 2 of this Annex E : (A) with respect to securities that are not Registrable Securities; or (B) if the Company has notified all Holders that in the good faith judgment of the Board of Directors, it would be materially detrimental to the Company or its security holders for such registration or underwritten offering to be effected at such time, in which event the Company shall have the right to defer such registration for a period of not more than 45 days after receipt of the request of any Holder; provided that such right to delay a registration or underwritten offering shall be exercised by the Company (1) only if the Company has generally exercised (or is concurrently exercising) similar black-out rights against holders of similar securities that have registration rights and (2) not more than three times in any 12-month period and not more than 90 days in the aggregate in any 12-month period.

(d) If during any period when an effective Shelf Registration Statement is not available, the Company proposes to register any of its equity securities, other than a registration pursuant to Section 2(a) of this Annex E or a Special Registration, and the registration form to be filed may be used for the registration or qualification for distribution of Registrable Securities, the Company will give prompt written notice to all Holders of its intention to effect such a registration (but in no event less than ten days prior to the anticipated filing date) and will include in such registration all Registrable Securities with respect to which the Company has received written requests for inclusion therein within ten business days after the date of the Company’s notice (a “ Piggyback Registration ”). Any such person that has made such a written request may withdraw its Registrable Securities from such Piggyback Registration by giving written notice to the Company and the managing underwriter, if any, on or before the fifth business day prior to the planned effective date of such Piggyback Registration. The Company may terminate or withdraw any registration under this Section 2(d) of this Annex E prior to the effectiveness of such registration, whether or not any Holders have elected to include Registrable Securities in such registration.

(e) If the registration referred to in Section 2(d) of this Annex E is proposed to be underwritten, the Company will so advise all Holders as a part of the written notice given pursuant to Section 2(d) of this Annex E . In such event, the right of all Holders to registration pursuant to Section 2 of this Annex E will be conditioned upon such persons’ participation in such underwriting and the inclusion of such person’s Registrable Securities in the underwriting if such securities are of the same class of securities as the securities to be offered in the underwritten offering, and each such person will (together with the Company and the other persons distributing their securities through such underwriting) enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the underwriter or underwriters selected for such underwriting by the Company; provided that Treasury (as opposed to other Holders) shall not be required to indemnify any person in connection with any registration. If any participating person disapproves of the terms of the underwriting, such person may elect to withdraw therefrom by written notice to the Company, the managing underwriters and Treasury (if Treasury is participating in the underwriting).

 

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(f) If either (x) the Company grants “piggyback” registration rights to one or more third parties to include their securities in an underwritten offering under the Shelf Registration Statement pursuant to Section 2(b) of this Annex E or (y) a Piggyback Registration under Section 2(d) of this Annex E relates to an underwritten offering on behalf of the Company, and in either case the managing underwriters advise the Company that in their reasonable opinion the number of securities requested to be included in such offering exceeds the number which can be sold without adversely affecting the marketability of such offering (including an adverse effect on the per share offering price), the Company will include in such offering only such number of securities that in the reasonable opinion of such managing underwriters can be sold without adversely affecting the marketability of the offering (including an adverse effect on the per share offering price), which securities will be so included in the following order of priority: (A) first, in the case of a Piggyback Registration under Section 2(d) of this Annex E , the securities the Company proposes to sell, (B) then the Registrable Securities of all Holders who have requested inclusion of Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 2(b) or Section 2(d) of this Annex E , as applicable, pro rata on the basis of the aggregate number of such securities or shares owned by each such Holder and (C) lastly, any other securities of the Company that have been requested to be so included, subject to the terms of this Agreement; provided , however , that if the Company has, prior to the Signing Date, entered into an agreement with respect to its securities that is inconsistent with the order of priority contemplated hereby then it shall apply the order of priority in such conflicting agreement to the extent that it would otherwise result in a breach under such agreement.

3. Expenses of Registration . All Registration Expenses incurred in connection with any registration, qualification or compliance hereunder shall be borne by the Company. All Selling Expenses incurred in connection with any registrations hereunder shall be borne by the holders of the securities so registered pro rata on the basis of the aggregate offering or sale price of the securities so registered.

4. Obligations of the Company . Whenever required to effect the registration of any Registrable Securities or facilitate the distribution of Registrable Securities pursuant to an effective Shelf Registration Statement, the Company shall, as expeditiously as reasonably practicable:

(a) Prepare and file with the SEC a prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment with respect to a proposed offering of Registrable Securities pursuant to an effective registration statement, subject to Section 4 of this Annex E , keep such registration statement effective and keep such prospectus supplement current until the securities described therein are no longer Registrable Securities.

(b) Prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and supplements to the applicable registration statement and the prospectus or prospectus supplement used in connection with such registration statement as may be necessary to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act with respect to the disposition of all securities covered by such registration statement.

(c) Furnish to the Holders and any underwriters such number of copies of the applicable registration statement and each such amendment and supplement thereto (including in

 

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each case all exhibits) and of a prospectus, including a preliminary prospectus, in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act, and such other documents as they may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of Registrable Securities owned or to be distributed by them.

(d) Use its reasonable best efforts to register and qualify the securities covered by such registration statement under such other securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as shall be reasonably requested by the Holders or any managing underwriter(s), to keep such registration or qualification in effect for so long as such registration statement remains in effect, and to take any other action which may be reasonably necessary to enable such seller to consummate the disposition in such jurisdictions of the securities owned by such Holder; provided that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith or as a condition thereto to qualify to do business or to file a general consent to service of process in any such states or jurisdictions.

(e) Notify each Holder of Registrable Securities at any time when a prospectus relating thereto is required to be delivered under the Securities Act of the happening of any event as a result of which the applicable prospectus, as then in effect, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in light of the circumstances then existing.

(f) Give written notice to the Holders:

(i) when any registration statement or any amendment thereto has been filed with the SEC (except for any amendment effected by the filing of a document with the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act) and when such registration statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective;

(ii) of any request by the SEC for amendments or supplements to any registration statement or the prospectus included therein or for additional information;

(iii) of the issuance by the SEC of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose;

(iv) of the receipt by the Company or its legal counsel of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the applicable Registrable Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose;

(v) of the happening of any event that requires the Company to make changes in any effective registration statement or the prospectus related to the registration statement in order to make the statements therein not misleading (which notice shall be accompanied by an instruction to suspend the use of the prospectus until the requisite changes have been made); and

(vi) if at any time the representations and warranties of the Company contained in any underwriting agreement contemplated by Section 4(j) of this Annex E cease to be true and correct.

 

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(g) Use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance or obtain the withdrawal of any order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement referred to in Section 4(f)(iii) of this Annex E at the earliest practicable time.

(h) Upon the occurrence of any event contemplated by Section 4(e) or 4(f)(v) of this Annex E , promptly prepare a post-effective amendment to such registration statement or a supplement to the related prospectus or file any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered to the Holders and any underwriters, the prospectus will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. If the Company notifies the Holders in accordance with Section 4(f)(v) to suspend the use of the prospectus until the requisite changes to the prospectus have been made, then the Holders and any underwriters shall suspend use of such prospectus and use their reasonable best efforts to return to the Company all copies of such prospectus (at the Company’s expense) other than permanent file copies then in such Holders’ or underwriters’ possession. The total number of days that any such suspension may be in effect in any 12-month period shall not exceed 90 days.

(i) Use reasonable best efforts to procure the cooperation of the Company’s transfer agent in settling any offering or sale of Registrable Securities, including with respect to the transfer of physical stock certificates into book-entry form in accordance with any procedures reasonably requested by the Holders or any managing underwriter(s).

(j) If an underwritten offering is requested pursuant to Section 2(b) of this Annex E , enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form, scope and substance and take all such other actions reasonably requested by the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities being sold in connection therewith or by the managing underwriter(s), if any, to expedite or facilitate the underwritten disposition of such Registrable Securities, and in connection therewith in any underwritten offering (including making members of management and executives of the Company available to participate in “road shows”, similar sales events and other marketing activities), (A) make such representations and warranties to the Holders that are selling stockholders and the managing underwriter(s), if any, with respect to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, and the Shelf Registration Statement, prospectus and documents, if any, incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein, in each case, in customary form, substance and scope, and, if true, confirm the same if and when requested, (B) use its reasonable best efforts to furnish the underwriters with opinions of counsel to the Company, addressed to the managing underwriter(s), if any, covering the matters customarily covered in such opinions requested in underwritten offerings, (C) use its reasonable best efforts to obtain “cold comfort” letters from the independent certified public accountants of the Company (and, if necessary, any other independent certified public accountants of any business acquired by the Company for which financial statements and financial data are included in the Shelf Registration Statement) who have certified the financial statements included in such Shelf Registration Statement, addressed to each of the managing underwriter(s), if any, such letters to be in customary form and covering matters of the type customarily covered in “cold comfort” letters, (D) if an underwriting agreement is entered into, the same shall contain indemnification provisions and procedures customary in underwritten offerings ( provided that Treasury shall not be obligated to provide any indemnity), and (E) deliver such documents and certificates as may be reasonably requested by the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities being sold in

 

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connection therewith, their counsel and the managing underwriter(s), if any, to evidence the continued validity of the representations and warranties made pursuant to clause (A) above and to evidence compliance with any customary conditions contained in the underwriting agreement or other agreement entered into by the Company.

(k) Make available for inspection by a representative of Holders that are selling stockholders, the managing underwriter(s), if any, and any attorneys or accountants retained by such Holders or managing underwriter(s), at the offices where normally kept, during reasonable business hours, financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents and properties of the Company, and cause the officers, directors and employees of the Company to supply all information in each case reasonably requested (and of the type customarily provided in connection with due diligence conducted in connection with a registered public offering of securities) by any such representative, managing underwriter(s), attorney or accountant in connection with such Shelf Registration Statement.

(l) Use reasonable best efforts to cause all such Registrable Securities to be listed on each national securities exchange on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed or, if no similar securities issued by the Company are then listed on any national securities exchange, use its reasonable best efforts to cause all such Registrable Securities to be listed on such securities exchange as Treasury may designate.

(m) If requested by Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities being registered and/or sold in connection therewith, or the managing underwriter(s), if any, promptly include in a prospectus supplement or amendment such information as the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities being registered and/or sold in connection therewith or managing underwriter(s), if any, may reasonably request in order to permit the intended method of distribution of such securities and make all required filings of such prospectus supplement or such amendment as soon as practicable after the Company has received such request.

(n) Timely provide to its security holders earning statements satisfying the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 thereunder.

 

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5. Suspension of Sales . Upon receipt of written notice from the Company that a registration statement, prospectus or prospectus supplement contains or may contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omits or may omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or that circumstances exist that make inadvisable use of such registration statement, prospectus or prospectus supplement, each Holder of Registrable Securities shall forthwith discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities until such Holder has received copies of a supplemented or amended prospectus or prospectus supplement, or until such Holder is advised in writing by the Company that the use of the prospectus and, if applicable, prospectus supplement may be resumed, and, if so directed by the Company, such Holder shall deliver to the Company (at the Company’s expense) all copies, other than permanent file copies then in such Holder’s possession, of the prospectus and, if applicable, prospectus supplement covering such Registrable Securities current at the time of receipt of such notice. The total number of days that any such suspension may be in effect in any 12-month period shall not exceed 90 days.

6. Termination of Registration Rights . A Holder’s registration rights as to any securities held by such Holder (and its Affiliates, partners, members and former members) shall not be available unless such securities are Registrable Securities.

7. Furnishing Information .

(a) No Holder shall use any free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405) in connection with the sale of Registrable Securities without the prior written consent of the Company.

(b) It shall be a condition precedent to the obligations of the Company to take any action pursuant to Section 4 of this Annex E that the selling Holders and the underwriters, if any, shall furnish to the Company such information regarding themselves, the Registrable Securities held by them and the intended method of disposition of such securities as shall be required to effect the registered offering of their Registrable Securities.

8. Indemnification .

(a) The Company agrees to indemnify each Holder and, if a Holder is a person other than an individual, such Holder’s officers, directors, employees, agents, representatives and Affiliates, and in the case of Treasury, Treasury’s officials, and each person, if any, that controls a Holder within the meaning of the Securities Act (each, an “ Indemnitee ”), against any and all losses, claims, damages, actions, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable fees, expenses and disbursements of attorneys and other professionals incurred in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such losses, claims, damages, actions, liabilities, costs and expenses), joint or several, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of material fact contained in any registration statement, including any preliminary prospectus or final prospectus contained therein or any amendments or supplements thereto or any documents incorporated therein by reference or contained in any free writing prospectus (as such term is defined in Rule 405) prepared by the Company or authorized by it in writing for use by such Holder (or any amendment or supplement thereto); or any omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the

 

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statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided , that the Company shall not be liable to such Indemnitee in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, liability (or action or proceeding in respect thereof) or expense arises out of or is based upon (A) an untrue statement or omission made in such registration statement, including any such preliminary prospectus or final prospectus contained therein or any such amendments or supplements thereto or contained in any free writing prospectus (as such term is defined in Rule 405) prepared by the Company or authorized by it in writing for use by such Holder (or any amendment or supplement thereto), in reliance upon and in conformity with information regarding such Indemnitee or its plan of distribution or ownership interests which was furnished in writing to the Company by such Indemnitee for use in connection with such registration statement, including any such preliminary prospectus or final prospectus contained therein or any such amendments or supplements thereto, or (B) offers or sales effected by or on behalf of such Indemnitee “by means of” (as defined in Rule 159A) a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405) that was not authorized in writing by the Company.

(b) If the indemnification provided for in Section 8(a) of this Annex E is unavailable to an Indemnitee with respect to any losses, claims, damages, actions, liabilities, costs or expenses referred to therein or is insufficient to hold the Indemnitee harmless as contemplated therein, then the Company, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnitee, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnitee as a result of such losses, claims, damages, actions, liabilities, costs or expenses in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the Indemnitee, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, actions, liabilities, costs or expenses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and of the Indemnitee, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other factors, whether the untrue statement of a material fact or omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Indemnitee and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission; the Company and each Holder agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8(b) of this Annex E were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 8(a) of this Annex E . No Indemnitee guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from the Company if the Company was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

9. Assignment of Registration Rights . The rights of Treasury to registration of Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 2 of this Annex E may be assigned by Treasury to a transferee or assignee of Registrable Securities; provided , however , the transferor shall, within ten days after such transfer, furnish to the Company written notice of the name and address of such transferee or assignee and the number and type of Registrable Securities that are being assigned.

10. Clear Market . With respect to any underwritten offering of Registrable Securities by Holders pursuant to this Annex E , the Company agrees not to effect (other than pursuant to such registration or pursuant to a Special Registration) any public sale or distribution, or to file any Shelf Registration Statement (other than such registration or a Special Registration) covering

 

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any preferred stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for preferred stock of the Company, during the period not to exceed ten days prior and 60 days following the effective date of such offering or such longer period up to 90 days as may be requested by the managing underwriter for such underwritten offering. The Company also agrees to cause such of its directors and senior executive officers to execute and deliver customary lock-up agreements in such form and for such time period up to 90 days as may be requested by the managing underwriter.

11. Forfeiture of Rights . At any time, any holder of Registrable Securities (including any Holder) may elect to forfeit its rights set forth in this Annex E from that date forward; provided , that a Holder forfeiting such rights shall nonetheless be entitled to participate under Section 2(d) – (f) of this Annex E in any Pending Underwritten Offering to the same extent that such Holder would have been entitled to if the Holder had not withdrawn; and provided , further , that no such forfeiture shall terminate a Holder’s rights or obligations under Section 7 of this Annex E with respect to any prior registration or Pending Underwritten Offering.

12. Specific Performance . The parties hereto acknowledge that there would be no adequate remedy at law if the Company fails to perform any of its obligations under this Annex E and that Holders from time to time may be irreparably harmed by any such failure, and accordingly agree that such Holders, in addition to any other remedy to which they may be entitled at law or in equity, to the fullest extent permitted and enforceable under applicable law shall be entitled to compel specific performance of the obligations of the Company under this Annex E in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Annex E .

13. No Inconsistent Agreements . The Company shall not, on or after the Signing Date, enter into any agreement with respect to its securities that may impair the rights granted to Holders under this Annex E or that otherwise conflicts with the provisions hereof in any manner that may impair the rights granted to Holders under this Annex E . In the event the Company has, prior to the Signing Date, entered into any agreement with respect to its securities that is inconsistent with the rights granted to Holders under this Annex E (including agreements that are inconsistent with the order of priority contemplated by Section 2(f) of Annex E ) or that may otherwise conflict with the provisions hereof, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to amend such agreements to ensure they are consistent with the provisions of this Annex E .

14. Certain Offerings by Treasury . An “underwritten” offering or other disposition shall include any distribution of such securities on behalf of Treasury by one or more broker-dealers, an “underwriting agreement” shall include any purchase agreement entered into by such broker-dealers, and any “registration statement” or “prospectus” shall include any offering document approved by the Company and used in connection with such distribution.

 

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[Execution Copy]

 

ANNEX F

FORM OF CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION

 

[SEE ATTACHED]

 

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[Execution Copy]

 

ANNEX G

FORM OF OFFICER’S CERTIFICATE

 

OFFICER’S CERTIFICATE

OF

[COMPANY]

In connection with that certain Securities Purchase Agreement, dated [            ] , 2011 (the “ Agreement ”) by and between [ COMPANY ] (the “ Company ”) and the Secretary of the Treasury, the undersigned does hereby certify as follows:

1. I am a duly elected/appointed [                    ] of the Company.

2. Attached as Exhibit A hereto is a true, complete and correct copy of the articles of incorporation, articles of association, or similar organizational document of the Company and any amendments thereto as presently on file with the [Secretary of State] of the State of [State].

3. Attached as Exhibit B hereto is a true, complete and correct copy of the by-laws of the Company as presently in effect.

4. Attached as Exhibit C hereto is a true, complete and correct copy of resolutions adopted [at a duly convened meeting at which a quorum was present and acting /by unanimous written consent] of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “ Board ”). Such resolutions are now in full force and effect and have not been modified, amended or revoked and are the only resolutions of the Board relating to the Agreement.

5. Attached as Exhibit D hereto is a true, complete and correct copy of the resolutions adopted [at a duly convened meeting at which a quorum was present and acting /by unanimous written consent] of the [shareholders] of the Company (the “ [Shareholders] ”). Such resolutions are now in full force and effect and have not been modified, amended or revoked and are the only resolutions of the [Shareholders] relating to the Agreement. –OR- Shareholder consent is not required in connection with the execution, delivery and performance of the Agreement by the Company.

6. Attached as Exhibit E is a true, complete and correct copy of the Certificate of Designation, which has been filed with, and accepted by, the Secretary of State of the State of [                    ] .

7. The representations and warranties of the Company set forth in Article II of Annex C of the Agreement are true and correct in all respects as though as of the date hereof (other than representations and warranties that by their terms speak as of another date, which representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all respects as of such other date) and the Company has performed in all material respects all obligations required to be performed by it under the Agreement.

 

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The foregoing certifications are made and delivered as of [                    ] pursuant to Section 1.3 of Annex C of the Agreement.

Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Agreement.

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 

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[Execution Copy]

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Officer’s Certificate has been duly executed and delivered as of the [      ] day of [            ] , 2011.

 

[COMPANY]
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

 

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[Execution Copy]

 

EXHIBIT A

 

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[Execution Copy]

 

EXHIBIT B

 

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[Execution Copy]

 

EXHIBIT C

 

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[Execution Copy]

 

EXHIBIT D

 

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[Execution Copy]

 

EXHIBIT E

 

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[Execution Copy]

 

ANNEX H

FORM OF SUPPLEMENTAL REPORTS

 

[SEE ATTACHED FORM OF INITIAL SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT]

 

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[Execution Copy]

 

[SEE ATTACHED FORM OF QUARTERLY SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT]

 

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[Execution Copy]

 

ANNEX I

FORM OF ANNUAL CERTIFICATION

 

ANNUAL CERTIFICATION

OF

[ COMPANY ]

In connection with that certain Securities Purchase Agreement, dated [            ] , 2011 (the “ Agreement ”) by and between [ COMPANY ] (the “ Company ”) and the Secretary of the Treasury (“ Treasury ”), the undersigned does hereby certify as follows:

1. I am a duly elected/appointed [                    ] of the Company.

2. For each loan originated by the Company or any of its Affiliates that was funded in whole or in part using funds from the Purchase Price, the Company has obtained from the business to which it made such loan a written certification that no principal of such business has been convicted of a sex offense against a minor (as such terms are defined in section 111 of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, 42 U.S.C. §16911). The Company shall retain all such certifications in accordance with standard recordkeeping practices established by the Appropriate Federal Banking Agency.

3. The Company is in compliance with the requirements of Section 103.121 of title 31, Code of Federal Regulations.

The foregoing certifications are made and delivered as of [                    ] pursuant to Section 3.1(d)(iii) of Annex C of the Agreement.

Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Agreement.

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 

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[Execution Copy]

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate has been duly executed and delivered as of the [      ] day of [            ] , 20 [      ] .

 

[COMPANY]
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

 

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[Execution Copy]

 

ANNEX J

FORM OF OPINION

 

Secretary of the Treasury

1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20220

Attention: Small Business Lending Fund, Office of Domestic Finance

 

Re: [Institution Name]
  [SBLF Identification No.]

Ladies and/or Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel for [insert Institution Name] (the “Company”) in connection with the sale and issuance of [insert number] shares of [Senior] Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series [    ] (the “Preferred Shares”) to the Secretary of the Treasury (the “Treasury”) pursuant to and in accordance with the terms of that certain Small Business Lending Fund - Securities Purchase Agreement, dated [            , 2011] (the “Agreement”). This letter is rendered to you pursuant to Section 1.3(f) of the Agreement and Annex J attached thereto. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms used herein shall have the meaning set forth in the Agreement.

(a) The Company has been duly formed and is validly existing as a [TYPE OF ORGANIZATION] and is in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization. The Company has all necessary power and authority to own, operate and lease its properties and to carry on its business as it is being conducted.

(b) The Company has been duly qualified as a foreign entity for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of [                    ] , [                    ] and [                    ] .

(c) The Preferred Shares have been duly and validly authorized, and, when issued and delivered pursuant to the Agreement, the Preferred Shares will be duly and validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable, will not be issued in violation of any preemptive rights, and will rank pari passu with or senior to all other series or classes of designated preferred stock authorized on the Closing Date with respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets in the event of any dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the Company.

(d) The Company has the corporate power and authority to execute and deliver the Agreement and to carry out its obligations thereunder (which includes the issuance of the Preferred Shares).

(e) The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and its stockholders, and no further approval or authorization is required on the part of the Company, including, without limitation, by any rule or requirement of any national stock exchange.

 

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(f) The Agreement is a valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the same may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and general equitable principles, regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity.

(g) The execution and delivery by the Company of this Agreement and the performance by the Company of its obligations thereunder (i) do not require any approval by any Governmental Entity to be obtained on the part of the Company, except those that have been obtained, (ii) do not violate or conflict with any provision of the Charter, (iii) do not violate, conflict with, or result in a breach of any provision of, or constitute a default (or an event which, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute a default) under, or result in the termination of, or accelerate the performance required by, or result in a right of termination or acceleration of, or result in the creation of, any lien, security interest, charge or encumbrance upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Company Subsidiary under any of the terms, conditions or provisions of its organizational documents or under any agreement, contract, indenture, lease, mortgage, power of attorney, evidence of indebtedness, letter of credit, license, instrument, obligation, purchase or sales order, or other commitment, whether oral or written, to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound or (iv) do not conflict with, breach or result in a violation of, or default under any judgment, decree or order known to us that is applicable to the Company and, pursuant to any applicable laws, is issued by any Governmental Entity having jurisdiction over the Company.

(h) Other than the filing of the Certificate of Designation with the [Secretary of State] of its jurisdiction of organization or other applicable Governmental Entity, such filings and approvals as are required to be made or obtained under any state “blue sky” laws and such consents and approvals that have been made or obtained, no notice to, filing with, exemption or review by, or authorization, consent or approval of, any Governmental Entity is required to be made or obtained by the Company in connection with the consummation by the Company of the Purchase.

 

Annex J (Form of Opinion)   Page 2


[Execution Copy]

 

ANNEX K

FORM OF REPAYMENT DOCUMENT

 

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

1500 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20220

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:

Reference is made to that certain Letter Agreement incorporating the Securities Purchase Agreement – Standard Terms (the “ Securities Purchase Agreement ”), dated as of the date set forth on Schedule A hereto, between the United States Department of the Treasury (the “ Investor ”) and the company set forth on Schedule A hereto (the “ Company ”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Securities Purchase Agreement. Pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, at the Closing, the Company issued to the Investor the number of shares of the series of its preferred stock set forth on Schedule A hereto (the “ Preferred Shares ”) and a warrant (the “ Warrant ”) to purchase the number of shares of [ To be included for private issuers: the series of its preferred stock set forth on Schedule A hereto (such shares, the “ Warrant Shares ”), which was exercised by the Investor at Closing. ] [ To be included for public issuers: its common stock set forth on Schedule A hereto. ]

In connection with the consummation of the repurchase (the “ Repurchase ”) by the Company from the Investor, on the date hereof, of the number of Preferred Shares listed on Schedule A hereto (the “ Repurchased Preferred Shares ”) [ To be included for private issuers who are repurchasing some or all of the Warrant Shares: and the number of Warrant Shares listed on Schedule A hereto (the “ Repurchased Warrant Shares ”) ] , as permitted by the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, as amended by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009:

(a) The Company hereby acknowledges receipt from the Investor of the share certificate(s) set forth on Schedule A hereto representing the Preferred Shares; [and]

(b) The Investor hereby acknowledges receipt from the Company of a wire transfer for the account of the Investor in immediately available funds of the aggregate purchase price set forth on Schedule A hereto, representing payment in full for the Repurchased Preferred Shares at a price per share equal to the Liquidation Amount per share, together with any accrued and unpaid dividends to, but excluding, the date hereof;

[ Paragraphs (c) and (d) to be included for private issuers who are repurchasing some or all of the Warrant Shares: (c) The Company hereby acknowledges receipt from the Investor of the share certificate(s) set forth on Schedule A hereto representing the Warrant Shares; [and]

(d) The Investor hereby acknowledges receipt from the Company of a wire transfer for the account of the Investor in immediately available funds of the aggregate purchase price set forth on Schedule A hereto, representing payment in full for the Repurchased Warrant Shares at a price per share equal to the Liquidation Amount per share, together with any accrued and unpaid dividends to, but excluding, the date hereof [; and] ]

 

Annex K (Form of Repurchase Document)   Page 1


[Execution Copy]

 

[ Paragraph (e) to be included for private issuers who are repurchasing less than all of the Warrant Shares: (e) The Investor hereby acknowledges receipt from the Company of a share certificate for the number of Warrant Shares set forth on Schedule A hereto, equal to the difference between the Warrant Shares represented by the certificate referenced in clause (c) above and the Repurchased Warrant Shares.]

[ To be included for public issuers: The Investor and the Company hereby agree that, notwithstanding Section 4.4 of the Securities Purchase Agreement, immediately following consummation of the Repurchase, but subject to compliance with applicable securities laws, the Investor shall be permitted to Transfer all or a portion of the Warrant with respect to, and/or exercise the Warrant for, all or a portion of the number of shares of Common Stock issuable thereunder, at any time and without limitation, and Section 4.4 of the Securities Purchase Agreement shall be deemed to be amended in order to permit the foregoing. The Company shall take all steps as may be reasonably requested by the Investor to facilitate any such Transfer.

In addition, the Company agrees that in the event it elects to repurchase the Warrant, it shall deliver to the Investor within 15 calendar days of the date hereof a notice of intent to repurchase the Warrant, which notice shall be in accordance with Section 4.9(b) of the Securities Purchase Agreement (the “ Warrant Repurchase Notice ”). In the event the Company does not deliver the Warrant Repurchase Notice to the Investor within 15 calendar days of the date hereof, the Investor hereby provides notice, pursuant to Section 4.5(p) of the Securities Purchase Agreement, of its intention to sell the Warrant, such notice to be effective as of the first day following the end of such 15-day period.

In the event that the Company delivers a Warrant Repurchase Notice and the Company and the Investor fail to agree on the Fair Market Value of the Warrant pursuant to the procedures (including the Appraisal Procedure), and in accordance with the time periods, set forth in Section 4.9(c) of the Securities Purchase Agreement or the Company revokes the delivery of such Warrant Repurchase Notice, then the Investor hereby provides notice of its intention to sell the Warrant. ]

This letter agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the federal law of the United States if and to the extent such law is applicable, and otherwise in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed entirely within such State.

This letter agreement may be executed in any number of separate counterparts, each such counterpart being deemed to be an original instrument, and all such counterparts will together constitute the same agreement. Executed signature pages to this letter agreement may be delivered by facsimile and such facsimiles will be deemed sufficient as if actual signature pages had been delivered

[ Remainder of this page intentionally left blank ]

 

Annex K (Form of Repurchase Document)   Page 2


[Execution Copy]

 

In witness whereof, the parties have duly executed this letter agreement as of the date first written above.

 

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  
COMPANY:  

 

By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

 

Annex K (Form of Repurchase Document)   Page 3


[Execution Copy]

 

SCHEDULE A

[ Version to be used by public issuers ]

General Information:

Date of Letter Agreement incorporating the

Securities Purchase Agreement:

Name of the Company:

Corporate or other organizational form of the Company:

Jurisdiction of organization of the Company:

Number and series of preferred stock issued to the Investor at the Closing:

Number of Initial Warrant Shares:

Terms of the Repurchase:

Number of Preferred Shares repurchased by the Company:

Share certificate number (representing the Preferred

Shares previously issued to the Investor at the Closing):

Per share Liquidation Amount of Preferred Shares:

Accrued and unpaid dividends on Preferred Shares:

Aggregate purchase price for Repurchased Preferred Shares:

 

Investor wire information for payment of purchase price:    ABA Number:   
   Bank:   
   Account Name:   
   Account Number:   

 

Annex K (Form of Repurchase Document)   Page 4


[Execution Copy]

 

SCHEDULE A

[ Version to be used by private issuers ]

General Information:

Date of Letter Agreement incorporating the Securities Purchase Agreement:

Name of the Company:

Corporate or other organizational form of the Company:

Jurisdiction of organization of the Company:

Number and series of preferred stock issued to the Investor at the Closing

(Preferred Shares):

Number and series of preferred stock

underlying the Warrant issued to the Investor

at the Closing (Warrant Shares):

Terms of the Repurchase of Preferred Shares:

Number of Preferred Shares purchased by the Company:

Share certificate number (representing the Preferred

Shares previously issued to the Investor at the Closing):

Per share Liquidation Amount of Preferred Shares:

Accrued and unpaid dividends on Preferred Shares:

Aggregate purchase price for Repurchased Preferred Shares:

[ To be included for private issuers who are repurchasing some or all of the Warrant Shares: Terms of the Repurchase of the Warrant Shares:

Number of Warrant Shares purchased by the Company:

 

Annex K (Form of Repurchase Document)   Page 5


[Execution Copy]

 

Share certificate (representing the Warrant Shares

previously issued to the Investor at the Closing):

Per share Liquidation Amount of Warrant Shares:

Accrued and unpaid dividends on Warrant Shares;

Aggregate purchase price for Repurchased Warrant Shares:

[ To be included for issuers who are repurchasing less

than all of the Warrant Shares: Difference between

the Warrant Shares and the Repurchased Warrant Shares: ] ]

 

Investor wire information for payment of purchase price:    ABA Number:   
   Bank:   
   Account Name:   
   Account Number:   
   Beneficiary:   

 

Annex K (Form of Repurchase Document)   Page 6

Exhibit 10.1

AMENDED AND RESTATED

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

between

INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK

and

William C. Censky

This Employment Agreement (“Agreement”) is made and entered into by and between Investors Community Bank, a Wisconsin corporation (the “Company”) and William C Censky (“Executive”).

Recitals

WHEREAS, Executive is an employee of the Company serving as its Executive Chairman of the Board of the Company; and

WHEREAS, the Company and Executive were previously parties to an agreement embodying the terms of Executive’s employment with the Company which was first effective January 1, 2006, and now the parties desire to amend and restate that agreement regarding certain terms of such employment.

Agreement

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual promises set forth in this Agreement, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and Executive agree as follows:

1. Effective Date . This Agreement shall be effective as of November 5, 2014 (the “Effective Date”).

2. Term of Employment . Subject to earlier termination as provided in Section 7 of this Agreement, the original term of this Agreement shall begin on the Effective Date and shall end on December 31, 2015; provided, however, that this Agreement shall be automatically extended for successive terms of one (1) year each (the original term plus any extensions of the term are hereinafter referred to as the “Term”) unless either party provides written notice not to so extend to the other party at least sixty (60) calendar days before the scheduled expiration of the Term, in which case no further automatic extension shall occur and the Term shall end on the scheduled expiration date.

3. Position and Responsibilities . During the Term, Executive agrees to serve as Executive Chairman of the Board of the Company and/or in such other senior management position(s) as the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) may designate. In this capacity the Executive shall have such duties, authorities and responsibilities as are commensurate with such position(s) and such other duties and responsibilities as the Board shall designate that are consistent with such position(s).


4. Standard of Care . During the Term, Executive (a) will devote his full working time, attention, energies and skills exclusively to the business and affairs of the Company; (b) will exercise the highest degree of loyalty and the highest standards of conduct in the performance of his duties; (c) will not, except as noted herein, engage in any other business activity, whether or not such business activity is pursued for gain, profit or other pecuniary advantage, without the express written consent of the Company; and (d) will not take any action that deprives the Company of any business opportunities or otherwise act in a manner that conflicts with the best interests of the Company or that is detrimental to the business of the Company; provided, however, this Section 4 shall not be construed as preventing Executive (y) from investing his personal assets in such form or manner as will not require his services in the daily operations and affairs of the businesses in which such investments are made, or (z) from participating in charitable or other not-for-profit activities as long as such activities do not interfere with Executive’s work for the Company.

5. Compensation and Benefits . As remuneration for all services to be rendered by Executive during the Term, and as consideration for complying with the covenants herein, the Company shall pay and provide to Executive the following:

5.1. Annual Base Salary . The Company shall pay Executive a base salary of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) (the “Base Salary”) on an annualized basis. The Company shall review the Base Salary approximately annually during the Term to determine, at the discretion of the Company, whether the Base Salary should be increased and, if so, the amount of such adjustment and the time at which the adjustment should take effect. The Base Salary shall be paid to Executive consistent with the customary payroll practices of the Company.

5.2. Incentive Bonus . Executive shall be entitled to participate during the Term in the ICB ANNUAL INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN and in any other incentive bonus plan which the Company may adopt and implement from time to time during the Term with respect to Executive’s specific position. Nothing contained in this Section shall obligate the Company to institute, maintain or refrain from changing, amending or discontinuing any incentive bonus plan, so long as such changes are similarly applicable to other employees under such plan.

5.3. Equity Compensation . Executive shall be entitled to participate during the Term in the ICB 2012 EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN and in any other equity compensation plan which the Company may adopt and implement from time to time during the Term. Nothing contained in this Section shall obligate the Company to institute, maintain or refrain from changing, amending or discontinuing any equity compensation plan, so long as such changes are similarly applicable to other employees under such plan.

5.4. Employee Benefits . The Company shall provide to Executive employee fringe benefits to which other employees of the Company are generally entitled, commensurate with his position with the Company and subject to the eligibility requirements and other terms and conditions of such plans. Nothing contained in this Section shall obligate the Company to institute, maintain or refrain from changing, amending or discontinuing any employee fringe benefit plan, so long as such changes are similarly applicable to other employees generally.

 

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6. Reimbursement of Business Expenses . The Company shall pay or reimburse Executive for all ordinary and necessary expenses, in a reasonable amount, which Executive incurs in performing his duties under this Agreement. Such expenses shall be paid or reimbursed to Executive consistent with the expense reimbursement policies of the Company in effect from time to time and Executive agrees to abide by any such expense reimbursement policies.

7. Termination of Employment .

7.1. Termination Due to Death . If Executive dies during the Term, this Agreement shall terminate on the date of Executive’s death. Upon the death of Executive, the Company’s obligation to pay and provide to Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive or Executive’s legal representative that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; and (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive or Executive’s legal representative such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before Executive’s death. Other than the foregoing, the Company shall have no further obligations to Executive (or Executive’s legal representatives, including Executive’s estate, heirs, executors, administrators and personal representatives) under this Agreement.

7.2. Termination Due to Disability . If Executive suffers a Disability (as hereafter defined), the Company shall have the right to terminate this Agreement and Executive’s employment with the Company. The Company shall deliver written notice to Executive of the Company’s termination because of Disability, pursuant to this Section 7.2, specifying in such notice a termination date not less than seven (7) calendar days after the giving of the notice (the “Disability Notice Period”), and this Agreement, and Executive’s employment by the Company, shall terminate at the close of business on the last day of the Disability Notice Period.

Upon the termination of this Agreement because of Disability, the Company’s obligation to pay and provide to Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; and (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination for Disability. Other than the foregoing, the Company shall have no further obligations to Executive under this Agreement.

The term “Disability” shall mean either (i) when Executive is deemed disabled in accordance with the long term disability insurance policy or plan of the Company in effect at the time of the illness or injury causing the disability or (ii) the inability of Executive, because of injury, illness, disease or bodily or mental infirmity, to perform the essential functions of his job (with or without reasonable accommodation) for more than one hundred twenty (120) days during any period of twelve (12) consecutive months.

7.3. Termination by the Company Without Cause . At any time during the Term, the Company may terminate this Agreement and Executive’s employment with the Company without cause for any reason or no reason by notifying Executive in writing of the Company’s intent to terminate, specifying in such notice the effective termination date, and this

 

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Agreement and Executive’s employment with the Company shall terminate at the close of business on the termination date specified in the Company’s notice. Upon termination of Executive’s employment by the Company without cause and in the absence of a Change in Control (as defined in Section 7.12), the Company’s obligation to pay and provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; and (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) in addition, the Company shall pay Executive severance compensation in a lump sum payment within sixty (60) days after the termination of employment equal to two (2) times the sum of: (i) Base Salary in effect immediately prior to termination and (ii) the Historic Bonus. For purposes of this Agreement, the Historic Bonus shall be equal to the average annual incentive bonus earned by Executive during the three most recent fiscal years of the Company prior to such termination, including the portion of any bonus which was deferred, either mandatorily or electively.

7.4. Termination by the Company For Cause . At any time during the Term, the Company may terminate this Agreement and Executive’s employment with the Company for “Cause” as provided in this Section 7.4. “Cause” shall mean the occurrence of one or more of the following events: (a) Executive’s conviction of a felony or of any crime involving moral turpitude, subject to compliance with applicable law; (b) Executive’s engaging in any illegal conduct or willful misconduct in the performance of his employment duties for the Company; (c) Executive’s engaging in any fraudulent or dishonest conduct in his dealings with, or on behalf of, the Company; (d) Executive’s failure or refusal to follow the lawful instructions of the Company; (e) Executive’s breach of any of Executive’s obligations under this Agreement; (f) Executive’s gross or habitual negligence in the performance of his employment duties for the Company; (g) Executive’s engaging in any conduct tending to bring the Company into public disgrace or disrepute or to injure the reputation or goodwill of the Company; (h) Executive’s material violation of the Company’s business ethics or conflict of interest policies, as such policies currently exist or as they may be amended or implemented during Executive’s employment with the Company; (i) Executive’s misuse of alcohol or illegal drugs which interferes with the performance of Executive’s employment duties for the Company or which compromises the reputation or goodwill of the Company; (j) Executive’s intentional violation of any applicable banking law or regulation in the performance of Executive’s employment duties for the Company; or (k) Executive’s failure to abide by any employment rules or policies applicable to the Company’s employees generally that Company currently has or may adopt, amend or implement from time to time during Executive’s employment with the Company. With respect to subsections (d), (e) and (k) above, “Cause” shall not exist in the event of the occurrence of the events described therein unless Executive fails to cure such failure, fraud or breach within five (5) days after the Board delivers a written notice to Executive describing the events which the Company contends constitute Cause for termination thereunder.

Upon the occurrence of any of the events specified above, the Company may terminate Executive’s employment for Cause by notifying Executive in writing of its decision to terminate his employment for Cause, and Executive’s employment and this Agreement shall terminate at the close of business on the date on which the Company gives such notice.

 

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Upon termination of Executive’s employment by the Company for Cause, the Company’s obligation to pay or provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; and (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments or benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date. Other than the foregoing, the Company shall have no further obligations to Executive under this Agreement.

7.5. Termination by the Company in Connection with a Change in Control . If at any time during the Term Executive’s employment under this Agreement is terminated by the Company without the Executive’s prior written consent other than for any of the reasons set forth in Sections 7.1, 7.2 and 7.4 within six (6) months before or within two (2) years after a Change in Control, the Company’s obligation to pay or provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall terminate, except (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments or benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) in addition, the Company shall pay Executive within sixty (60) days following such a termination, a lump sum severance payment of an amount equal to three (3) times the sum of: (i) Base Salary in effect immediately prior to termination and (ii) the Historic Bonus.

7.6. Termination by Executive For Good Reason . Executive may terminate this Agreement and his employment with the Company by giving the Company written notice of termination for Good Reason. For purposes of this Agreement, “Good Reason” shall mean any of the following:

(i) any material breach by the Company of any provision of this Agreement which is not cured by the Company within thirty (30) days of receipt by the Company of written notice from Executive within ten (10) days of the alleged occurrence of the breach, which notice specifies with particularity the existence and nature of the breach; or

(ii) the occurrence of any one of the following events within six (6) months prior to or within two (2) years following a Change in Control where Executive delivers to the Company a written notice specifying the event(s) which Executive contends constitutes Good Reason within ten (10) days of the alleged occurrence of the event(s) and such occurrence is not cured by the Company within thirty (30) days after receipt of such written notice:

(A) Without Executive’s express written consent, the assignment of Executive to any duties which are materially inconsistent with his positions, duties or responsibilities with the Company immediately prior to the earlier of termination of employment or the Change in Control or a substantial reduction of his duties or responsibilities which does not represent a promotion from his position, duties or responsibilities immediately prior to the earlier of termination of employment or the Change in Control.

 

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(B) A reduction by the Company in Executive’s Base Salary from the level of such salary immediately prior to the earlier of termination of employment or the Change in Control, or the Company’s failure to increase (within twelve (12) months of Executive’s last increase in Base Salary) Executive’s Base Salary after a Change in Control in an amount which at least equals, on a percentage basis, the average percentage increase in base salary for all similarly situated executives of the Company on the same teams or at the same tier as Executive for compensation purposes.

(C) The failure by the Company to continue in effect any incentive, bonus or other compensation plan in which Executive participates, including but not limited to the Company’s stock option plans, unless an equitable arrangement (embodied in an ongoing substitute or alternative plan), with which Executive has consented, has been made with respect to such plan in connection with the Change in Control, or the failure by the Company to continue Executive’s participation therein, or any action by the Company which would directly or indirectly materially reduce Executive’s participation therein.

(D) The failure by the Company to continue to provide Executive with benefits substantially similar to those enjoyed by Executive or to which Executive was entitled under any of the Company’s principal pension, profit sharing, life insurance, medical, dental, health and accident, or disability plans in which Executive was participating immediately prior to the earlier of the termination of employment or the Change in Control, the taking of any action by the Company which would directly or indirectly materially reduce any of such benefits or deprive Executive of any material fringe benefit enjoyed by Executive or to which Executive was entitled immediately prior to the earlier of the termination of employment or the Change in Control, or the failure by the Company to provide Executive with the number of paid vacation and sick leave days to which Executive is entitled on the basis of years of service or position with the Company in accordance with the Company’s normal vacation policy in effect on the date hereof.

(E) The Company’s requiring Executive to be based anywhere other than in the counties identified in Section 9.1 below, except for required travel on the Company’s business in accordance with the Company’s past management practices.

(F) Any failure of the Company to obtain the assumption of the obligation to perform this Agreement by any successor as contemplated in Section 12.1 hereof.

 

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(G) Any failure by the Company or its shareholders, as the case may be, to reappoint or reelect Executive to a corporate office held by him immediately prior to the earlier of the termination of employment or the Change in Control or his removal from any such office including any seat held at such time on the Company’s Board of Directors.

(H) The effectiveness of a resignation, tendered at any time, either before or after a Change in Control and regardless of whether formally characterized as voluntary or otherwise, by Executive of any corporate office held by him immediately prior to the Change in Control or of any seat held at such time on the Company’s Board of Directors, at the request of the Company or at the request of the person obtaining control of the Company in such Change in Control.

(I) Any request by the Company that Executive participate in an unlawful act.

Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, Executive’s right to terminate Executive’s employment pursuant to this Section 7.6 shall not be affected by Executive’s incapacity due to physical or mental illness.

If this Agreement and Executive’s employment are terminated by Executive for the Good Reason listed in Section 7.6(i) and such termination occurs within ninety (90) days after the Executive first provided notice to the Company of the existence of Good Reason, the Company’s obligation to pay or provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall terminate, except (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments or benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) in addition, the Company shall pay Executive severance compensation in a lump sum payment within sixty (60) days after the termination of employment equal to two (2) times the sum of: (i) Base Salary in effect immediately prior to termination and (ii) the Historic Bonus.

If this Agreement and Executive’s employment are terminated by Executive for any of the Good Reasons listed in Sections 7.6(ii)(A) through (I) and such termination occurs within ninety (90) days after the Executive first provided notice to the Company of the existence of Good Reason, the Company’s obligation to pay or provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall terminate, except (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments or benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) in addition, the Company shall pay Executive within sixty (60) days following such a termination, a lump sum severance payment equal to the amount which would be payable by the Company under Section 7.5, if Executive had been terminated as provided therein.

 

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7.7. Termination By Executive Without Good Reason . At any time during the Term, Executive may terminate this Agreement and his employment with the Company for reasons other than Good Reason or for no reason by giving the Company written notice of termination, specifying in such notice a termination date not less than sixty (60) calendar days after the giving of the notice (the “Executive’s Notice Period”), and Executive’s employment with the Company shall terminate at the close of business on the last day of Executive’s Notice Period; provided, however, that in response to Executive’s notice of termination, the Company shall have the right to terminate Executive’s employment with the Company at any time during the Executive’s Notice Period. Upon termination of Executive’s employment with the Company under this Section 7.7, whether at the end of Executive’s Notice Period or earlier as designated by the Company, the Company’s obligation to pay Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) if the Company elects to terminate Executive prior to the end of the Executive’s Notice Period, the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary which would otherwise have been earned by Executive from the termination date through the end of Executive’s Notice Period. Other than the foregoing, the Company shall have no further obligations to Executive under this Agreement.

7.8. Non-Renewal By Executive . In the event Executive elects not to renew this Agreement by giving notice of non renewal pursuant to Section 2, this Agreement and Executive’s employment shall terminate at the end of the then current Term. Upon termination of Executive’s employment as a result of Executive’s non renewal of this Agreement, the Company’s obligation to pay and provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; and (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date. Other than the foregoing, the Company shall have no further obligations to Executive under this Agreement.

7.9. Non-Renewal by the Company . In the event the Company elects not to renew this Agreement by giving notice of non renewal pursuant to Section 2, this Agreement and Executive’s employment shall terminate at the end of the then current Term. Upon termination of Executive’s employment as a result of the Company’s non renewal of this Agreement, the Company’s obligation to pay and provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) in addition, the Company shall pay Executive severance compensation in a lump sum payment within sixty (60) days after the termination of employment equal to two (2) times the sum of: (i) Base Salary in effect immediately prior to termination and (ii) the Historic Bonus. Upon termination of

 

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Executive’s employment as a result of the company’s non-renewal of this Agreement at a time where the end of the then current Term is within six(6) months prior to or two (2) years following the effective date of a Change in Control, the severance compensation payable under this paragraph shall be equal to three (3) times the sum of: (i) Base Salary in effect immediately prior to termination and (ii) the Historic Bonus, in lieu of the severance compensation described in the previous sentence.

7.10. Forfeiture of Compensation . In the event Executive breaches any of the non disclosure or restrictive covenant provisions of Sections 8 or 9 of this Agreement, Executive immediately shall (a) forfeit his right to receive (and the Company shall no longer be obligated to pay) any severance compensation under this Agreement, (b) forfeit any equity incentive or other rights granted under the INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK 2012 EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN AND INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK ANNUAL INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN and any other equity and/or incentive compensation plans of the Company, regardless whether such options or rights are vested, unvested, exercisable or unexercisable, (c) disgorge and repay to the Company any gross profits realized from the exercise of any of the stock options under the INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK 2012 EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN and any other stock option or equity compensation plans of the Company at any time during the two (2) year period immediately preceding such breach, and (d) disgorge and repay to the Company an amount equal to the market value of any restricted stock of the Company that vested to Executive at any time during the two (2) year period immediately preceding such breach. The Company and Executive acknowledge and agree that the foregoing remedies are in addition to, and not in lieu of, any and all other legal and/or equitable remedies that may be available to Company in connection with Executive’s breach or threatened breach, of any non-disclosure or restrictive covenant provision set forth in Sections 8 and 9 of this Agreement.

7.11. Definition of Change in Control . As used in this Agreement, “Change in Control” means:

(i) The acquisition by any individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) (a “Person”) of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d 3 promulgated under the Exchange Act as in effect from time to time) of twenty-five percent (25%) or more of either (A) the then outstanding shares of common stock of the Company or County Bancorp, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation (“Parent”) (B) the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company or Parent entitled to vote generally in the election of directors; provided, however, that the following acquisitions shall not constitute an acquisition of control: (w) any acquisition directly from the Company or Parent (excluding an acquisition by virtue of the exercise of a conversion privilege), (x) any acquisition by the Company or Parent, (y) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or Parent, or any corporation controlled by the Company or Parent, or (z) any acquisition by any corporation pursuant to a reorganization, merger or consolidation, if, following such reorganization, merger or consolidation, the conditions described in clauses (A), (B) and (C) of subsection (iii) of this Section 7.11 are satisfied;

 

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(ii) Individuals who, as of the date hereof, constitute the Board of Directors of the Company or Parent (the “Incumbent Board”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company or Parent, as applicable; provided, however, that any individual becoming a director subsequent to the date hereof whose election, or nomination for election by the Company’s or Parent’s shareholders, as applicable, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors then comprising the applicable Incumbent Board shall be considered as though such individual were a member of the applicable Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of either an actual or threatened election contest (as such terms are used in Rule 14a-11 of Regulation 14A promulgated under the Exchange Act) or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the Board of Directors of the Company or Parent, as applicable;

(iii) Consummation by the Company or Parent of a reorganization, merger or consolidation, in each case, unless, following such reorganization, merger or consolidation, (A) more than sixty percent (60%) of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock of the corporation resulting from such reorganization, merger or consolidation and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of such corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors is then beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the beneficial owners, respectively, of the outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) common stock and outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) voting securities immediately prior to such reorganization, merger or consolidation in substantially the same proportions as their ownership, immediately prior to such reorganization, merger or consolidation, of the outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) stock and outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) voting securities, as the case may be, (B) no Person (excluding the Company, Parent, any employee benefit plan or related trust of the Company, Parent or such corporation resulting from such reorganization, merger or consolidation and any Person beneficially owning, immediately prior to such reorganization, merger or consolidation, directly or indirectly, twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) common stock or outstanding voting securities, as the case may be) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, twenty-five percent (25%) or more of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock of the corporation resulting from such reorganization, merger or consolidation or the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of such corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, and (C) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors of the corporation resulting from such reorganization, merger or consolidation were members of the applicable Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the initial agreement providing for such reorganization, merger or consolidation; or

(iv) Either (A) a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company or Parent, or (B) the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or Parent, other than to a corporation with respect to which following such sale or other disposition (x) more than sixty percent (60%) of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock of such corporation and the combined voting power

 

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of the then outstanding voting securities of such corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors is then beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the beneficial owners, respectively, of the outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) common stock and outstanding voting securities immediately prior to such sale or other disposition in substantially the same proportion as their ownership, immediately prior to such sale or other disposition, of the outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) common stock and outstanding voting securities, as the case may be, (y) no Person (excluding the Company, Parent, and any employee benefit plan or related trust of the Company, Parent, or such corporation and any Person beneficially owning, immediately prior to such sale or other disposition, directly or indirectly, twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the outstanding Company common stock or outstanding Company voting securities, as the case may be) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, twenty-five percent (25%) or more of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock of such corporation and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of such corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors and (z) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors of such corporation were members of the applicable Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the initial agreement or action of the Board the Company or Parent (as applicable) providing for such sale or other disposition of assets of the Company or Parent (as applicable).

7.12. Severance Release . Executive acknowledges and agrees that the Company’s payment of the severance compensation pursuant to Sections 7.3, 7.5 or 7.6 of this Agreement shall be deemed to constitute a full settlement and discharge of any and all obligations of the Company to Executive arising out of this Agreement, Executive’s employment with the Company and/or the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, except for any vested rights Executive may have under any insurance, stock option or equity compensation plan or any other employee benefit plans sponsored by the Company. Executive further acknowledges and agrees that as a condition to receiving any of the severance compensation pursuant to Section 7.3, 7.5 or 7.6 of this Agreement, Executive will execute and deliver to the Company a Release Agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company pursuant to which Executive will release and waive any and all claims against the Company (and its officers, directors, shareholders, employees and representatives) arising out of this Agreement, Executive’s employment with the Company, and/or the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, including without limitation claims under all federal, state and local laws; provided, however, that such Release Agreement shall not affect or relinquish (a) any vested rights Executive may have under any insurance, stock option or equity compensation plan, or other employee benefit plan sponsored by the Company, (b) any claims for reimbursement of business expenses incurred prior to the employment termination date, or (c) any rights to severance compensation under Sections 7.3, 7.5 or 7.6 of this Agreement. Executive further agrees that the Release Agreement contemplated in this Section 7.12 must be executed, and the applicable revocation period must expire without Executive’s revocation, within the timeframe set forth in the Release Agreement but in no event later than fifty-five (55) days after the effective date of Executive’s termination.

8. Non-Disclosure . Executive acknowledges that during the course of Executive’s employment by the Company Executive will be creating, making use of, acquiring, and/or

 

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adding to confidential information relating to the business and affairs of the Company, which information will include, without limitation, procedures, methods, manuals, lists of customers, suppliers and other contacts, marketing plans, business plans, financial data, and personnel information. Executive covenants and agrees that Executive shall not, at any time during Executive’s employment with the Company, or thereafter (for the period described below), directly or indirectly, use, divulge or disclose for any purpose whatsoever any of the Company’s confidential information or trade secrets, except in the course of Executive’s work for and on behalf of the Company. Upon the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, or at the Company’s request, Executive shall immediately deliver to the Company any and all records, documents, or electronic data (in whatever form or media), and all copies thereof, in Executive’s possession or under Executive’s control, whether prepared by Executive or others, containing confidential information or trade secrets relating to the Company. Executive acknowledges and agrees that his obligations under this Section shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement and the cessation of his employment with the Company for whatever reason. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the restrictions herein shall remain in effect for a period of two (2) years following the termination of Executive’s employment; provided, however, with respect to any information that constitutes a trade secret under applicable law, the restrictions shall remain in effect for as long as the information remains a trade secret.

9. Restrictive Covenants . Executive acknowledges that in connection with his employment with the Company he has provided and will continue to provide executive-level services that are of a unique and special value and that he has been and will continue to be entrusted with confidential and proprietary information concerning the Company. Executive further acknowledges that the Company is engaged in highly competitive businesses and that the Company expends substantial amounts of time, money and effort to develop trade secrets, business strategies, customer relationships, employee relationships and goodwill, and Executive has benefited and will continue to benefit from these efforts. Therefore, as an essential part of this Agreement, Executive agrees and covenants to comply with the following restrictive covenants.

9.1. Non-Competition . During Executive’s employment with the Company and during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, in the Restricted Geographic Area, engage in any Competitive Business (a) in the same or similar capacity or function to that in which Executive worked for the Company, (b) in any executive level or senior management capacity, or (c) in any other capacity in which Executive’s knowledge of the Company’s confidential information or the customer goodwill Executive helped to develop on behalf of the Company would facilitate or support Executive’s work for such Competitive Business. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Restricted Period” shall mean two (2) years from the date of termination of employment. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Restricted Geographic Area” means and includes: (w) the Wisconsin counties of Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Brown, Calumet, Kewaunee, Door, Fond du Lac, Outagamie, Winnebago, Milwaukee and Ozaukee. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Competitive Business” means that portion of any business that provides products and services similar to and competitive with the products and services provided by the Company.

9.2. Non-Solicitation of Customers . During Executive’s employment with the Company and during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, provide,

 

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sell, or market any Competing Products/Services to any of the Company’s Customers, or solicit any of the Company’s Customers for the purpose of selling or providing any Competing Products/Services. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Competing Products/Services” means any products or services substantially similar to and competitive with the products or services offered by the Company. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Company’s Customers” means any person or entity that has engaged in any banking services with, or has purchased any products or services from, the Company at any time during the one-year period preceding the date of termination of Executive’s employment and with respect to which Executive, by virtue of his senior executive position in the Company, has acquired information or has had contact that would assist Executive in competing with the Company for the business of such customer.

9.3. Non-Solicitation of Employees . During the term of Executive’s employment with the Company and during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, urge, influence, induce or seek to induce (other than by means of general advertising of available positions) any employee of the Company to terminate his/her relationship with the Company.

9.4. Survival of Restrictive Covenants . Executive acknowledges and agrees that his obligations under this Section 9 shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement and the cessation of his employment with the Company for whatever reason.

9.5. Severability of Restrictions . Although Executive and the Company consider the restrictions contained in this Section 9 to be reasonable, particularly given the competitive nature of the Company’s business and Executive’s position with the Company, Executive and the Company acknowledge and agree that if any covenant, subsection, portion or clause of this Section 9 is determined to be unenforceable or invalid for any reason, such unenforceability or invalidity shall not affect the enforceability or validity of the remainder of the Agreement.

10. Remedies . Executive recognizes that a breach or threatened breach by Executive of Section 8 or Section 9 of this Agreement will give rise to irreparable injury to the Company and that money damages will not be adequate relief for such injury. Notwithstanding Section 15.8 of this Agreement, Executive agrees that the Company shall be entitled to obtain injunctive relief, including, but not limited to, temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions and/or permanent injunctions, without having to post any bond or other security, to restrain or prohibit such breach or threatened breach, in addition to any other legal remedies which may be available, including the recovery of money damages.

11. Change in Control.

11.1 Limitation on Benefits. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, in the event of a Change in Control, the Company, based on the advice of its legal or tax counsel, shall compute whether there would be any “excess parachute payments” payable to Executive, within the meaning of Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), taking into account the total ‘‘parachute payments,” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, payable to Executive by the Company under this Agreement and

 

13


any other plan, agreement or otherwise. If there would be any excess parachute payments, the Company, based on the advice of its legal or tax counsel, shall compute the net after-tax proceeds to Executive, taking into account the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code, as if (i) the amount to be paid to Executive under this Agreement were reduced, but not below zero, such that the total parachute payments payable to Executive would not exceed three (3) times the “base amount” as defined in Section 280G of the Code, less One Dollar ($1.00), or (ii) the full amount to be paid to Executive under this Agreement were not reduced. If reducing the amount otherwise payable to Executive pursuant to this Agreement would result in a greater after-tax amount to Executive, such reduced amount shall be paid to Executive and the remainder shall be forfeited by Executive as of the effective date of Executive’s termination of employment. If not reducing the amount otherwise payable to Executive pursuant to this Agreement would result in a greater after-tax amount to Executive, the amount payable to Executive under this Agreement shall not be reduced.

11.2 No Additional Payment to Account for Excise Taxes . In the event it shall be determined that any payment or distribution by the Company to or for the benefit of Executive (whether paid or payable or distributed or distributable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or otherwise) (a “Payment”) would be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code or any interest or penalties are incurred by the Executive with respect to such excise tax (such excise tax, together with any such interest and penalties, are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Excise Tax”), then the Executive shall not be entitled to receive any additional payment in any amount as a “gross up”, reimbursement or indemnity for such Excise Tax.

12. Assignment .

12.1. Assignment by Company . The rights and obligations of the Company under this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon any and all successors and assigns of the Company, including without limitation by asset assignment, stock sale, merger, consolidation or other corporate reorganization.

12.2. Non Assignment by Executive . The services to be provided by Executive to the Company hereunder are personal to Executive, and Executive’s duties may not be assigned by Executive.

 

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13. Notice . Any notice required or permitted under this Agreement shall be in writing and either delivered personally or sent by nationally recognized overnight courier, express mail, or certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, at the following respective address unless the party notifies the other party in writing of a change of address:

If to the Company:

Investors Community Bank

PO Box 700

860 North Rapids Rd

Manitowoc, WI ZIP

Attention: General Counsel

If to Executive:

William C Censky

[                             ]

A notice delivered personally shall be deemed delivered and effective as of the date of delivery. A notice sent by overnight courier or express mail shall be deemed delivered and effective one (1) day after it is deposited with the postal authority or commercial carrier. A notice sent by certified or registered mail shall be deemed delivered and effective two (2) days after it is deposited with the postal authority.

14. Compliance with Section 409A. It is intended that this Agreement will comply with Internal Revenue Code Section 409A and any regulations and guidelines issued thereunder (collectively “Section 409A”) to the extent this Agreement is subject thereto. This Agreement shall be interpreted on a basis consistent with such intent. If any payments provided to Executive under this Agreement are non-qualified deferred compensation subject to, and not exempt from, Section 409A (“Subject Payments”), the following provisions shall apply to such payment and/or benefits:

14.1. Separation From Service. For payments triggered by a termination of employment, reference to the Executive’s “termination of employment” with the Company shall be construed to refer to the Executive’s “separation from service” from the Company (with such phrase determined under Treas. Reg. 1.409A-1(h)).

14.2. Crossover Period. If the sixty (60)- day period following a “separation from service” begins in one calendar year and ends in a second calendar year (a “Crossover 60-Day Period”) and if there are any Subject Payments due the Executive that are (i) conditioned on the Executive signing and not revoking a release of claims and (ii) otherwise due to be paid during the portion of the Crossover 60-Day Period that falls within the first year, then such payments will be delayed and paid in a lump sum during the portion of the Crossover 60-Day Period that falls within the second year.

14.3. Payment Period Discretion. Whenever a payment under this Agreement specifies a payment period with reference to a number of days, the actual date of payment within the specified period shall be within the sole discretion of the Company.

14.4. Specified Employee Delay. For payments triggered by a termination of employment, if Executive is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i)

 

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at the time of his termination of employment, such payments that would otherwise be payable during the six-month period immediately following Executive’s termination of employment will be delayed and accumulated until the earlier of Executive’s death or the first business day following the six month anniversary of the Executive’s “separation from service”, whereupon the accumulated amount will be paid or distributed to the Executive or his estate.

14.5. No Indemnity. If an amendment of this Agreement is necessary in order for it to comply with Section 409A, the parties hereto will negotiate in good faith to amend this Agreement in a manner that preserves the original intent of the parties to the extent reasonably possible. No action or failure by the Company in good faith to act, pursuant to this Section 14.5, shall subject the Company to any claim, liability or expense, and the Company shall not have any obligation to indemnify or otherwise protect the Employee from the obligation to pay any taxes pursuant to Section 409A.

15. Miscellaneous .

15.1. Entire Agreement . This Agreement supersedes any prior agreements or understandings, oral or written, between the parties hereto, with respect to the subject matter hereof, and constitutes the entire agreement of the parties with respect thereto.

15.2. Modification . This Agreement shall not be varied, altered, modified, canceled, changed, or in any way amended except by mutual agreement of the parties in a written instrument executed by Executive and a duly authorized officer of the Company.

15.3. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one (1) or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which together will constitute one and the same Agreement.

15.4. Tax Withholding . The Company may withhold from any compensation or benefits payable under this Agreement all federal, state, city, or other taxes as may be required pursuant to any law or governmental regulation or ruling.

15.5. Contractual Rights to Benefits . Nothing herein contained shall require or be deemed to require, or prohibit or be deemed to prohibit, the Company to segregate, earmark or otherwise set aside any funds or other assets, in trust or otherwise, to provide for any payments to be made or required hereunder.

15.6. No Waiver . Failure to insist upon strict compliance with any of the terms, covenants or conditions of this Agreement shall not be deemed a waiver of such term, covenant or condition, nor shall any waiver or relinquishment of any right or power hereunder at any one or more times be deemed a waiver or relinquishment of such right or power at any other time or times.

15.7. Governing Law; Choice of Forum . To the extent not preempted by federal law, the provisions of this Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Wisconsin, notwithstanding any state’s choice-of-law or conflicts-of-law rules to the contrary. The Company and Executive further acknowledge and agree that this

 

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Agreement is intended, among other things, to supplement the provisions of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, as amended from time to time, and the duties Executive owes to the Company under the common law, including, but not limited to, the duty of loyalty. The parties agree that any legal action pursuant to Section 10 of this Agreement shall be commenced and maintained exclusively before any appropriate state court of record in MANITOWOC, WISCONSIN or in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and the parties hereby submit to the jurisdiction and venue of such courts and waive any right to challenge or otherwise object to personal jurisdiction or venue in any action commenced or maintained in such courts.

15.8. Arbitration of Disputes . Except as provided in Section 10 of this Agreement, any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the breach thereof, shall be settled by binding arbitration in the City of MANITOWOC, WISCONSIN, in accordance with the laws of the State of Wisconsin by three arbitrators, one of whom shall be appointed by the Company, one by Executive and the third of whom shall be appointed by the first two arbitrators. The arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, except with respect to the selection of arbitrators which shall be as provided in this Section. Judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrators may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. The expenses of arbitration, and the fees of the arbitrators, shall be shared equally by the parties. In addition, the prevailing party, as determined by the arbitrators, shall be entitled to recover from the non-prevailing party its reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in connection with the arbitration, any proceeding under Section 10 and any subsequent enforcement of any arbitration award in court

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Executive and the Company have executed this Agreement, intending it to be effective as of the Effective Date.

INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK

 

By:  

/s/ Timothy J. Schneider

   

/s/ William C. Censky

Name:   Timothy J. Schneider     William C. Censky
Title:   Chief Executive Officer    
  “Company”     “Executive”

 

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Exhibit 10.2

AMENDED AND RESTATED

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

between

INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK

and

Timothy J. Schneider

This Amended and Restated Employment Agreement (“Agreement”) is made and entered into by and between Investors Community Bank, a Wisconsin corporation (the “Company”) and Timothy J. Schneider (“Executive”).

Recitals

WHEREAS, Executive is an employee of the Company serving as its Chief Executive Officer; and

WHEREAS, the Company and Executive were previously parties to an agreement embodying the terms of Executive’s employment with the Company which was first effective January 1, 2006, and now the parties desire to amend and restate that agreement regarding certain terms of such employment.

Agreement

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual promises set forth in this Agreement, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and Executive agree as follows:

1. Effective Date . This Agreement shall be effective as of November 5, 2014 (the “Effective Date”).

2. Term of Employment . Subject to earlier termination as provided in Section 7 of this Agreement, the original term of this Agreement shall begin on the Effective Date and shall end on December 31, 2015; provided, however, that this Agreement shall be automatically extended for successive terms of one (1) year each (the original term plus any extensions of the term are hereinafter referred to as the “Term”) unless either party provides written notice not to so extend to the other party at least sixty (60) calendar days before the scheduled expiration of the Term, in which case no further automatic extension shall occur and the Term shall end on the scheduled expiration date.

3. Position and Responsibilities . During the Term, Executive agrees to serve as Chief Executive Officer of the Company and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”). In this capacity the Executive shall have such duties, authorities and responsibilities as are commensurate with such position(s) and such other duties and responsibilities as the Board shall designate that are consistent with such position(s).

4. Standard of Care . During the Term, Executive (a) will devote his full working time, attention, energies and skills exclusively to the business and affairs of the Company; (b) will exercise the highest degree of loyalty and the highest standards of conduct in the


performance of his duties; (c) will not, except as noted herein, engage in any other business activity, whether or not such business activity is pursued for gain, profit or other pecuniary advantage, without the express written consent of the Company; and (d) will not take any action that deprives the Company of any business opportunities or otherwise act in a manner that conflicts with the best interests of the Company or that is detrimental to the business of the Company; provided, however, this Section 4 shall not be construed as preventing Executive (y) from investing his personal assets in such form or manner as will not require his services in the daily operations and affairs of the businesses in which such investments are made, or (z) from participating in charitable or other not-for-profit activities as long as such activities do not interfere with Executive’s work for the Company.

5. Compensation and Benefits . As remuneration for all services to be rendered by Executive during the Term, and as consideration for complying with the covenants herein, the Company shall pay and provide to Executive the following:

5.1. Annual Base Salary . The Company shall pay Executive a base salary of Two Hundred Ninety-Two Thousand Dollars ($292,000.00) (the “Base Salary”) on an annualized basis. The Company shall review the Base Salary approximately annually during the Term to determine, at the discretion of the Company, whether the Base Salary should be increased and, if so, the amount of such adjustment and the time at which the adjustment should take effect. The Base Salary shall be paid to Executive consistent with the customary payroll practices of the Company.

5.2. Incentive Bonus . Executive shall be entitled to participate during the Term in the ICB ANNUAL INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN and in any other incentive bonus plan which the Company may adopt and implement from time to time during the Term with respect to Executive’s specific position. Nothing contained in this Section shall obligate the Company to institute, maintain or refrain from changing, amending or discontinuing any incentive bonus plan, so long as such changes are similarly applicable to other employees under such plan.

5.3. Equity Compensation . Executive shall be entitled to participate during the Term in the ICB 2012 EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN and in any other equity compensation plan which the Company may adopt and implement from time to time during the Term. Nothing contained in this Section shall obligate the Company to institute, maintain or refrain from changing, amending or discontinuing any equity compensation plan, so long as such changes are similarly applicable to other employees under such plan.

5.4. Employee Benefits . The Company shall provide to Executive employee fringe benefits to which other employees of the Company are generally entitled, commensurate with his position with the Company and subject to the eligibility requirements and other terms and conditions of such plans. Nothing contained in this Section shall obligate the Company to institute, maintain or refrain from changing, amending or discontinuing any employee fringe benefit plan, so long as such changes are similarly applicable to other employees generally.

6. Reimbursement of Business Expenses . The Company shall pay or reimburse Executive for all ordinary and necessary expenses, in a reasonable amount, which Executive

 

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incurs in performing his duties under this Agreement. Such expenses shall be paid or reimbursed to Executive consistent with the expense reimbursement policies of the Company in effect from time to time and Executive agrees to abide by any such expense reimbursement policies.

7. Termination of Employment .

7.1. Termination Due to Death . If Executive dies during the Term, this Agreement shall terminate on the date of Executive’s death. Upon the death of Executive, the Company’s obligation to pay and provide to Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive or Executive’s legal representative that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; and (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive or Executive’s legal representative such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before Executive’s death. Other than the foregoing, the Company shall have no further obligations to Executive (or Executive’s legal representatives, including Executive’s estate, heirs, executors, administrators and personal representatives) under this Agreement.

7.2. Termination Due to Disability . If Executive suffers a Disability (as hereafter defined), the Company shall have the right to terminate this Agreement and Executive’s employment with the Company. The Company shall deliver written notice to Executive of the Company’s termination because of Disability, pursuant to this Section 7.2, specifying in such notice a termination date not less than seven (7) calendar days after the giving of the notice (the “Disability Notice Period”), and this Agreement, and Executive’s employment by the Company, shall terminate at the close of business on the last day of the Disability Notice Period.

Upon the termination of this Agreement because of Disability, the Company’s obligation to pay and provide to Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; and (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination for Disability. Other than the foregoing, the Company shall have no further obligations to Executive under this Agreement.

The term “Disability” shall mean either (i) when Executive is deemed disabled in accordance with the long term disability insurance policy or plan of the Company in effect at the time of the illness or injury causing the disability or (ii) the inability of Executive, because of injury, illness, disease or bodily or mental infirmity, to perform the essential functions of his job (with or without reasonable accommodation) for more than one hundred twenty (120) days during any period of twelve (12) consecutive months.

7.3. Termination by the Company Without Cause . At any time during the Term, the Company may terminate this Agreement and Executive’s employment with the Company without cause for any reason or no reason by notifying Executive in writing of the Company’s intent to terminate, specifying in such notice the effective termination date, and this Agreement and Executive’s employment with the Company shall terminate at the close of business on the termination date specified in the Company’s notice. Upon termination of

 

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Executive’s employment by the Company without cause and in the absence of a Change in Control (as defined in Section 7.12), the Company’s obligation to pay and provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; and (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) in addition, the Company shall pay Executive severance compensation in a lump sum payment within sixty (60) days after the termination of employment equal to two (2) times the sum of: (i) Base Salary in effect immediately prior to termination and (ii) the Historic Bonus. For purposes of this Agreement, the Historic Bonus shall be equal to the average annual incentive bonus earned by Executive during the three most recent fiscal years of the Company prior to such termination, including the portion of any bonus which was deferred, either mandatorily or electively.

7.4. Termination by the Company For Cause . At any time during the Term, the Company may terminate this Agreement and Executive’s employment with the Company for “Cause” as provided in this Section 7.4. “Cause” shall mean the occurrence of one or more of the following events: (a) Executive’s conviction of a felony or of any crime involving moral turpitude, subject to compliance with applicable law; (b) Executive’s engaging in any illegal conduct or willful misconduct in the performance of his employment duties for the Company; (c) Executive’s engaging in any fraudulent or dishonest conduct in his dealings with, or on behalf of, the Company; (d) Executive’s failure or refusal to follow the lawful instructions of the Company; (e) Executive’s breach of any of Executive’s obligations under this Agreement; (f) Executive’s gross or habitual negligence in the performance of his employment duties for the Company; (g) Executive’s engaging in any conduct tending to bring the Company into public disgrace or disrepute or to injure the reputation or goodwill of the Company; (h) Executive’s material violation of the Company’s business ethics or conflict of interest policies, as such policies currently exist or as they may be amended or implemented during Executive’s employment with the Company; (i) Executive’s misuse of alcohol or illegal drugs which interferes with the performance of Executive’s employment duties for the Company or which compromises the reputation or goodwill of the Company; (j) Executive’s intentional violation of any applicable banking law or regulation in the performance of Executive’s employment duties for the Company; or (k) Executive’s failure to abide by any employment rules or policies applicable to the Company’s employees generally that Company currently has or may adopt, amend or implement from time to time during Executive’s employment with the Company. With respect to subsections (d), (e) and (k) above, “Cause” shall not exist in the event of the occurrence of the events described therein unless Executive fails to cure such failure, fraud or breach within five (5) days after the Board delivers a written notice to Executive describing the events which the Company contends constitute Cause for termination thereunder.

Upon the occurrence of any of the events specified above, the Company may terminate Executive’s employment for Cause by notifying Executive in writing of its decision to terminate his employment for Cause, and Executive’s employment and this Agreement shall terminate at the close of business on the date on which the Company gives such notice.

Upon termination of Executive’s employment by the Company for Cause, the Company’s obligation to pay or provide Executive compensation and benefits under this

 

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Agreement shall terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; and (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments or benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date. Other than the foregoing, the Company shall have no further obligations to Executive under this Agreement.

7.5. Termination by the Company in Connection with a Change in Control . If at any time during the Term Executive’s employment under this Agreement is terminated by the Company without the Executive’s prior written consent other than for any of the reasons set forth in Sections 7.1, 7.2 and 7.4 within six (6) months before or within two (2) years after a Change in Control, the Company’s obligation to pay or provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall terminate, except (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments or benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) in addition, the Company shall pay Executive within sixty (60) days following such a termination, a lump sum severance payment of an amount equal to three (3) times the sum of: (i) Base Salary in effect immediately prior to termination and (ii) the Historic Bonus.

7.6. Termination by Executive For Good Reason . Executive may terminate this Agreement and his employment with the Company by giving the Company written notice of termination for Good Reason. For purposes of this Agreement, “Good Reason” shall mean any of the following:

(i) any material breach by the Company of any provision of this Agreement which is not cured by the Company within thirty (30) days of receipt by the Company of written notice from Executive within ten (10) days of the alleged occurrence of the breach, which notice specifies with particularity the existence and nature of the breach; or

(ii) the occurrence of any one of the following events within six (6) months prior to or within two (2) years following a Change in Control where Executive delivers to the Company a written notice specifying the event(s) which Executive contends constitutes Good Reason within ten (10) days of the alleged occurrence of the event(s) and such occurrence is not cured by the Company within thirty (30) days after receipt of such written notice:

(A) Without Executive’s express written consent, the assignment of Executive to any duties which are materially inconsistent with his positions, duties or responsibilities with the Company immediately prior to the earlier of termination of employment or the Change in Control or a substantial reduction of his duties or responsibilities which does not represent a promotion from his position, duties or responsibilities immediately prior to the earlier of termination of employment or the Change in Control.

(B) A reduction by the Company in Executive’s Base Salary from the level of such salary immediately prior to the earlier

 

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of termination of employment or the Change in Control, or the Company’s failure to increase (within twelve (12) months of Executive’s last increase in Base Salary) Executive’s Base Salary after a Change in Control in an amount which at least equals, on a percentage basis, the average percentage increase in base salary for all similarly situated executives of the Company on the same teams or at the same tier as Executive for compensation purposes.

(C) The failure by the Company to continue in effect any incentive, bonus or other compensation plan in which Executive participates, including but not limited to the Company’s stock option plans, unless an equitable arrangement (embodied in an ongoing substitute or alternative plan), with which Executive has consented, has been made with respect to such plan in connection with the Change in Control, or the failure by the Company to continue Executive’s participation therein, or any action by the Company which would directly or indirectly materially reduce Executive’s participation therein.

(D) The failure by the Company to continue to provide Executive with benefits substantially similar to those enjoyed by Executive or to which Executive was entitled under any of the Company’s principal pension, profit sharing, life insurance, medical, dental, health and accident, or disability plans in which Executive was participating immediately prior to the earlier of the termination of employment or the Change in Control, the taking of any action by the Company which would directly or indirectly materially reduce any of such benefits or deprive Executive of any material fringe benefit enjoyed by Executive or to which Executive was entitled immediately prior to the earlier of the termination of employment or the Change in Control, or the failure by the Company to provide Executive with the number of paid vacation and sick leave days to which Executive is entitled on the basis of years of service or position with the Company in accordance with the Company’s normal vacation policy in effect on the date hereof.

(E) The Company’s requiring Executive to be based anywhere other than in the counties identified in Section 9.1 below, except for required travel on the Company’s business in accordance with the Company’s past management practices.

(F) Any failure of the Company to obtain the assumption of the obligation to perform this Agreement by any successor as contemplated in Section 12.1 hereof.

(G) Any failure by the Company or its shareholders, as the case may be, to reappoint or reelect Executive to a corporate

 

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office held by him immediately prior to the earlier of the termination of employment or the Change in Control or his removal from any such office including any seat held at such time on the Company’s Board of Directors.

(H) The effectiveness of a resignation, tendered at any time, either before or after a Change in Control and regardless of whether formally characterized as voluntary or otherwise, by Executive of any corporate office held by him immediately prior to the Change in Control or of any seat held at such time on the Company’s Board of Directors, at the request of the Company or at the request of the person obtaining control of the Company in such Change in Control.

(I) Any request by the Company that Executive participate in an unlawful act.

Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, Executive’s right to terminate Executive’s employment pursuant to this Section 7.6 shall not be affected by Executive’s incapacity due to physical or mental illness.

If this Agreement and Executive’s employment are terminated by Executive for the Good Reason listed in Section 7.6(i) and such termination occurs within ninety (90) days after the Executive first provided notice to the Company of the existence of Good Reason, the Company’s obligation to pay or provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall terminate, except (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments or benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) in addition, the Company shall pay Executive severance compensation in a lump sum payment within sixty (60) days after the termination of employment equal to two (2) times the sum of: (i) Base Salary in effect immediately prior to termination and (ii) the Historic Bonus.

If this Agreement and Executive’s employment are terminated by Executive for any of the Good Reasons listed in Sections 7.6(ii)(A) through (I) and such termination occurs within ninety (90) days after the Executive first provided notice to the Company of the existence of Good Reason, the Company’s obligation to pay or provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall terminate, except (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments or benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) in addition, the Company shall pay Executive within sixty (60) days following such a termination, a lump sum severance payment equal to the amount which would be payable by the Company under Section 7.5, if Executive had been terminated as provided therein.

7.7. Termination By Executive Without Good Reason . At any time during the Term, Executive may terminate this Agreement and his employment with the Company for

 

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reasons other than Good Reason or for no reason by giving the Company written notice of termination, specifying in such notice a termination date not less than sixty (60) calendar days after the giving of the notice (the “Executive’s Notice Period”), and Executive’s employment with the Company shall terminate at the close of business on the last day of Executive’s Notice Period; provided, however, that in response to Executive’s notice of termination, the Company shall have the right to terminate Executive’s employment with the Company at any time during the Executive’s Notice Period. Upon termination of Executive’s employment with the Company under this Section 7.7, whether at the end of Executive’s Notice Period or earlier as designated by the Company, the Company’s obligation to pay Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) if the Company elects to terminate Executive prior to the end of the Executive’s Notice Period, the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary which would otherwise have been earned by Executive from the termination date through the end of Executive’s Notice Period. Other than the foregoing, the Company shall have no further obligations to Executive under this Agreement.

7.8. Non-Renewal By Executive . In the event Executive elects not to renew this Agreement by giving notice of non renewal pursuant to Section 2, this Agreement and Executive’s employment shall terminate at the end of the then current Term. Upon termination of Executive’s employment as a result of Executive’s non renewal of this Agreement, the Company’s obligation to pay and provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; and (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date. Other than the foregoing, the Company shall have no further obligations to Executive under this Agreement.

7.9. Non-Renewal by the Company . In the event the Company elects not to renew this Agreement by giving notice of non renewal pursuant to Section 2, this Agreement and Executive’s employment shall terminate at the end of the then current Term. Upon termination of Executive’s employment as a result of the Company’s non renewal of this Agreement, the Company’s obligation to pay and provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) in addition, the Company shall pay Executive severance compensation in a lump sum payment within sixty (60) days after the termination of employment equal to two (2) times the sum of: (i) Base Salary in effect immediately prior to termination and (ii) the Historic Bonus. Upon termination of Executive’s employment as a result of the company’s non-renewal of this Agreement at a time where the end of the then current Term is within six(6) months prior to or two (2) years following the effective date of a Change in Control, the severance compensation payable under this paragraph shall be equal to three (3) times the sum of: (i) Base Salary in effect immediately prior to termination and (ii) the Historic Bonus, in lieu of the severance compensation described in the previous sentence.

 

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7.10. Forfeiture of Compensation . In the event Executive breaches any of the non disclosure or restrictive covenant provisions of Sections 8 or 9 of this Agreement, Executive immediately shall (a) forfeit his right to receive (and the Company shall no longer be obligated to pay) any severance compensation under this Agreement, (b) forfeit any equity incentive or other rights granted under the INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK 2012 EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN AND INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK ANNUAL INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN and any other equity and/or incentive compensation plans of the Company, regardless whether such options or rights are vested, unvested, exercisable or unexercisable, (c) disgorge and repay to the Company any gross profits realized from the exercise of any of the stock options under the INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK 2012 EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN and any other stock option or equity compensation plans of the Company at any time during the two (2) year period immediately preceding such breach, and (d) disgorge and repay to the Company an amount equal to the market value of any restricted stock of the Company that vested to Executive at any time during the two (2) year period immediately preceding such breach. The Company and Executive acknowledge and agree that the foregoing remedies are in addition to, and not in lieu of, any and all other legal and/or equitable remedies that may be available to Company in connection with Executive’s breach or threatened breach, of any non-disclosure or restrictive covenant provision set forth in Sections 8 and 9 of this Agreement.

7.11. Definition of Change in Control . As used in this Agreement, “Change in Control” means:

(i) The acquisition by any individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) (a “Person”) of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d 3 promulgated under the Exchange Act as in effect from time to time) of twenty-five percent (25%) or more of either (A) the then outstanding shares of common stock of the Company or County Bancorp, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation (“Parent”) (B) the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company or Parent entitled to vote generally in the election of directors; provided, however, that the following acquisitions shall not constitute an acquisition of control: (w) any acquisition directly from the Company or Parent (excluding an acquisition by virtue of the exercise of a conversion privilege), (x) any acquisition by the Company or Parent, (y) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or Parent, or any corporation controlled by the Company or Parent, or (z) any acquisition by any corporation pursuant to a reorganization, merger or consolidation, if, following such reorganization, merger or consolidation, the conditions described in clauses (A), (B) and (C) of subsection (iii) of this Section 7.11 are satisfied;

(ii) Individuals who, as of the date hereof, constitute the Board of Directors of the Company or Parent (the “Incumbent Board”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company or Parent, as applicable; provided, however, that any individual becoming a director subsequent to the date hereof

 

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whose election, or nomination for election by the Company’s or Parent’s shareholders, as applicable, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors then comprising the applicable Incumbent Board shall be considered as though such individual were a member of the applicable Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of either an actual or threatened election contest (as such terms are used in Rule 14a-11 of Regulation 14A promulgated under the Exchange Act) or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the Board of Directors of the Company or Parent, as applicable;

(iii) Consummation by the Company or Parent of a reorganization, merger or consolidation, in each case, unless, following such reorganization, merger or consolidation, (A) more than sixty percent (60%) of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock of the corporation resulting from such reorganization, merger or consolidation and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of such corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors is then beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the beneficial owners, respectively, of the outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) common stock and outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) voting securities immediately prior to such reorganization, merger or consolidation in substantially the same proportions as their ownership, immediately prior to such reorganization, merger or consolidation, of the outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) stock and outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) voting securities, as the case may be, (B) no Person (excluding the Company, Parent, any employee benefit plan or related trust of the Company, Parent or such corporation resulting from such reorganization, merger or consolidation and any Person beneficially owning, immediately prior to such reorganization, merger or consolidation, directly or indirectly, twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) common stock or outstanding voting securities, as the case may be) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, twenty-five percent (25%) or more of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock of the corporation resulting from such reorganization, merger or consolidation or the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of such corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, and (C) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors of the corporation resulting from such reorganization, merger or consolidation were members of the applicable Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the initial agreement providing for such reorganization, merger or consolidation; or

(iv) Either (A) a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company or Parent, or (B) the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or Parent, other than to a corporation with respect to which following such sale or other disposition (x) more than sixty percent (60%) of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock of such corporation and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of such corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors is then beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the beneficial owners, respectively, of the outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) common stock and outstanding voting

 

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securities immediately prior to such sale or other disposition in substantially the same proportion as their ownership, immediately prior to such sale or other disposition, of the outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) common stock and outstanding voting securities, as the case may be, (y) no Person (excluding the Company, Parent, and any employee benefit plan or related trust of the Company, Parent, or such corporation and any Person beneficially owning, immediately prior to such sale or other disposition, directly or indirectly, twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the outstanding Company common stock or outstanding Company voting securities, as the case may be) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, twenty-five percent (25%) or more of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock of such corporation and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of such corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors and (z) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors of such corporation were members of the applicable Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the initial agreement or action of the Board the Company or Parent (as applicable) providing for such sale or other disposition of assets of the Company or Parent (as applicable).

7.12. Severance Release . Executive acknowledges and agrees that the Company’s payment of the severance compensation pursuant to Sections 7.3, 7.5 or 7.6 of this Agreement shall be deemed to constitute a full settlement and discharge of any and all obligations of the Company to Executive arising out of this Agreement, Executive’s employment with the Company and/or the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, except for any vested rights Executive may have under any insurance, stock option or equity compensation plan or any other employee benefit plans sponsored by the Company. Executive further acknowledges and agrees that as a condition to receiving any of the severance compensation pursuant to Section 7.3, 7.5 or 7.6 of this Agreement, Executive will execute and deliver to the Company a Release Agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company pursuant to which Executive will release and waive any and all claims against the Company (and its officers, directors, shareholders, employees and representatives) arising out of this Agreement, Executive’s employment with the Company, and/or the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, including without limitation claims under all federal, state and local laws; provided, however, that such Release Agreement shall not affect or relinquish (a) any vested rights Executive may have under any insurance, stock option or equity compensation plan, or other employee benefit plan sponsored by the Company, (b) any claims for reimbursement of business expenses incurred prior to the employment termination date, or (c) any rights to severance compensation under Sections 7.3, 7.5 or 7.6 of this Agreement. Executive further agrees that the Release Agreement contemplated in this Section 7.12 must be executed, and the applicable revocation period must expire without Executive’s revocation, within the timeframe set forth in the Release Agreement but in no event later than fifty-five (55) days after the effective date of Executive’s termination.

8. Non-Disclosure . Executive acknowledges that during the course of Executive’s employment by the Company Executive will be creating, making use of, acquiring, and/or adding to confidential information relating to the business and affairs of the Company, which information will include, without limitation, procedures, methods, manuals, lists of customers, suppliers and other contacts, marketing plans, business plans, financial data, and personnel information. Executive covenants and agrees that Executive shall not, at any time during

 

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Executive’s employment with the Company, or thereafter (for the period described below), directly or indirectly, use, divulge or disclose for any purpose whatsoever any of the Company’s confidential information or trade secrets, except in the course of Executive’s work for and on behalf of the Company. Upon the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, or at the Company’s request, Executive shall immediately deliver to the Company any and all records, documents, or electronic data (in whatever form or media), and all copies thereof, in Executive’s possession or under Executive’s control, whether prepared by Executive or others, containing confidential information or trade secrets relating to the Company. Executive acknowledges and agrees that his obligations under this Section shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement and the cessation of his employment with the Company for whatever reason. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the restrictions herein shall remain in effect for a period of two (2) years following the termination of Executive’s employment; provided, however, with respect to any information that constitutes a trade secret under applicable law, the restrictions shall remain in effect for as long as the information remains a trade secret.

9. Restrictive Covenants . Executive acknowledges that in connection with his employment with the Company he has provided and will continue to provide executive-level services that are of a unique and special value and that he has been and will continue to be entrusted with confidential and proprietary information concerning the Company. Executive further acknowledges that the Company is engaged in highly competitive businesses and that the Company expends substantial amounts of time, money and effort to develop trade secrets, business strategies, customer relationships, employee relationships and goodwill, and Executive has benefited and will continue to benefit from these efforts. Therefore, as an essential part of this Agreement, Executive agrees and covenants to comply with the following restrictive covenants.

9.1. Non-Competition . During Executive’s employment with the Company and during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, in the Restricted Geographic Area, engage in any Competitive Business (a) in the same or similar capacity or function to that in which Executive worked for the Company, (b) in any executive level or senior management capacity, or (c) in any other capacity in which Executive’s knowledge of the Company’s confidential information or the customer goodwill Executive helped to develop on behalf of the Company would facilitate or support Executive’s work for such Competitive Business. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Restricted Period” shall mean two (2) years from the date of termination of employment. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Restricted Geographic Area” means and includes: (w) the Wisconsin counties of Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Brown, Calumet, Kewaunee, Door, Fond du Lac, Outagamie, Winnebago, Milwaukee and Ozaukee. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Competitive Business” means that portion of any business that provides products and services similar to and competitive with the products and services provided by the Company.

9.2. Non-Solicitation of Customers . During Executive’s employment with the Company and during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, provide, sell, or market any Competing Products/Services to any of the Company’s Customers, or solicit any of the Company’s Customers for the purpose of selling or providing any Competing Products/Services. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Competing Products/Services” means any products or services substantially similar to and competitive with the products or

 

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services offered by the Company. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Company’s Customers” means any person or entity that has engaged in any banking services with, or has purchased any products or services from, the Company at any time during the one-year period preceding the date of termination of Executive’s employment and with respect to which Executive, by virtue of his senior executive position in the Company, has acquired information or has had contact that would assist Executive in competing with the Company for the business of such customer.

9.3. Non-Solicitation of Employees . During the term of Executive’s employment with the Company and during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, urge, influence, induce or seek to induce (other than by means of general advertising of available positions) any employee of the Company to terminate his/her relationship with the Company.

9.4. Survival of Restrictive Covenants . Executive acknowledges and agrees that his obligations under this Section 9 shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement and the cessation of his employment with the Company for whatever reason.

9.5. Severability of Restrictions . Although Executive and the Company consider the restrictions contained in this Section 9 to be reasonable, particularly given the competitive nature of the Company’s business and Executive’s position with the Company, Executive and the Company acknowledge and agree that if any covenant, subsection, portion or clause of this Section 9 is determined to be unenforceable or invalid for any reason, such unenforceability or invalidity shall not affect the enforceability or validity of the remainder of the Agreement.

10. Remedies . Executive recognizes that a breach or threatened breach by Executive of Section 8 or Section 9 of this Agreement will give rise to irreparable injury to the Company and that money damages will not be adequate relief for such injury. Notwithstanding Section 15.8 of this Agreement, Executive agrees that the Company shall be entitled to obtain injunctive relief, including, but not limited to, temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions and/or permanent injunctions, without having to post any bond or other security, to restrain or prohibit such breach or threatened breach, in addition to any other legal remedies which may be available, including the recovery of money damages.

11. Change in Control.

11.1 Limitation on Benefits. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, in the event of a Change in Control, the Company, based on the advice of its legal or tax counsel, shall compute whether there would be any “excess parachute payments” payable to Executive, within the meaning of Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), taking into account the total ‘‘parachute payments,” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, payable to Executive by the Company under this Agreement and any other plan, agreement or otherwise. If there would be any excess parachute payments, the Company, based on the advice of its legal or tax counsel, shall compute the net after-tax proceeds to Executive, taking into account the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code, as if (i) the amount to be paid to Executive under this Agreement were reduced, but not below

 

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zero, such that the total parachute payments payable to Executive would not exceed three (3) times the “base amount” as defined in Section 280G of the Code, less One Dollar ($1.00), or (ii) the full amount to be paid to Executive under this Agreement were not reduced. If reducing the amount otherwise payable to Executive pursuant to this Agreement would result in a greater after-tax amount to Executive, such reduced amount shall be paid to Executive and the remainder shall be forfeited by Executive as of the effective date of Executive’s termination of employment. If not reducing the amount otherwise payable to Executive pursuant to this Agreement would result in a greater after-tax amount to Executive, the amount payable to Executive under this Agreement shall not be reduced.

11.2 No Additional Payment to Account for Excise Taxes . In the event it shall be determined that any payment or distribution by the Company to or for the benefit of Executive (whether paid or payable or distributed or distributable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or otherwise) (a “Payment”) would be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code or any interest or penalties are incurred by the Executive with respect to such excise tax (such excise tax, together with any such interest and penalties, are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Excise Tax”), then the Executive shall not be entitled to receive any additional payment in any amount as a “gross up”, reimbursement or indemnity for such Excise Tax.

12. Assignment .

12.1. Assignment by Company . The rights and obligations of the Company under this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon any and all successors and assigns of the Company, including without limitation by asset assignment, stock sale, merger, consolidation or other corporate reorganization.

12.2. Non Assignment by Executive . The services to be provided by Executive to the Company hereunder are personal to Executive, and Executive’s duties may not be assigned by Executive.

13. Notice . Any notice required or permitted under this Agreement shall be in writing and either delivered personally or sent by nationally recognized overnight courier, express mail, or certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, at the following respective address unless the party notifies the other party in writing of a change of address:

If to the Company:

Investors Community Bank

PO Box 700

860 North Rapids Rd

Manitowoc, WI ZIP

Attention: General Counsel

If to Executive:

Timothy J Schneider

[                             ]

 

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A notice delivered personally shall be deemed delivered and effective as of the date of delivery. A notice sent by overnight courier or express mail shall be deemed delivered and effective one (1) day after it is deposited with the postal authority or commercial carrier. A notice sent by certified or registered mail shall be deemed delivered and effective two (2) days after it is deposited with the postal authority.

14. Compliance with Section 409A. It is intended that this Agreement will comply with Internal Revenue Code Section 409A and any regulations and guidelines issued thereunder (collectively “Section 409A”) to the extent this Agreement is subject thereto. This Agreement shall be interpreted on a basis consistent with such intent. If any payments provided to Executive under this Agreement are non-qualified deferred compensation subject to, and not exempt from, Section 409A (“Subject Payments”), the following provisions shall apply to such payment and/or benefits:

14.1. Separation From Service. For payments triggered by a termination of employment, reference to the Executive’s “termination of employment” with the Company shall be construed to refer to the Executive’s “separation from service” from the Company (with such phrase determined under Treas. Reg. 1.409A-1(h)).

14.2. Crossover Period. If the sixty (60)- day period following a “separation from service” begins in one calendar year and ends in a second calendar year (a “Crossover 60-Day Period”) and if there are any Subject Payments due the Executive that are (i) conditioned on the Executive signing and not revoking a release of claims and (ii) otherwise due to be paid during the portion of the Crossover 60-Day Period that falls within the first year, then such payments will be delayed and paid in a lump sum during the portion of the Crossover 60-Day Period that falls within the second year.

14.3. Payment Period Discretion. Whenever a payment under this Agreement specifies a payment period with reference to a number of days, the actual date of payment within the specified period shall be within the sole discretion of the Company.

14.4. Specified Employee Delay. For payments triggered by a termination of employment, if Executive is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) at the time of his termination of employment, such payments that would otherwise be payable during the six-month period immediately following Executive’s termination of employment will be delayed and accumulated until the earlier of Executive’s death or the first business day following the six month anniversary of the Executive’s “separation from service”, whereupon the accumulated amount will be paid or distributed to the Executive or his estate.

14.5. No Indemnity. If an amendment of this Agreement is necessary in order for it to comply with Section 409A, the parties hereto will negotiate in good faith to amend this Agreement in a manner that preserves the original intent of the parties to the extent reasonably

 

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possible. No action or failure by the Company in good faith to act, pursuant to this Section 14.5, shall subject the Company to any claim, liability or expense, and the Company shall not have any obligation to indemnify or otherwise protect the Employee from the obligation to pay any taxes pursuant to Section 409A.

15. Miscellaneous .

15.1. Entire Agreement . This Agreement supersedes any prior agreements or understandings, oral or written, between the parties hereto, with respect to the subject matter hereof, and constitutes the entire agreement of the parties with respect thereto.

15.2. Modification . This Agreement shall not be varied, altered, modified, canceled, changed, or in any way amended except by mutual agreement of the parties in a written instrument executed by Executive and a duly authorized officer of the Company.

15.3. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one (1) or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which together will constitute one and the same Agreement.

15.4. Tax Withholding . The Company may withhold from any compensation or benefits payable under this Agreement all federal, state, city, or other taxes as may be required pursuant to any law or governmental regulation or ruling.

15.5. Contractual Rights to Benefits . Nothing herein contained shall require or be deemed to require, or prohibit or be deemed to prohibit, the Company to segregate, earmark or otherwise set aside any funds or other assets, in trust or otherwise, to provide for any payments to be made or required hereunder.

15.6. No Waiver . Failure to insist upon strict compliance with any of the terms, covenants or conditions of this Agreement shall not be deemed a waiver of such term, covenant or condition, nor shall any waiver or relinquishment of any right or power hereunder at any one or more times be deemed a waiver or relinquishment of such right or power at any other time or times.

15.7. Governing Law; Choice of Forum . To the extent not preempted by federal law, the provisions of this Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Wisconsin, notwithstanding any state’s choice-of-law or conflicts-of-law rules to the contrary. The Company and Executive further acknowledge and agree that this Agreement is intended, among other things, to supplement the provisions of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, as amended from time to time, and the duties Executive owes to the Company under the common law, including, but not limited to, the duty of loyalty. The parties agree that any legal action pursuant to Section 10 of this Agreement shall be commenced and maintained exclusively before any appropriate state court of record in MANITOWOC, WISCONSIN or in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and the parties hereby submit to the jurisdiction and venue of such courts and waive any right to challenge or otherwise object to personal jurisdiction or venue in any action commenced or maintained in such courts.

 

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15.8. Arbitration of Disputes . Except as provided in Section 10 of this Agreement, any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the breach thereof, shall be settled by binding arbitration in the City of MANITOWOC, WISCONSIN, in accordance with the laws of the State of Wisconsin by three arbitrators, one of whom shall be appointed by the Company, one by Executive and the third of whom shall be appointed by the first two arbitrators. The arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, except with respect to the selection of arbitrators which shall be as provided in this Section. Judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrators may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. The expenses of arbitration, and the fees of the arbitrators, shall be shared equally by the parties. In addition, the prevailing party, as determined by the arbitrators, shall be entitled to recover from the non-prevailing party its reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in connection with the arbitration, any proceeding under Section 10 and any subsequent enforcement of any arbitration award in court

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Executive and the Company have executed this Agreement, intending it to be effective as of the Effective Date.

INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK

 

By:  

/s/ William C. Censky

   

/s/ Timothy J. Schneider

Name:   William C. Censky     Timothy J. Schneider
Title:   Executive Chairman    
  “Company”     “Executive”

 

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Exhibit 10.3

AMENDED AND RESTATED

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

between

INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK

and

Mark R. Binversie

This Amended and Restated Employment Agreement (“Agreement”) is made and entered into by and between Investors Community Bank, a Wisconsin corporation (the “Company”) and Mark R. Binversie (“Executive”).

Recitals

WHEREAS, Executive is an employee of the Company serving as its President; and

WHEREAS, the Company and Executive were previously parties to an agreement embodying the terms of Executive’s employment with the Company which was first effective January 1, 2006, and now the parties desire to amend and restate that agreement regarding certain terms of such employment.

Agreement

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual promises set forth in this Agreement, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and Executive agree as follows:

1. Effective Date . This Agreement shall be effective as of November 5, 2014 (the “Effective Date”).

2. Term of Employment . Subject to earlier termination as provided in Section 7 of this Agreement, the original term of this Agreement shall begin on the Effective Date and shall end on December 31, 2015; provided, however, that this Agreement shall be automatically extended for successive terms of one (1) year each (the original term plus any extensions of the term are hereinafter referred to as the “Term”) unless either party provides written notice not to so extend to the other party at least sixty (60) calendar days before the scheduled expiration of the Term, in which case no further automatic extension shall occur and the Term shall end on the scheduled expiration date.

3. Position and Responsibilities . During the Term, Executive agrees to serve as President of the Company and/or in such other senior management position(s) as the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) may designate. In this capacity the Executive shall have such duties, authorities and responsibilities as are commensurate with such position(s) and such other duties and responsibilities as the Board shall designate that are consistent with such position(s).

4. Standard of Care . During the Term, Executive (a) will devote his full working time, attention, energies and skills exclusively to the business and affairs of the Company; (b) will exercise the highest degree of loyalty and the highest standards of conduct in the


performance of his duties; (c) will not, except as noted herein, engage in any other business activity, whether or not such business activity is pursued for gain, profit or other pecuniary advantage, without the express written consent of the Company; and (d) will not take any action that deprives the Company of any business opportunities or otherwise act in a manner that conflicts with the best interests of the Company or that is detrimental to the business of the Company; provided, however, this Section 4 shall not be construed as preventing Executive (y) from investing his personal assets in such form or manner as will not require his services in the daily operations and affairs of the businesses in which such investments are made, or (z) from participating in charitable or other not-for-profit activities as long as such activities do not interfere with Executive’s work for the Company.

5. Compensation and Benefits . As remuneration for all services to be rendered by Executive during the Term, and as consideration for complying with the covenants herein, the Company shall pay and provide to Executive the following:

5.1. Annual Base Salary . The Company shall pay Executive a base salary of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) (the “Base Salary”) on an annualized basis. The Company shall review the Base Salary approximately annually during the Term to determine, at the discretion of the Company, whether the Base Salary should be increased and, if so, the amount of such adjustment and the time at which the adjustment should take effect. The Base Salary shall be paid to Executive consistent with the customary payroll practices of the Company.

5.2. Incentive Bonus . Executive shall be entitled to participate during the Term in the ICB ANNUAL INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN and in any other incentive bonus plan which the Company may adopt and implement from time to time during the Term with respect to Executive’s specific position. Nothing contained in this Section shall obligate the Company to institute, maintain or refrain from changing, amending or discontinuing any incentive bonus plan, so long as such changes are similarly applicable to other employees under such plan.

5.3. Equity Compensation . Executive shall be entitled to participate during the Term in the ICB 2012 EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN and in any other equity compensation plan which the Company may adopt and implement from time to time during the Term. Nothing contained in this Section shall obligate the Company to institute, maintain or refrain from changing, amending or discontinuing any equity compensation plan, so long as such changes are similarly applicable to other employees under such plan.

5.4. Employee Benefits . The Company shall provide to Executive employee fringe benefits to which other employees of the Company are generally entitled, commensurate with his position with the Company and subject to the eligibility requirements and other terms and conditions of such plans. Nothing contained in this Section shall obligate the Company to institute, maintain or refrain from changing, amending or discontinuing any employee fringe benefit plan, so long as such changes are similarly applicable to other employees generally.

6. Reimbursement of Business Expenses . The Company shall pay or reimburse Executive for all ordinary and necessary expenses, in a reasonable amount, which Executive

 

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incurs in performing his duties under this Agreement. Such expenses shall be paid or reimbursed to Executive consistent with the expense reimbursement policies of the Company in effect from time to time and Executive agrees to abide by any such expense reimbursement policies.

7. Termination of Employment .

7.1. Termination Due to Death . If Executive dies during the Term, this Agreement shall terminate on the date of Executive’s death. Upon the death of Executive, the Company’s obligation to pay and provide to Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive or Executive’s legal representative that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; and (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive or Executive’s legal representative such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before Executive’s death. Other than the foregoing, the Company shall have no further obligations to Executive (or Executive’s legal representatives, including Executive’s estate, heirs, executors, administrators and personal representatives) under this Agreement.

7.2. Termination Due to Disability . If Executive suffers a Disability (as hereafter defined), the Company shall have the right to terminate this Agreement and Executive’s employment with the Company. The Company shall deliver written notice to Executive of the Company’s termination because of Disability, pursuant to this Section 7.2, specifying in such notice a termination date not less than seven (7) calendar days after the giving of the notice (the “Disability Notice Period”), and this Agreement, and Executive’s employment by the Company, shall terminate at the close of business on the last day of the Disability Notice Period.

Upon the termination of this Agreement because of Disability, the Company’s obligation to pay and provide to Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; and (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination for Disability. Other than the foregoing, the Company shall have no further obligations to Executive under this Agreement.

The term “Disability” shall mean either (i) when Executive is deemed disabled in accordance with the long term disability insurance policy or plan of the Company in effect at the time of the illness or injury causing the disability or (ii) the inability of Executive, because of injury, illness, disease or bodily or mental infirmity, to perform the essential functions of his job (with or without reasonable accommodation) for more than one hundred twenty (120) days during any period of twelve (12) consecutive months.

7.3. Termination by the Company Without Cause . At any time during the Term, the Company may terminate this Agreement and Executive’s employment with the Company without cause for any reason or no reason by notifying Executive in writing of the Company’s intent to terminate, specifying in such notice the effective termination date, and this Agreement and Executive’s employment with the Company shall terminate at the close of business on the termination date specified in the Company’s notice. Upon termination of

 

3


Executive’s employment by the Company without cause and in the absence of a Change in Control (as defined in Section 7.12), the Company’s obligation to pay and provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; and (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) in addition, the Company shall pay Executive severance compensation in a lump sum payment within sixty (60) days after the termination of employment equal to two (2) times the sum of: (i) Base Salary in effect immediately prior to termination and (ii) the Historic Bonus. For purposes of this Agreement, the Historic Bonus shall be equal to the average annual incentive bonus earned by Executive during the three most recent fiscal years of the Company prior to such termination, including the portion of any bonus which was deferred, either mandatorily or electively.

7.4. Termination by the Company For Cause . At any time during the Term, the Company may terminate this Agreement and Executive’s employment with the Company for “Cause” as provided in this Section 7.4. “Cause” shall mean the occurrence of one or more of the following events: (a) Executive’s conviction of a felony or of any crime involving moral turpitude, subject to compliance with applicable law; (b) Executive’s engaging in any illegal conduct or willful misconduct in the performance of his employment duties for the Company; (c) Executive’s engaging in any fraudulent or dishonest conduct in his dealings with, or on behalf of, the Company; (d) Executive’s failure or refusal to follow the lawful instructions of the Company; (e) Executive’s breach of any of Executive’s obligations under this Agreement; (f) Executive’s gross or habitual negligence in the performance of his employment duties for the Company; (g) Executive’s engaging in any conduct tending to bring the Company into public disgrace or disrepute or to injure the reputation or goodwill of the Company; (h) Executive’s material violation of the Company’s business ethics or conflict of interest policies, as such policies currently exist or as they may be amended or implemented during Executive’s employment with the Company; (i) Executive’s misuse of alcohol or illegal drugs which interferes with the performance of Executive’s employment duties for the Company or which compromises the reputation or goodwill of the Company; (j) Executive’s intentional violation of any applicable banking law or regulation in the performance of Executive’s employment duties for the Company; or (k) Executive’s failure to abide by any employment rules or policies applicable to the Company’s employees generally that Company currently has or may adopt, amend or implement from time to time during Executive’s employment with the Company. With respect to subsections (d), (e) and (k) above, “Cause” shall not exist in the event of the occurrence of the events described therein unless Executive fails to cure such failure, fraud or breach within five (5) days after the Board delivers a written notice to Executive describing the events which the Company contends constitute Cause for termination thereunder.

Upon the occurrence of any of the events specified above, the Company may terminate Executive’s employment for Cause by notifying Executive in writing of its decision to terminate his employment for Cause, and Executive’s employment and this Agreement shall terminate at the close of business on the date on which the Company gives such notice.

Upon termination of Executive’s employment by the Company for Cause, the Company’s obligation to pay or provide Executive compensation and benefits under this

 

4


Agreement shall terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; and (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments or benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date. Other than the foregoing, the Company shall have no further obligations to Executive under this Agreement.

7.5. Termination by the Company in Connection with a Change in Control . If at any time during the Term Executive’s employment under this Agreement is terminated by the Company without the Executive’s prior written consent other than for any of the reasons set forth in Sections 7.1, 7.2 and 7.4 within six (6) months before or within two (2) years after a Change in Control, the Company’s obligation to pay or provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall terminate, except (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments or benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) in addition, the Company shall pay Executive within sixty (60) days following such a termination, a lump sum severance payment of an amount equal to three (3) times the sum of: (i) Base Salary in effect immediately prior to termination and (ii) the Historic Bonus.

7.6. Termination by Executive For Good Reason . Executive may terminate this Agreement and his employment with the Company by giving the Company written notice of termination for Good Reason. For purposes of this Agreement, “Good Reason” shall mean any of the following:

(i) any material breach by the Company of any provision of this Agreement which is not cured by the Company within thirty (30) days of receipt by the Company of written notice from Executive within ten (10) days of the alleged occurrence of the breach, which notice specifies with particularity the existence and nature of the breach; or

(ii) the occurrence of any one of the following events within six (6) months prior to or within two (2) years following a Change in Control where Executive delivers to the Company a written notice specifying the event(s) which Executive contends constitutes Good Reason within ten (10) days of the alleged occurrence of the event(s) and such occurrence is not cured by the Company within thirty (30) days after receipt of such written notice:

(A) Without Executive’s express written consent, the assignment of Executive to any duties which are materially inconsistent with his positions, duties or responsibilities with the Company immediately prior to the earlier of termination of employment or the Change in Control or a substantial reduction of his duties or responsibilities which does not represent a promotion from his position, duties or responsibilities immediately prior to the earlier of termination of employment or the Change in Control.

(B) A reduction by the Company in Executive’s Base Salary from the level of such salary immediately prior to the earlier

 

5


of termination of employment or the Change in Control, or the Company’s failure to increase (within twelve (12) months of Executive’s last increase in Base Salary) Executive’s Base Salary after a Change in Control in an amount which at least equals, on a percentage basis, the average percentage increase in base salary for all similarly situated executives of the Company on the same teams or at the same tier as Executive for compensation purposes.

(C) The failure by the Company to continue in effect any incentive, bonus or other compensation plan in which Executive participates, including but not limited to the Company’s stock option plans, unless an equitable arrangement (embodied in an ongoing substitute or alternative plan), with which Executive has consented, has been made with respect to such plan in connection with the Change in Control, or the failure by the Company to continue Executive’s participation therein, or any action by the Company which would directly or indirectly materially reduce Executive’s participation therein.

(D) The failure by the Company to continue to provide Executive with benefits substantially similar to those enjoyed by Executive or to which Executive was entitled under any of the Company’s principal pension, profit sharing, life insurance, medical, dental, health and accident, or disability plans in which Executive was participating immediately prior to the earlier of the termination of employment or the Change in Control, the taking of any action by the Company which would directly or indirectly materially reduce any of such benefits or deprive Executive of any material fringe benefit enjoyed by Executive or to which Executive was entitled immediately prior to the earlier of the termination of employment or the Change in Control, or the failure by the Company to provide Executive with the number of paid vacation and sick leave days to which Executive is entitled on the basis of years of service or position with the Company in accordance with the Company’s normal vacation policy in effect on the date hereof.

(E) The Company’s requiring Executive to be based anywhere other than in the counties identified in Section 9.1 below, except for required travel on the Company’s business in accordance with the Company’s past management practices.

(F) Any failure of the Company to obtain the assumption of the obligation to perform this Agreement by any successor as contemplated in Section 12.1 hereof.

(G) Any failure by the Company or its shareholders, as the case may be, to reappoint or reelect Executive to a corporate

 

6


office held by him immediately prior to the earlier of the termination of employment or the Change in Control or his removal from any such office including any seat held at such time on the Company’s Board of Directors.

(H) The effectiveness of a resignation, tendered at any time, either before or after a Change in Control and regardless of whether formally characterized as voluntary or otherwise, by Executive of any corporate office held by him immediately prior to the Change in Control or of any seat held at such time on the Company’s Board of Directors, at the request of the Company or at the request of the person obtaining control of the Company in such Change in Control.

(I) Any request by the Company that Executive participate in an unlawful act.

Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, Executive’s right to terminate Executive’s employment pursuant to this Section 7.6 shall not be affected by Executive’s incapacity due to physical or mental illness.

If this Agreement and Executive’s employment are terminated by Executive for the Good Reason listed in Section 7.6(i) and such termination occurs within ninety (90) days after the Executive first provided notice to the Company of the existence of Good Reason, the Company’s obligation to pay or provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall terminate, except (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments or benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) in addition, the Company shall pay Executive severance compensation in a lump sum payment within sixty (60) days after the termination of employment equal to two (2) times the sum of: (i) Base Salary in effect immediately prior to termination and (ii) the Historic Bonus.

If this Agreement and Executive’s employment are terminated by Executive for any of the Good Reasons listed in Sections 7.6(ii)(A) through (I) and such termination occurs within ninety (90) days after the Executive first provided notice to the Company of the existence of Good Reason, the Company’s obligation to pay or provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall terminate, except (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments or benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) in addition, the Company shall pay Executive within sixty (60) days following such a termination, a lump sum severance payment equal to the amount which would be payable by the Company under Section 7.5, if Executive had been terminated as provided therein.

 

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7.7. Termination By Executive Without Good Reason . At any time during the Term, Executive may terminate this Agreement and his employment with the Company for reasons other than Good Reason or for no reason by giving the Company written notice of termination, specifying in such notice a termination date not less than sixty (60) calendar days after the giving of the notice (the “Executive’s Notice Period”), and Executive’s employment with the Company shall terminate at the close of business on the last day of Executive’s Notice Period; provided, however, that in response to Executive’s notice of termination, the Company shall have the right to terminate Executive’s employment with the Company at any time during the Executive’s Notice Period. Upon termination of Executive’s employment with the Company under this Section 7.7, whether at the end of Executive’s Notice Period or earlier as designated by the Company, the Company’s obligation to pay Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) if the Company elects to terminate Executive prior to the end of the Executive’s Notice Period, the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary which would otherwise have been earned by Executive from the termination date through the end of Executive’s Notice Period. Other than the foregoing, the Company shall have no further obligations to Executive under this Agreement.

7.8. Non-Renewal By Executive . In the event Executive elects not to renew this Agreement by giving notice of non renewal pursuant to Section 2, this Agreement and Executive’s employment shall terminate at the end of the then current Term. Upon termination of Executive’s employment as a result of Executive’s non renewal of this Agreement, the Company’s obligation to pay and provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; and (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date. Other than the foregoing, the Company shall have no further obligations to Executive under this Agreement.

7.9. Non-Renewal by the Company . In the event the Company elects not to renew this Agreement by giving notice of non renewal pursuant to Section 2, this Agreement and Executive’s employment shall terminate at the end of the then current Term. Upon termination of Executive’s employment as a result of the Company’s non renewal of this Agreement, the Company’s obligation to pay and provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) in addition, the Company shall pay Executive severance compensation in a lump sum payment within sixty (60) days after the termination of employment equal to two (2) times the sum of: (i) Base Salary in effect immediately prior to termination and (ii) the Historic Bonus. Upon termination of Executive’s employment as a result of the company’s non-renewal of this Agreement at a time where the end of the then current Term is within six(6) months prior to or two (2) years following the effective date of a Change in Control, the severance compensation payable under

 

8


this paragraph shall be equal to three (3) times the sum of: (i) Base Salary in effect immediately prior to termination and (ii) the Historic Bonus, in lieu of the severance compensation described in the previous sentence.

7.10. Forfeiture of Compensation . In the event Executive breaches any of the non disclosure or restrictive covenant provisions of Sections 8 or 9 of this Agreement, Executive immediately shall (a) forfeit his right to receive (and the Company shall no longer be obligated to pay) any severance compensation under this Agreement, (b) forfeit any equity incentive or other rights granted under the INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK 2012 EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN AND INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK ANNUAL INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN and any other equity and/or incentive compensation plans of the Company, regardless whether such options or rights are vested, unvested, exercisable or unexercisable, (c) disgorge and repay to the Company any gross profits realized from the exercise of any of the stock options under the INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK 2012 EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN and any other stock option or equity compensation plans of the Company at any time during the two (2) year period immediately preceding such breach, and (d) disgorge and repay to the Company an amount equal to the market value of any restricted stock of the Company that vested to Executive at any time during the two (2) year period immediately preceding such breach. The Company and Executive acknowledge and agree that the foregoing remedies are in addition to, and not in lieu of, any and all other legal and/or equitable remedies that may be available to Company in connection with Executive’s breach or threatened breach, of any non-disclosure or restrictive covenant provision set forth in Sections 8 and 9 of this Agreement.

7.11. Definition of Change in Control . As used in this Agreement, “Change in Control” means:

(i) The acquisition by any individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) (a “Person”) of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d 3 promulgated under the Exchange Act as in effect from time to time) of twenty-five percent (25%) or more of either (A) the then outstanding shares of common stock of the Company or County Bancorp, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation (“Parent”) (B) the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company or Parent entitled to vote generally in the election of directors; provided, however, that the following acquisitions shall not constitute an acquisition of control: (w) any acquisition directly from the Company or Parent (excluding an acquisition by virtue of the exercise of a conversion privilege), (x) any acquisition by the Company or Parent, (y) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or Parent, or any corporation controlled by the Company or Parent, or (z) any acquisition by any corporation pursuant to a reorganization, merger or consolidation, if, following such reorganization, merger or consolidation, the conditions described in clauses (A), (B) and (C) of subsection (iii) of this Section 7.11 are satisfied;

(ii) Individuals who, as of the date hereof, constitute the Board of Directors of the Company or Parent (the “Incumbent Board”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company or Parent, as

 

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applicable; provided, however, that any individual becoming a director subsequent to the date hereof whose election, or nomination for election by the Company’s or Parent’s shareholders, as applicable, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors then comprising the applicable Incumbent Board shall be considered as though such individual were a member of the applicable Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of either an actual or threatened election contest (as such terms are used in Rule 14a-11 of Regulation 14A promulgated under the Exchange Act) or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the Board of Directors of the Company or Parent, as applicable;

(iii) Consummation by the Company or Parent of a reorganization, merger or consolidation, in each case, unless, following such reorganization, merger or consolidation, (A) more than sixty percent (60%) of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock of the corporation resulting from such reorganization, merger or consolidation and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of such corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors is then beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the beneficial owners, respectively, of the outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) common stock and outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) voting securities immediately prior to such reorganization, merger or consolidation in substantially the same proportions as their ownership, immediately prior to such reorganization, merger or consolidation, of the outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) stock and outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) voting securities, as the case may be, (B) no Person (excluding the Company, Parent, any employee benefit plan or related trust of the Company, Parent or such corporation resulting from such reorganization, merger or consolidation and any Person beneficially owning, immediately prior to such reorganization, merger or consolidation, directly or indirectly, twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) common stock or outstanding voting securities, as the case may be) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, twenty-five percent (25%) or more of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock of the corporation resulting from such reorganization, merger or consolidation or the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of such corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, and (C) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors of the corporation resulting from such reorganization, merger or consolidation were members of the applicable Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the initial agreement providing for such reorganization, merger or consolidation; or

(iv) Either (A) a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company or Parent, or (B) the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or Parent, other than to a corporation with respect to which following such sale or other disposition (x) more than sixty percent (60%) of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock of such corporation and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of such corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors is then beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the beneficial owners,

 

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respectively, of the outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) common stock and outstanding voting securities immediately prior to such sale or other disposition in substantially the same proportion as their ownership, immediately prior to such sale or other disposition, of the outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) common stock and outstanding voting securities, as the case may be, (y) no Person (excluding the Company, Parent, and any employee benefit plan or related trust of the Company, Parent, or such corporation and any Person beneficially owning, immediately prior to such sale or other disposition, directly or indirectly, twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the outstanding Company common stock or outstanding Company voting securities, as the case may be) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, twenty-five percent (25%) or more of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock of such corporation and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of such corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors and (z) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors of such corporation were members of the applicable Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the initial agreement or action of the Board the Company or Parent (as applicable) providing for such sale or other disposition of assets of the Company or Parent (as applicable).

7.12. Severance Release . Executive acknowledges and agrees that the Company’s payment of the severance compensation pursuant to Sections 7.3, 7.5 or 7.6 of this Agreement shall be deemed to constitute a full settlement and discharge of any and all obligations of the Company to Executive arising out of this Agreement, Executive’s employment with the Company and/or the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, except for any vested rights Executive may have under any insurance, stock option or equity compensation plan or any other employee benefit plans sponsored by the Company. Executive further acknowledges and agrees that as a condition to receiving any of the severance compensation pursuant to Section 7.3, 7.5 or 7.6 of this Agreement, Executive will execute and deliver to the Company a Release Agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company pursuant to which Executive will release and waive any and all claims against the Company (and its officers, directors, shareholders, employees and representatives) arising out of this Agreement, Executive’s employment with the Company, and/or the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, including without limitation claims under all federal, state and local laws; provided, however, that such Release Agreement shall not affect or relinquish (a) any vested rights Executive may have under any insurance, stock option or equity compensation plan, or other employee benefit plan sponsored by the Company, (b) any claims for reimbursement of business expenses incurred prior to the employment termination date, or (c) any rights to severance compensation under Sections 7.3, 7.5 or 7.6 of this Agreement. Executive further agrees that the Release Agreement contemplated in this Section 7.12 must be executed, and the applicable revocation period must expire without Executive’s revocation, within the timeframe set forth in the Release Agreement but in no event later than fifty-five (55) days after the effective date of Executive’s termination.

8. Non-Disclosure . Executive acknowledges that during the course of Executive’s employment by the Company Executive will be creating, making use of, acquiring, and/or adding to confidential information relating to the business and affairs of the Company, which information will include, without limitation, procedures, methods, manuals, lists of customers, suppliers and other contacts, marketing plans, business plans, financial data, and personnel

 

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information. Executive covenants and agrees that Executive shall not, at any time during Executive’s employment with the Company, or thereafter (for the period described below), directly or indirectly, use, divulge or disclose for any purpose whatsoever any of the Company’s confidential information or trade secrets, except in the course of Executive’s work for and on behalf of the Company. Upon the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, or at the Company’s request, Executive shall immediately deliver to the Company any and all records, documents, or electronic data (in whatever form or media), and all copies thereof, in Executive’s possession or under Executive’s control, whether prepared by Executive or others, containing confidential information or trade secrets relating to the Company. Executive acknowledges and agrees that his obligations under this Section shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement and the cessation of his employment with the Company for whatever reason. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the restrictions herein shall remain in effect for a period of two (2) years following the termination of Executive’s employment; provided, however, with respect to any information that constitutes a trade secret under applicable law, the restrictions shall remain in effect for as long as the information remains a trade secret.

9. Restrictive Covenants . Executive acknowledges that in connection with his employment with the Company he has provided and will continue to provide executive-level services that are of a unique and special value and that he has been and will continue to be entrusted with confidential and proprietary information concerning the Company. Executive further acknowledges that the Company is engaged in highly competitive businesses and that the Company expends substantial amounts of time, money and effort to develop trade secrets, business strategies, customer relationships, employee relationships and goodwill, and Executive has benefited and will continue to benefit from these efforts. Therefore, as an essential part of this Agreement, Executive agrees and covenants to comply with the following restrictive covenants.

9.1. Non-Competition . During Executive’s employment with the Company and during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, in the Restricted Geographic Area, engage in any Competitive Business (a) in the same or similar capacity or function to that in which Executive worked for the Company, (b) in any executive level or senior management capacity, or (c) in any other capacity in which Executive’s knowledge of the Company’s confidential information or the customer goodwill Executive helped to develop on behalf of the Company would facilitate or support Executive’s work for such Competitive Business. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Restricted Period” shall mean two (2) years from the date of termination of employment. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Restricted Geographic Area” means and includes: (w) the Wisconsin counties of Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Brown, Calumet, Kewaunee, Door, Fond du Lac, Outagamie, Winnebago, Milwaukee and Ozaukee. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Competitive Business” means that portion of any business that provides products and services similar to and competitive with the products and services provided by the Company.

9.2. Non-Solicitation of Customers . During Executive’s employment with the Company and during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, provide, sell, or market any Competing Products/Services to any of the Company’s Customers, or solicit any of the Company’s Customers for the purpose of selling or providing any Competing Products/Services. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Competing Products/Services”

 

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means any products or services substantially similar to and competitive with the products or services offered by the Company. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Company’s Customers” means any person or entity that has engaged in any banking services with, or has purchased any products or services from, the Company at any time during the one-year period preceding the date of termination of Executive’s employment and with respect to which Executive, by virtue of his senior executive position in the Company, has acquired information or has had contact that would assist Executive in competing with the Company for the business of such customer.

9.3. Non-Solicitation of Employees . During the term of Executive’s employment with the Company and during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, urge, influence, induce or seek to induce (other than by means of general advertising of available positions) any employee of the Company to terminate his/her relationship with the Company.

9.4. Survival of Restrictive Covenants . Executive acknowledges and agrees that his obligations under this Section 9 shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement and the cessation of his employment with the Company for whatever reason.

9.5. Severability of Restrictions . Although Executive and the Company consider the restrictions contained in this Section 9 to be reasonable, particularly given the competitive nature of the Company’s business and Executive’s position with the Company, Executive and the Company acknowledge and agree that if any covenant, subsection, portion or clause of this Section 9 is determined to be unenforceable or invalid for any reason, such unenforceability or invalidity shall not affect the enforceability or validity of the remainder of the Agreement.

10. Remedies . Executive recognizes that a breach or threatened breach by Executive of Section 8 or Section 9 of this Agreement will give rise to irreparable injury to the Company and that money damages will not be adequate relief for such injury. Notwithstanding Section 15.8 of this Agreement, Executive agrees that the Company shall be entitled to obtain injunctive relief, including, but not limited to, temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions and/or permanent injunctions, without having to post any bond or other security, to restrain or prohibit such breach or threatened breach, in addition to any other legal remedies which may be available, including the recovery of money damages.

11. Change in Control.

11.1 Limitation on Benefits. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, in the event of a Change in Control, the Company, based on the advice of its legal or tax counsel, shall compute whether there would be any “excess parachute payments” payable to Executive, within the meaning of Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), taking into account the total ‘‘parachute payments,” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, payable to Executive by the Company under this Agreement and any other plan, agreement or otherwise. If there would be any excess parachute payments, the Company, based on the advice of its legal or tax counsel, shall compute the net after-tax proceeds to Executive, taking into account the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code,

 

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as if (i) the amount to be paid to Executive under this Agreement were reduced, but not below zero, such that the total parachute payments payable to Executive would not exceed three (3) times the “base amount” as defined in Section 280G of the Code, less One Dollar ($1.00), or (ii) the full amount to be paid to Executive under this Agreement were not reduced. If reducing the amount otherwise payable to Executive pursuant to this Agreement would result in a greater after-tax amount to Executive, such reduced amount shall be paid to Executive and the remainder shall be forfeited by Executive as of the effective date of Executive’s termination of employment. If not reducing the amount otherwise payable to Executive pursuant to this Agreement would result in a greater after-tax amount to Executive, the amount payable to Executive under this Agreement shall not be reduced.

11.2 No Additional Payment to Account for Excise Taxes . In the event it shall be determined that any payment or distribution by the Company to or for the benefit of Executive (whether paid or payable or distributed or distributable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or otherwise) (a “Payment”) would be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code or any interest or penalties are incurred by the Executive with respect to such excise tax (such excise tax, together with any such interest and penalties, are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Excise Tax”), then the Executive shall not be entitled to receive any additional payment in any amount as a “gross up”, reimbursement or indemnity for such Excise Tax.

12. Assignment .

12.1. Assignment by Company . The rights and obligations of the Company under this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon any and all successors and assigns of the Company, including without limitation by asset assignment, stock sale, merger, consolidation or other corporate reorganization.

12.2. Non Assignment by Executive . The services to be provided by Executive to the Company hereunder are personal to Executive, and Executive’s duties may not be assigned by Executive.

 

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13. Notice . Any notice required or permitted under this Agreement shall be in writing and either delivered personally or sent by nationally recognized overnight courier, express mail, or certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, at the following respective address unless the party notifies the other party in writing of a change of address:

If to the Company:

Investors Community Bank

PO Box 700

860 North Rapids Rd

Manitowoc, WI ZIP

Attention: Chief Executive Officer

If to Executive:

Mark R Binversie

[                             ]

A notice delivered personally shall be deemed delivered and effective as of the date of delivery. A notice sent by overnight courier or express mail shall be deemed delivered and effective one (1) day after it is deposited with the postal authority or commercial carrier. A notice sent by certified or registered mail shall be deemed delivered and effective two (2) days after it is deposited with the postal authority.

14. Compliance with Section 409A. It is intended that this Agreement will comply with Internal Revenue Code Section 409A and any regulations and guidelines issued thereunder (collectively “Section 409A”) to the extent this Agreement is subject thereto. This Agreement shall be interpreted on a basis consistent with such intent. If any payments provided to Executive under this Agreement are non-qualified deferred compensation subject to, and not exempt from, Section 409A (“Subject Payments”), the following provisions shall apply to such payment and/or benefits:

14.1. Separation From Service. For payments triggered by a termination of employment, reference to the Executive’s “termination of employment” with the Company shall be construed to refer to the Executive’s “separation from service” from the Company (with such phrase determined under Treas. Reg. 1.409A-1(h)).

14.2. Crossover Period. If the sixty (60)- day period following a “separation from service” begins in one calendar year and ends in a second calendar year (a “Crossover 60-Day Period”) and if there are any Subject Payments due the Executive that are (i) conditioned on the Executive signing and not revoking a release of claims and (ii) otherwise due to be paid during the portion of the Crossover 60-Day Period that falls within the first year, then such payments will be delayed and paid in a lump sum during the portion of the Crossover 60-Day Period that falls within the second year.

14.3. Payment Period Discretion. Whenever a payment under this Agreement specifies a payment period with reference to a number of days, the actual date of payment within the specified period shall be within the sole discretion of the Company.

14.4. Specified Employee Delay. For payments triggered by a termination of employment, if Executive is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section

 

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409A(a)(2)(B)(i) at the time of his termination of employment, such payments that would otherwise be payable during the six-month period immediately following Executive’s termination of employment will be delayed and accumulated until the earlier of Executive’s death or the first business day following the six month anniversary of the Executive’s “separation from service”, whereupon the accumulated amount will be paid or distributed to the Executive or his estate.

14.5. No Indemnity. If an amendment of this Agreement is necessary in order for it to comply with Section 409A, the parties hereto will negotiate in good faith to amend this Agreement in a manner that preserves the original intent of the parties to the extent reasonably possible. No action or failure by the Company in good faith to act, pursuant to this Section 14.5, shall subject the Company to any claim, liability or expense, and the Company shall not have any obligation to indemnify or otherwise protect the Employee from the obligation to pay any taxes pursuant to Section 409A.

15. Miscellaneous .

15.1. Entire Agreement . This Agreement supersedes any prior agreements or understandings, oral or written, between the parties hereto, with respect to the subject matter hereof, and constitutes the entire agreement of the parties with respect thereto.

15.2. Modification . This Agreement shall not be varied, altered, modified, canceled, changed, or in any way amended except by mutual agreement of the parties in a written instrument executed by Executive and a duly authorized officer of the Company.

15.3. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one (1) or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which together will constitute one and the same Agreement.

15.4. Tax Withholding . The Company may withhold from any compensation or benefits payable under this Agreement all federal, state, city, or other taxes as may be required pursuant to any law or governmental regulation or ruling.

15.5. Contractual Rights to Benefits . Nothing herein contained shall require or be deemed to require, or prohibit or be deemed to prohibit, the Company to segregate, earmark or otherwise set aside any funds or other assets, in trust or otherwise, to provide for any payments to be made or required hereunder.

15.6. No Waiver . Failure to insist upon strict compliance with any of the terms, covenants or conditions of this Agreement shall not be deemed a waiver of such term, covenant or condition, nor shall any waiver or relinquishment of any right or power hereunder at any one or more times be deemed a waiver or relinquishment of such right or power at any other time or times.

15.7. Governing Law; Choice of Forum . To the extent not preempted by federal law, the provisions of this Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Wisconsin, notwithstanding any state’s choice-of-law or conflicts-of-law rules to the contrary. The Company and Executive further acknowledge and agree that this

 

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Agreement is intended, among other things, to supplement the provisions of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, as amended from time to time, and the duties Executive owes to the Company under the common law, including, but not limited to, the duty of loyalty. The parties agree that any legal action pursuant to Section 10 of this Agreement shall be commenced and maintained exclusively before any appropriate state court of record in MANITOWOC, WISCONSIN or in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and the parties hereby submit to the jurisdiction and venue of such courts and waive any right to challenge or otherwise object to personal jurisdiction or venue in any action commenced or maintained in such courts.

15.8. Arbitration of Disputes . Except as provided in Section 10 of this Agreement, any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the breach thereof, shall be settled by binding arbitration in the City of MANITOWOC, WISCONSIN, in accordance with the laws of the State of Wisconsin by three arbitrators, one of whom shall be appointed by the Company, one by Executive and the third of whom shall be appointed by the first two arbitrators. The arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, except with respect to the selection of arbitrators which shall be as provided in this Section. Judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrators may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. The expenses of arbitration, and the fees of the arbitrators, shall be shared equally by the parties. In addition, the prevailing party, as determined by the arbitrators, shall be entitled to recover from the non-prevailing party its reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in connection with the arbitration, any proceeding under Section 10 and any subsequent enforcement of any arbitration award in court

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Executive and the Company have executed this Agreement, intending it to be effective as of the Effective Date.

INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK

 

By:   

/s/ Timothy J. Schneider

     

/s/ Mark R. Binversie

Name:    Timothy J. Schneider       Mark R. Binversie
Title:    Chief Executive Officer      
   “Company”       “Executive”

 

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Exhibit 10.4

AMENDED AND RESTATED

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

between

INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK

and

Gary R. Abramowicz

This Employment Agreement (“Agreement”) is made and entered into by and between Investors Community Bank, a Wisconsin corporation (the “Company”) and Gary R Abramowicz (“Executive”).

Recitals

WHEREAS, Executive is an employee of the Company serving as its Chief Financial Officer; and

WHEREAS, the Company and Executive were previously parties to an agreement embodying the terms of Executive’s employment with the Company which was first effective May 15, 2008, and now the parties desire to amend and restate that agreement regarding certain terms of such employment.

Agreement

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual promises set forth in this Agreement, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and Executive agree as follows:

1. Effective Date . This Agreement shall be effective as of November 5, 2014 (the “Effective Date”).

2. Term of Employment . Subject to earlier termination as provided in Section 7 of this Agreement, the original term of this Agreement shall begin on the Effective Date and shall end on December 31, 2015 provided, however, that this Agreement shall be automatically extended for successive terms of one (1) year each (the original term plus any extensions of the term are hereinafter referred to as the “Term”) unless either party provides written notice not to so extend to the other party at least sixty (60) calendar days before the scheduled expiration of the Term, in which case no further automatic extension shall occur and the Term shall end on the scheduled expiration date.

3. Position and Responsibilities . During the Term, Executive agrees to serve as Chief Financial Officer of the Company and/or in such other senior management position(s) as the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) may designate. In this capacity the Executive shall have such duties, authorities and responsibilities as are commensurate with such position(s) and such other duties and responsibilities as the Board shall designate that are consistent with such position(s).

4. Standard of Care . During the Term, Executive (a) will devote his full working time, attention, energies and skills exclusively to the business and affairs of the Company;


(b) will exercise the highest degree of loyalty and the highest standards of conduct in the performance of his duties; (c) will not, except as noted herein, engage in any other business activity, whether or not such business activity is pursued for gain, profit or other pecuniary advantage, without the express written consent of the Company; and (d) will not take any action that deprives the Company of any business opportunities or otherwise act in a manner that conflicts with the best interests of the Company or that is detrimental to the business of the Company; provided, however, this Section 4 shall not be construed as preventing Executive (y) from investing his personal assets in such form or manner as will not require his services in the daily operations and affairs of the businesses in which such investments are made, or (z) from participating in charitable or other not-for-profit activities as long as such activities do not interfere with Executive’s work for the Company.

5. Compensation and Benefits . As remuneration for all services to be rendered by Executive during the Term, and as consideration for complying with the covenants herein, the Company shall pay and provide to Executive the following:

5.1. Annual Base Salary . The Company shall pay Executive a base salary of One Hundred Seventy-Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Twenty-Five dollars ($174,825.00) (the “Base Salary”) on an annualized basis. The Company shall review the Base Salary approximately annually during the Term to determine, at the discretion of the Company, whether the Base Salary should be increased and, if so, the amount of such adjustment and the time at which the adjustment should take effect. The Base Salary shall be paid to Executive consistent with the customary payroll practices of the Company.

5.2. Incentive Bonus . Executive shall be entitled to participate during the Term in the ICB ANNUAL INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN and in any other incentive bonus plan which the Company may adopt and implement from time to time during the Term with respect to Executive’s specific position. Nothing contained in this Section shall obligate the Company to institute, maintain or refrain from changing, amending or discontinuing any incentive bonus plan, so long as such changes are similarly applicable to other employees under such plan.

5.3. Equity Compensation . Executive shall be entitled to participate during the Term in the ICB 2012 EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN and in any other equity compensation plan which the Company may adopt and implement from time to time during the Term. Nothing contained in this Section shall obligate the Company to institute, maintain or refrain from changing, amending or discontinuing any equity compensation plan, so long as such changes are similarly applicable to other employees under such plan.

5.4. Employee Benefits . The Company shall provide to Executive employee fringe benefits to which other employees of the Company are generally entitled, commensurate with his position with the Company and subject to the eligibility requirements and other terms and conditions of such plans. Nothing contained in this Section shall obligate the Company to institute, maintain or refrain from changing, amending or discontinuing any employee fringe benefit plan, so long as such changes are similarly applicable to other employees generally.

 

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6. Reimbursement of Business Expenses . The Company shall pay or reimburse Executive for all ordinary and necessary expenses, in a reasonable amount, which Executive incurs in performing his duties under this Agreement. Such expenses shall be paid or reimbursed to Executive consistent with the expense reimbursement policies of the Company in effect from time to time and Executive agrees to abide by any such expense reimbursement policies.

7. Termination of Employment .

7.1. Termination Due to Death . If Executive dies during the Term, this Agreement shall terminate on the date of Executive’s death. Upon the death of Executive, the Company’s obligation to pay and provide to Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive or Executive’s legal representative that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; and (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive or Executive’s legal representative such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before Executive’s death. Other than the foregoing, the Company shall have no further obligations to Executive (or Executive’s legal representatives, including Executive’s estate, heirs, executors, administrators and personal representatives) under this Agreement.

7.2. Termination Due to Disability . If Executive suffers a Disability (as hereafter defined), the Company shall have the right to terminate this Agreement and Executive’s employment with the Company. The Company shall deliver written notice to Executive of the Company’s termination because of Disability, pursuant to this Section 7.2, specifying in such notice a termination date not less than seven (7) calendar days after the giving of the notice (the “Disability Notice Period”), and this Agreement, and Executive’s employment by the Company, shall terminate at the close of business on the last day of the Disability Notice Period.

Upon the termination of this Agreement because of Disability, the Company’s obligation to pay and provide to Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; and (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination for Disability. Other than the foregoing, the Company shall have no further obligations to Executive under this Agreement.

The term “Disability” shall mean either (i) when Executive is deemed disabled in accordance with the long term disability insurance policy or plan of the Company in effect at the time of the illness or injury causing the disability or (ii) the inability of Executive, because of injury, illness, disease or bodily or mental infirmity, to perform the essential functions of his job (with or without reasonable accommodation) for more than one hundred twenty (120) days during any period of twelve (12) consecutive months.

7.3. Termination by the Company Without Cause . At any time during the Term, the Company may terminate this Agreement and Executive’s employment with the Company without cause for any reason or no reason by notifying Executive in writing of the Company’s intent to terminate, specifying in such notice the effective termination date, and this

 

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Agreement and Executive’s employment with the Company shall terminate at the close of business on the termination date specified in the Company’s notice. Upon termination of Executive’s employment by the Company without cause and in the absence of a Change in Control (as defined in Section 7.12), the Company’s obligation to pay and provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; and (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) in addition, the Company shall pay Executive severance compensation in a lump sum payment within sixty (60) days after the termination of employment equal to one (1) times the sum of: (i) Base Salary in effect immediately prior to termination and (ii) the Historic Bonus. For purposes of this Agreement, the Historic Bonus shall be equal to the average annual incentive bonus earned by Executive during the three most recent fiscal years of the Company prior to such termination, including the portion of any bonus which was deferred, either mandatorily or electively.

7.4. Termination by the Company For Cause . At any time during the Term, the Company may terminate this Agreement and Executive’s employment with the Company for “Cause” as provided in this Section 7.4. “Cause” shall mean the occurrence of one or more of the following events: (a) Executive’s conviction of a felony or of any crime involving moral turpitude, subject to compliance with applicable law; (b) Executive’s engaging in any illegal conduct or willful misconduct in the performance of his employment duties for the Company; (c) Executive’s engaging in any fraudulent or dishonest conduct in his dealings with, or on behalf of, the Company; (d) Executive’s failure or refusal to follow the lawful instructions of the Company; (e) Executive’s breach of any of Executive’s obligations under this Agreement; (f) Executive’s gross or habitual negligence in the performance of his employment duties for the Company; (g) Executive’s engaging in any conduct tending to bring the Company into public disgrace or disrepute or to injure the reputation or goodwill of the Company; (h) Executive’s material violation of the Company’s business ethics or conflict of interest policies, as such policies currently exist or as they may be amended or implemented during Executive’s employment with the Company; (i) Executive’s misuse of alcohol or illegal drugs which interferes with the performance of Executive’s employment duties for the Company or which compromises the reputation or goodwill of the Company; (j) Executive’s intentional violation of any applicable banking law or regulation in the performance of Executive’s employment duties for the Company; or (k) Executive’s failure to abide by any employment rules or policies applicable to the Company’s employees generally that Company currently has or may adopt, amend or implement from time to time during Executive’s employment with the Company. With respect to subsections (d), (e) and (k) above, “Cause” shall not exist in the event of the occurrence of the events described therein unless Executive fails to cure such failure, fraud or breach within five (5) days after the Board delivers a written notice to Executive describing the events which the Company contends constitute Cause for termination thereunder.

Upon the occurrence of any of the events specified above, the Company may terminate Executive’s employment for Cause by notifying Executive in writing of its decision to terminate his employment for Cause, and Executive’s employment and this Agreement shall terminate at the close of business on the date on which the Company gives such notice.

 

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Upon termination of Executive’s employment by the Company for Cause, the Company’s obligation to pay or provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; and (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments or benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date. Other than the foregoing, the Company shall have no further obligations to Executive under this Agreement.

7.5. Termination by the Company in Connection with a Change in Control . If at any time during the Term Executive’s employment under this Agreement is terminated by the Company without the Executive’s prior written consent other than for any of the reasons set forth in Sections 7.1, 7.2 and 7.4 within six (6) months before or within two (2) years after a Change in Control, the Company’s obligation to pay or provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall terminate, except (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments or benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) in addition, the Company shall pay Executive within sixty (60) days following such a termination, a lump sum severance payment of an amount equal to two (2) times the sum of: (i) Base Salary in effect immediately prior to termination and (ii) the Historic Bonus.

7.6. Termination by Executive For Good Reason . Executive may terminate this Agreement and his employment with the Company by giving the Company written notice of termination for Good Reason. For purposes of this Agreement, “Good Reason” shall mean any of the following:

(i) any material breach by the Company of any provision of this Agreement which is not cured by the Company within thirty (30) days of receipt by the Company of written notice from Executive within ten (10) days of the alleged occurrence of the breach, which notice specifies with particularity the existence and nature of the breach; or

(ii) the occurrence of any one of the following events within six (6) months prior to or within two (2) years following a Change in Control where Executive delivers to the Company a written notice specifying the event(s) which Executive contends constitutes Good Reason within ten (10) days of the alleged occurrence of the event(s) and such occurrence is not cured by the Company within thirty (30) days after receipt of such written notice:

(A) Without Executive’s express written consent, the assignment of Executive to any duties which are materially inconsistent with his positions, duties or responsibilities with the Company immediately prior to the earlier of termination of employment or the Change in Control or a substantial reduction of his duties or responsibilities which does not represent a promotion from his position, duties or responsibilities immediately prior to the earlier of termination of employment or the Change in Control.

 

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(B) A reduction by the Company in Executive’s Base Salary from the level of such salary immediately prior to the earlier of termination of employment or the Change in Control, or the Company’s failure to increase (within twelve (12) months of Executive’s last increase in Base Salary) Executive’s Base Salary after a Change in Control in an amount which at least equals, on a percentage basis, the average percentage increase in base salary for all similarly situated executives of the Company on the same teams or at the same tier as Executive for compensation purposes.

(C) The failure by the Company to continue in effect any incentive, bonus or other compensation plan in which Executive participates, including but not limited to the Company’s stock option plans, unless an equitable arrangement (embodied in an ongoing substitute or alternative plan), with which Executive has consented, has been made with respect to such plan in connection with the Change in Control, or the failure by the Company to continue Executive’s participation therein, or any action by the Company which would directly or indirectly materially reduce Executive’s participation therein.

(D) The failure by the Company to continue to provide Executive with benefits substantially similar to those enjoyed by Executive or to which Executive was entitled under any of the Company’s principal pension, profit sharing, life insurance, medical, dental, health and accident, or disability plans in which Executive was participating immediately prior to the earlier of the termination of employment or the Change in Control, the taking of any action by the Company which would directly or indirectly materially reduce any of such benefits or deprive Executive of any material fringe benefit enjoyed by Executive or to which Executive was entitled immediately prior to the earlier of the termination of employment or the Change in Control, or the failure by the Company to provide Executive with the number of paid vacation and sick leave days to which Executive is entitled on the basis of years of service or position with the Company in accordance with the Company’s normal vacation policy in effect on the date hereof.

(E) The Company’s requiring Executive to be based anywhere other than in the counties identified in Section 9.1 below, except for required travel on the Company’s business in accordance with the Company’s past management practices.

(F) Any failure of the Company to obtain the assumption of the obligation to perform this Agreement by any successor as contemplated in Section 12.1 hereof.

 

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(G) Any failure by the Company or its shareholders, as the case may be, to reappoint or reelect Executive to a corporate office held by him immediately prior to the earlier of the termination of employment or the Change in Control or his removal from any such office including any seat held at such time on the Company’s Board of Directors.

(H) The effectiveness of a resignation, tendered at any time, either before or after a Change in Control and regardless of whether formally characterized as voluntary or otherwise, by Executive of any corporate office held by him immediately prior to the Change in Control or of any seat held at such time on the Company’s Board of Directors, at the request of the Company or at the request of the person obtaining control of the Company in such Change in Control.

(I) Any request by the Company that Executive participate in an unlawful act.

Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, Executive’s right to terminate Executive’s employment pursuant to this Section 7.6 shall not be affected by Executive’s incapacity due to physical or mental illness.

If this Agreement and Executive’s employment are terminated by Executive for the Good Reason listed in Section 7.6(i) and such termination occurs within ninety (90) days after the Executive first provided notice to the Company of the existence of Good Reason, the Company’s obligation to pay or provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall terminate, except (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments or benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) in addition, the Company shall pay Executive severance compensation in a lump sum payment within sixty (60) days after the termination of employment equal to one (1) times the sum of: (i) Base Salary in effect immediately prior to termination and (ii) the Historic Bonus.

If this Agreement and Executive’s employment are terminated by Executive for any of the Good Reasons listed in Sections 7.6(ii)(A) through (I) and such termination occurs within ninety (90) days after the Executive first provided notice to the Company of the existence of Good Reason, the Company’s obligation to pay or provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall terminate, except (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments or benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) in addition, the Company shall pay Executive within sixty (60) days following such a termination, a lump sum severance payment equal to the amount which would be payable by the Company under Section 7.5, if Executive had been terminated as provided therein.

 

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7.7. Termination By Executive Without Good Reason . At any time during the Term, Executive may terminate this Agreement and his employment with the Company for reasons other than Good Reason or for no reason by giving the Company written notice of termination, specifying in such notice a termination date not less than sixty (60) calendar days after the giving of the notice (the “Executive’s Notice Period”), and Executive’s employment with the Company shall terminate at the close of business on the last day of Executive’s Notice Period; provided, however, that in response to Executive’s notice of termination, the Company shall have the right to terminate Executive’s employment with the Company at any time during the Executive’s Notice Period. Upon termination of Executive’s employment with the Company under this Section 7.7, whether at the end of Executive’s Notice Period or earlier as designated by the Company, the Company’s obligation to pay Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) if the Company elects to terminate Executive prior to the end of the Executive’s Notice Period, the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary which would otherwise have been earned by Executive from the termination date through the end of Executive’s Notice Period. Other than the foregoing, the Company shall have no further obligations to Executive under this Agreement.

7.8. Non-Renewal By Executive . In the event Executive elects not to renew this Agreement by giving notice of non renewal pursuant to Section 2, this Agreement and Executive’s employment shall terminate at the end of the then current Term. Upon termination of Executive’s employment as a result of Executive’s non renewal of this Agreement, the Company’s obligation to pay and provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; and (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date. Other than the foregoing, the Company shall have no further obligations to Executive under this Agreement.

7.9. Non-Renewal by the Company . In the event the Company elects not to renew this Agreement by giving notice of non renewal pursuant to Section 2, this Agreement and Executive’s employment shall terminate at the end of the then current Term. Upon termination of Executive’s employment as a result of the Company’s non renewal of this Agreement, the Company’s obligation to pay and provide Executive compensation and benefits under this Agreement shall immediately terminate, except: (a) the Company shall pay Executive that portion of his Base Salary, at the rate then in effect, which shall have been earned through the termination date; (b) the Company shall pay or provide Executive such other payments and benefits, if any, which had accrued hereunder before the termination date; and (c) in addition, the Company shall pay Executive severance compensation in a lump sum payment within sixty (60) days after the termination of employment equal to one 1) times the sum of: (i) Base Salary in effect immediately prior to termination and (ii) the Historic Bonus. Upon termination of Executive’s employment as a result of the company’s non-renewal of this Agreement at a time where the end of the then current Term is within six(6) months prior to or two (2) years following the effective date of a Change in Control, the severance compensation payable under

 

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this paragraph shall be equal to two (2) times the sum of: (i) Base Salary in effect immediately prior to termination and (ii) the Historic Bonus, in lieu of the severance compensation described in the previous sentence.

7.10. Forfeiture of Compensation . In the event Executive breaches any of the non disclosure or restrictive covenant provisions of Sections 8 or 9 of this Agreement, Executive immediately shall (a) forfeit his right to receive (and the Company shall no longer be obligated to pay) any severance compensation under this Agreement, (b) forfeit any equity incentive plan or other rights granted under the INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK 2012 EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN AND INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK ANNUAL INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN and any other equity and/or incentive compensation plans of the Company, regardless whether such options or rights are vested, unvested, exercisable or unexercisable, (c) disgorge and repay to the Company any gross profits realized from the exercise of any of the stock options under the INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK 2012 EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN and any other stock option or equity compensation plans of the Company at any time during the two (2) year period immediately preceding such breach, and (d) disgorge and repay to the Company an amount equal to the market value of any restricted stock of the Company that vested to Executive at any time during the two (2) year period immediately preceding such breach. The Company and Executive acknowledge and agree that the foregoing remedies are in addition to, and not in lieu of, any and all other legal and/or equitable remedies that may be available to Company in connection with Executive’s breach or threatened breach, of any non-disclosure or restrictive covenant provision set forth in Sections 8 and 9 of this Agreement.

7.11. Definition of Change in Control . As used in this Agreement, “Change in Control” means:

(i) The acquisition by any individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) (a “Person”) of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d 3 promulgated under the Exchange Act as in effect from time to time) of twenty-five percent (25%) or more of either (A) the then outstanding shares of common stock of the Company or County Bancorp, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation (“Parent”) (B) the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company or Parent entitled to vote generally in the election of directors; provided, however, that the following acquisitions shall not constitute an acquisition of control: (w) any acquisition directly from the Company or Parent (excluding an acquisition by virtue of the exercise of a conversion privilege), (x) any acquisition by the Company or Parent, (y) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or Parent, or any corporation controlled by the Company or Parent, or (z) any acquisition by any corporation pursuant to a reorganization, merger or consolidation, if, following such reorganization, merger or consolidation, the conditions described in clauses (A), (B) and (C) of subsection (iii) of this Section 7.11 are satisfied;

(ii) Individuals who, as of the date hereof, constitute the Board of Directors of the Company or Parent (the “Incumbent Board”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board of Directors of the Company or Parent, as

 

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applicable; provided, however, that any individual becoming a director subsequent to the date hereof whose election, or nomination for election by the Company’s or Parent’s shareholders as applicable, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors then comprising the applicable Incumbent Board shall be considered as though such individual were a member of the applicable Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of either an actual or threatened election contest (as such terms are used in Rule 14a-11 of Regulation 14A promulgated under the Exchange Act) or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the Board of Directors of the Company or Parent, as applicable;

(iii) Consummation by the Company or Parent of a reorganization, merger or consolidation, in each case, unless, following such reorganization, merger or consolidation, (A) more than sixty percent (60%) of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock of the corporation resulting from such reorganization, merger or consolidation and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of such corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors is then beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the beneficial owners, respectively, of the outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) common stock and outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) voting securities immediately prior to such reorganization, merger or consolidation in substantially the same proportions as their ownership, immediately prior to such reorganization, merger or consolidation, of the outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) stock and outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) voting securities, as the case may be, (B) no Person (excluding the Company, Parent, any employee benefit plan or related trust of the Company, Parent or such corporation resulting from such reorganization, merger or consolidation and any Person beneficially owning, immediately prior to such reorganization, merger or consolidation, directly or indirectly, twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) common stock or outstanding voting securities, as the case may be) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, twenty-five percent (25%) or more of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock of the corporation resulting from such reorganization, merger or consolidation or the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of such corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, and (C) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors of the corporation resulting from such reorganization, merger or consolidation were members of the applicable Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the initial agreement providing for such reorganization, merger or consolidation; or

(iv) Either (A) a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company or Parent, or (B) the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or Parent, other than to a corporation with respect to which following such sale or other disposition (x) more than sixty percent (60%) of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock of such corporation and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of such corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors is then beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the beneficial owners,

 

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respectively, of the outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) common stock and outstanding voting securities immediately prior to such sale or other disposition in substantially the same proportion as their ownership, immediately prior to such sale or other disposition, of the outstanding Company or Parent (as applicable) common stock and outstanding voting securities, as the case may be, (y) no Person (excluding the Company, Parent, and any employee benefit plan or related trust of the Company, Parent, or such corporation and any Person beneficially owning, immediately prior to such sale or other disposition, directly or indirectly, twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the outstanding Company common stock or outstanding Company voting securities, as the case may be) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, twenty-five percent (25%) or more of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock of such corporation and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of such corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors and (z) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors of such corporation were members of the applicable Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the initial agreement or action of the Board the Company or Parent (as applicable) providing for such sale or other disposition of assets of the Company or Parent (as applicable).

7.12. Severance Release . Executive acknowledges and agrees that the Company’s payment of the severance compensation pursuant to Sections 7.3, 7.5 or 7.6 of this Agreement shall be deemed to constitute a full settlement and discharge of any and all obligations of the Company to Executive arising out of this Agreement, Executive’s employment with the Company and/or the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, except for any vested rights Executive may have under any insurance, stock option or equity compensation plan or any other employee benefit plans sponsored by the Company. Executive further acknowledges and agrees that as a condition to receiving any of the severance compensation pursuant to Section 7.3, 7.5 or 7.6 of this Agreement, Executive will execute and deliver to the Company a Release Agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company pursuant to which Executive will release and waive any and all claims against the Company (and its officers, directors, shareholders, employees and representatives) arising out of this Agreement, Executive’s employment with the Company, and/or the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, including without limitation claims under all federal, state and local laws; provided, however, that such Release Agreement shall not affect or relinquish (a) any vested rights Executive may have under any insurance, stock option or equity compensation plan, or other employee benefit plan sponsored by the Company, (b) any claims for reimbursement of business expenses incurred prior to the employment termination date, or (c) any rights to severance compensation under Sections 7.3, 7.5 or 7.6 of this Agreement. Executive further agrees that the Release Agreement contemplated in this Section 7.12 must be executed, and the applicable revocation period must expire without Executive’s revocation, within the timeframe set forth in the Release Agreement but in no event later than fifty-five (55) days after the effective date of Executive’s termination.

8. Non-Disclosure . Executive acknowledges that during the course of Executive’s employment by the Company Executive will be creating, making use of, acquiring, and/or adding to confidential information relating to the business and affairs of the Company, which information will include, without limitation, procedures, methods, manuals, lists of customers, suppliers and other contacts, marketing plans, business plans, financial data, and

 

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personnel information. Executive covenants and agrees that Executive shall not, at any time during Executive’s employment with the Company, or thereafter (for the period described below), directly or indirectly, use, divulge or disclose for any purpose whatsoever any of the Company’s confidential information or trade secrets, except in the course of Executive’s work for and on behalf of the Company. Upon the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company, or at the Company’s request, Executive shall immediately deliver to the Company any and all records, documents, or electronic data (in whatever form or media), and all copies thereof, in Executive’s possession or under Executive’s control, whether prepared by Executive or others, containing confidential information or trade secrets relating to the Company. Executive acknowledges and agrees that his obligations under this Section shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement and the cessation of his employment with the Company for whatever reason. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the restrictions herein shall remain in effect for a period of two (2) years following the termination of Executive’s employment; provided, however, with respect to any information that constitutes a trade secret under applicable law, the restrictions shall remain in effect for as long as the information remains a trade secret.

9. Restrictive Covenants . Executive acknowledges that in connection with his employment with the Company he has provided and will continue to provide executive-level services that are of a unique and special value and that he has been and will continue to be entrusted with confidential and proprietary information concerning the Company. Executive further acknowledges that the Company is engaged in highly competitive businesses and that the Company expends substantial amounts of time, money and effort to develop trade secrets, business strategies, customer relationships, employee relationships and goodwill, and Executive has benefited and will continue to benefit from these efforts. Therefore, as an essential part of this Agreement, Executive agrees and covenants to comply with the following restrictive covenants.

9.1. Non-Competition . During Executive’s employment with the Company and during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, in the Restricted Geographic Area, engage in any Competitive Business (a) in the same or similar capacity or function to that in which Executive worked for the Company, (b) in any executive level or senior management capacity, or (c) in any other capacity in which Executive’s knowledge of the Company’s confidential information or the customer goodwill Executive helped to develop on behalf of the Company would facilitate or support Executive’s work for such Competitive Business. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Restricted Period” shall mean one (1) year from the date of termination of employment. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Restricted Geographic Area” means and includes: (w) the Wisconsin counties of Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Brown, Calumet, Kewaunee, Door, Fond du Lac, Outagamie, Winnebago, Milwaukee and Ozaukee. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Competitive Business” means that portion of any business that provides products and services similar to and competitive with the products and services provided by the Company.

9.2. Non-Solicitation of Customers . During Executive’s employment with the Company and during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, provide, sell, or market any Competing Products/Services to any of the Company’s Customers, or solicit any of the Company’s Customers for the purpose of selling or providing any Competing

 

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Products/Services. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Competing Products/Services” means any products or services substantially similar to and competitive with the products or services offered by the Company. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Company’s Customers” means any person or entity that has engaged in any banking services with, or has purchased any products or services from, the Company at any time during the one-year period preceding the date of termination of Executive’s employment and with respect to which Executive, by virtue of his senior executive position in the Company, has acquired information or has had contact that would assist Executive in competing with the Company for the business of such customer.

9.3. Non-Solicitation of Employees . During the term of Executive’s employment with the Company and during the Restricted Period, Executive will not, directly or indirectly, urge, influence, induce or seek to induce (other than by means of general advertising of available positions) any employee of the Company to terminate his/her relationship with the Company.

9.4. Survival of Restrictive Covenants . Executive acknowledges and agrees that his obligations under this Section 9 shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement and the cessation of his employment with the Company for whatever reason.

9.5. Severability of Restrictions . Although Executive and the Company consider the restrictions contained in this Section 9 to be reasonable, particularly given the competitive nature of the Company’s business and Executive’s position with the Company, Executive and the Company acknowledge and agree that if any covenant, subsection, portion or clause of this Section 9 is determined to be unenforceable or invalid for any reason, such unenforceability or invalidity shall not affect the enforceability or validity of the remainder of the Agreement.

10. Remedies . Executive recognizes that a breach or threatened breach by Executive of Section 8 or Section 9 of this Agreement will give rise to irreparable injury to the Company and that money damages will not be adequate relief for such injury. Notwithstanding Section 15.8 of this Agreement, Executive agrees that the Company shall be entitled to obtain injunctive relief, including, but not limited to, temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions and/or permanent injunctions, without having to post any bond or other security, to restrain or prohibit such breach or threatened breach, in addition to any other legal remedies which may be available, including the recovery of money damages.

11. Change in Control.

11.1 Limitation on Benefits. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, in the event of a Change in Control, the Company, based on the advice of its legal or tax counsel, shall compute whether there would be any “excess parachute payments” payable to Executive, within the meaning of Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), taking into account the total ‘‘parachute payments,” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, payable to Executive by the Company under this Agreement and any other plan, agreement or otherwise. If there would be any excess parachute payments, the Company, based on the advice of its legal or tax counsel, shall compute the net after-tax

 

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proceeds to Executive, taking into account the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code, as if (i) the amount to be paid to Executive under this Agreement were reduced, but not below zero, such that the total parachute payments payable to Executive would not exceed three (3) times the “base amount” as defined in Section 280G of the Code, less One Dollar ($1.00), or (ii) the full amount to be paid to Executive under this Agreement were not reduced. If reducing the amount otherwise payable to Executive pursuant to this Agreement would result in a greater after-tax amount to Executive, such reduced amount shall be paid to Executive and the remainder shall be forfeited by Executive as of the effective date of Executive’s termination of employment. If not reducing the amount otherwise payable to Executive pursuant to this Agreement would result in a greater after-tax amount to Executive, the amount payable to Executive under this Agreement shall not be reduced.

11.2 No Additional Payment to Account for Excise Taxes . In the event it shall be determined that any payment or distribution by the Company to or for the benefit of Executive (whether paid or payable or distributed or distributable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or otherwise) (a “Payment”) would be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code or any interest or penalties are incurred by the Executive with respect to such excise tax (such excise tax, together with any such interest and penalties, are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Excise Tax”), then the Executive shall not be entitled to receive any additional payment in any amount as a “gross up”, reimbursement or indemnity for such Excise Tax.

12. Assignment .

12.1. Assignment by Company . The rights and obligations of the Company under this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon any and all successors and assigns of the Company, including without limitation by asset assignment, stock sale, merger, consolidation or other corporate reorganization.

12.2. Non Assignment by Executive . The services to be provided by Executive to the Company hereunder are personal to Executive, and Executive’s duties may not be assigned by Executive.

 

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13. Notice . Any notice required or permitted under this Agreement shall be in writing and either delivered personally or sent by nationally recognized overnight courier, express mail, or certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, at the following respective address unless the party notifies the other party in writing of a change of address:

If to the Company:

Investors Community Bank

PO Box 700

860 North Rapids Rd

Manitowoc, WI ZIP

Attention: Chief Executive Officer

If to Executive:

Gary R Abramowicz

[                             ]

A notice delivered personally shall be deemed delivered and effective as of the date of delivery. A notice sent by overnight courier or express mail shall be deemed delivered and effective one (1) day after it is deposited with the postal authority or commercial carrier. A notice sent by certified or registered mail shall be deemed delivered and effective two (2) days after it is deposited with the postal authority.

14. Compliance with Section 409A. It is intended that this Agreement will comply with Internal Revenue Code Section 409A and any regulations and guidelines issued thereunder (collectively “Section 409A”) to the extent this Agreement is subject thereto. This Agreement shall be interpreted on a basis consistent with such intent. If any payments provided to Executive under this Agreement are non-qualified deferred compensation subject to, and not exempt from, Section 409A (“Subject Payments”), the following provisions shall apply to such payment and/or benefits:

14.1. Separation From Service. For payments triggered by a termination of employment, reference to the Executive’s “termination of employment” with the Company shall be construed to refer to the Executive’s “separation from service” from the Company (with such phrase determined under Treas. Reg. 1.409A-1(h)).

14.2. Crossover Period. If the sixty (60)- day period following a “separation from service” begins in one calendar year and ends in a second calendar year (a “Crossover 60-Day Period”) and if there are any Subject Payments due the Executive that are (i) conditioned on the Executive signing and not revoking a release of claims and (ii) otherwise due to be paid during the portion of the Crossover 60-Day Period that falls within the first year, then such payments will be delayed and paid in a lump sum during the portion of the Crossover 60-Day Period that falls within the second year.

14.3. Payment Period Discretion. Whenever a payment under this Agreement specifies a payment period with reference to a number of days, the actual date of payment within the specified period shall be within the sole discretion of the Company.

 

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14.4. Specified Employee Delay. For payments triggered by a termination of employment, if Executive is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) at the time of his termination of employment, such payments that would otherwise be payable during the six-month period immediately following Executive’s termination of employment will be delayed and accumulated until the earlier of Executive’s death or the first business day following the six month anniversary of the Executive’s “separation from service”, whereupon the accumulated amount will be paid or distributed to the Executive or his estate.

14.5. No Indemnity. If an amendment of this Agreement is necessary in order for it to comply with Section 409A, the parties hereto will negotiate in good faith to amend this Agreement in a manner that preserves the original intent of the parties to the extent reasonably possible. No action or failure by the Company in good faith to act, pursuant to this Section 14.5, shall subject the Company to any claim, liability or expense, and the Company shall not have any obligation to indemnify or otherwise protect the Employee from the obligation to pay any taxes pursuant to Section 409A.

15. Miscellaneous .

15.1. Entire Agreement . This Agreement supersedes any prior agreements or understandings, oral or written, between the parties hereto, with respect to the subject matter hereof, and constitutes the entire agreement of the parties with respect thereto.

15.2. Modification . This Agreement shall not be varied, altered, modified, canceled, changed, or in any way amended except by mutual agreement of the parties in a written instrument executed by Executive and a duly authorized officer of the Company.

15.3. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one (1) or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which together will constitute one and the same Agreement.

15.4. Tax Withholding . The Company may withhold from any compensation or benefits payable under this Agreement all federal, state, city, or other taxes as may be required pursuant to any law or governmental regulation or ruling.

15.5. Contractual Rights to Benefits . Nothing herein contained shall require or be deemed to require, or prohibit or be deemed to prohibit, the Company to segregate, earmark or otherwise set aside any funds or other assets, in trust or otherwise, to provide for any payments to be made or required hereunder.

15.6. No Waiver . Failure to insist upon strict compliance with any of the terms, covenants or conditions of this Agreement shall not be deemed a waiver of such term, covenant or condition, nor shall any waiver or relinquishment of any right or power hereunder at any one or more times be deemed a waiver or relinquishment of such right or power at any other time or times.

15.7. Governing Law; Choice of Forum . To the extent not preempted by federal law, the provisions of this Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Wisconsin, notwithstanding any state’s choice-of-law or conflicts-of-law rules to the contrary. The Company and Executive further acknowledge and agree that this

 

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Agreement is intended, among other things, to supplement the provisions of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, as amended from time to time, and the duties Executive owes to the Company under the common law, including, but not limited to, the duty of loyalty. The parties agree that any legal action pursuant to Section 10 of this Agreement shall be commenced and maintained exclusively before any appropriate state court of record in MANITOWOC, WISCONSIN or in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and the parties hereby submit to the jurisdiction and venue of such courts and waive any right to challenge or otherwise object to personal jurisdiction or venue in any action commenced or maintained in such courts.

15.8. Arbitration of Disputes . Except as provided in Section 10 of this Agreement, any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the breach thereof, shall be settled by binding arbitration in the City of MANITOWOC, WISCONSIN, in accordance with the laws of the State of Wisconsin by three arbitrators, one of whom shall be appointed by the Company, one by Executive and the third of whom shall be appointed by the first two arbitrators. The arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, except with respect to the selection of arbitrators which shall be as provided in this Section. Judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrators may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. The expenses of arbitration, and the fees of the arbitrators, shall be shared equally by the parties. In addition, the prevailing party, as determined by the arbitrators, shall be entitled to recover from the non-prevailing party its reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in connection with the arbitration, any proceeding under Section 10 and any subsequent enforcement of any arbitration award in court

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Executive and the Company have executed this Agreement, intending it to be effective as of the Effective Date.

INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK

 

By:  

/s/ Timothy J. Schneider

     

/s/ Gary R. Abramowicz

Name:   Timothy J. Schneider       Gary R. Abramowicz
Title:   Chief Executive Officer      
  “Company”       “Executive”

 

17

Exhibit 10.5

[Transition Plan of Wayne Mueller]

 

    Continue on ICB and CBI board and be paid as outside director upon retirement from bank as full time employee. The continuance on the Board depends on the Board and/or the shareholders. Management of the Bank can’t commit to this.

 

    Work under a year to year consulting basis assisting on special assignments, paid on a retainer at $2500/m remaining a part time employee of the bank. Would continue to be allowed to utilize the bank car he currently operates, reimbursing the bank for personal miles. This position will take direction from either the EVP of Ag Banking or the Senior Lender on assignments.

 

    The car Wayne is currently operating 2007 Chevy will be given to Wayne at the end of his term defined under this part time status and any tax(s) which would be applicable would be paid by Wayne.

 

    Will not be eligible for benefits as the position will be a part time position working a planned maximum of 20 hours per month. If it is necessary to work more than the 20 hours the EVP, SLO or CEO would need to approve. Drive time to client appointments or required bank meetings is included as work time.

 

    Wayne would desire to continue attending ALCO committee as a board member. This time would be outside of the 20 hours and if in attendance would be paid the customary outside board committee fee.

 

    Planned retirement date of May 1, 2014 from full time and move into this part time role, by then all accounts currently assigned to Wayne will be transitioned to another primary lender.

 

    Office location for Wayne in Manitowoc will remain as is until it is determined the office may be needed for other positions at the bank. Wayne will continue to have access to the Fond du Lac office as needed.

 

    Wayne’s current cell phone number will be turned over to him

 

    Wayne’s current compensation to continue until May1 st .

 

  Stock options to be exercised per option agreements approved at November 19th Compensation Committee meeting. Cashless exercise of the following: 912 shares granted January 2011, 834 options granted January 2009, 1370 options granted January 2008, and 1363 options granted January 2007. All of these options are approved for cashless exercise for August 1, 2014. Subject to no adverse change to the bank or holding company capital position.

 

    Early distribution of a portion of the deferred compensation will be paid as approved at the November 19th Compensation Committee as well.

 

    30 days’ notice from either party is required to terminate this arrangement.

I agree to the above and understand my employment with Investors Community Bank as a full time employee will cease on May 1, 2014. This includes termination of my employment agreement.

 

/s/ Wayne D. Muller

   

/s/ Timothy J. Schneider

Wayne D. Mueller     Timothy J. Schneider, CEO

Exhibit 10.6

INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK

SALARY CONTINUATION AGREEMENT

THIS SALARY CONTINUATION AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is adopted this 24th day of October, 2006, by and between INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK, a state-chartered commercial bank located in Manitowoc, Wisconsin (the “Bank”) and (the “Executive”).

The purpose of this Agreement is to provide specified benefits to the Executive, a member of a select group of management or highly compensated employees who contribute materially to the continued growth, development, and future business success of the Bank. This Agreement shall be unfunded for tax purposes and for purposes of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”), as amended from time to time.

Article 1

Definitions

Whenever used in this Agreement, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings specified:

 

1.1 Beneficiary ” means each designated person, or the estate of the deceased Executive, entitled to benefits, if any, upon the death of the Executive determined pursuant to Article 4.

 

1.2 Beneficiary Designation Form ” means the form established from time to time by the Plan Administrator that the Executive completes, signs, and returns to the Plan Administrator to designate one or more Beneficiaries.

 

1.3 Board ” means the Board of Directors of the Bank as from time to time constituted.

 

1.4 Change in Control ” means a change in the ownership or effective control of the Bank, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Bank, as such change is defined in Section 409A of the Code and regulations thereunder.

 

1.5 Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

1.6

Disability ” means Executive: (i) is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months; or (ii) is, by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months, receiving income replacement benefits for a period of not less than three (3) months under an accident and health plan covering employees of the Bank. Medical determination of Disability may be made by either the Social Security Administration or by the provider of an accident or health plan covering employees of the Bank, provided that the definition of disability under such


  plan complies with Code Section 409A. Upon the request of the Plan Administrator, the Executive must submit proof to the Plan Administrator of the Social Security Administration’s or the provider’s determination.

 

1.7 Early Termination ” means Separation from Service before Normal Retirement Age except when such Separation from Service occurs: (i) within thirty-six (36) months following a Change in Control; or (ii) due to death, Disability, or Termination for Cause.

 

1.8 Effective Date ” means May 1, 2006.

 

1.9 Normal Retirement Age ” means the Executive attaining age sixty-five (65).

 

1.10 Normal Retirement Date ” means the later of Normal Retirement Age or Separation from Service.

 

1.11 Plan Administrator ” means the plan administrator described in Article 6.

 

1.12 Plan Year ” means each twelve-month period commencing on May 1 st and ending on April 30 th of each year. The initial Plan Year shall commence on the Effective Date of this Agreement and end on the following April 30, 2007.

 

1.13 Schedule A ” means the schedule attached to this Agreement and made a part hereof. Schedule A shall be updated upon a change in any of the benefits under Articles 2 or 3.

 

1.14 Separation from Service ” means the termination of the Executive’s employment with the Bank for reasons other than death. Whether a Separation from Service takes place is determined based on the facts and circumstances surrounding the termination of the Executive’s employment and whether the Bank and the Executive intended for the Executive to provide significant services for the Bank following such termination. A termination of employment will not be considered a Separation from Service if:

 

  (a) the Executive continues to provide services as an employee of the Bank at an annual rate that is twenty percent (20%) or more of the services rendered, on average, during the immediately preceding three full calendar years of employment (or, if employed less than three years, such lesser period) and the annual remuneration for such services is twenty percent (20%) or more of the average annual remuneration earned during the final three full calendar years of employment (or, if less, such lesser period), or

 

  (b) the Executive continues to provide services to the Bank in a capacity other than as an employee of the Bank at an annual rate that is fifty percent (50%) or more of the services rendered, on average, during the immediately preceding three full calendar years of employment (or if employed less than three years, such lesser period) and the annual remuneration for such services is fifty percent (50%) or more of the average annual remuneration earned during the final three full calendar years of employment (or if less, such lesser period).


1.15 Specified Employee ” means a key employee (as defined in Section 416(i) of the Code without regard to paragraph 5 thereof) of the Bank if any stock of the Bank is publicly traded on an established securities market or otherwise.

 

1.16 Termination for Cause ” means Separation from Service for:

 

  (a) Gross negligence or gross neglect of duties to the Bank; or

 

  (b) Conviction of a felony or of a gross misdemeanor involving moral turpitude in connection with the Executive’s employment with the Bank; or

 

  (c) Fraud, disloyalty, dishonesty or willful violation of any law or significant Bank policy committed in connection with the Executive’s employment and resulting in a material adverse effect on the Bank.

Article 2

Distributions During Lifetime

 

2.1 Normal Retirement Benefit . Upon the Normal Retirement Date, the Bank shall distribute to the Executive the benefit described in this Section 2.1 in lieu of any other benefit under this Article.

 

  2.1.1 Amount of Benefit . The annual benefit under this Section 2.1 is Dollars).

 

  2.1.2 Distribution of Benefit . The Bank shall distribute the annual benefit to the Executive in twelve (12) equal monthly installments commencing on the first day of the month following Separation from Service. The annual benefit shall be distributed to the Executive for fifteen (15) years.

 

2.2 Early Termination Benefit . Upon Early Termination, the Bank shall distribute to the Executive the benefit described in this Section 2.2 in lieu of any other benefit under this Article.

 

  2.2.1 Amount of Benefit . The annual benefit under this Section 2.2 is the Early Termination Benefit set forth on Schedule A for the Plan Year ending prior to Separation from Service.

 

  2.2.2 Distribution of Benefit . The Bank shall distribute the annual benefit to the Executive in twelve (12) equal monthly installments commencing on the first day of the month following Separation from Service. The annual benefit shall be distributed to the Executive for fifteen (15) years.

 

2.3 Disability Benefit . If the Executive experiences a Disability which results in a Separation from Service prior to Normal Retirement Age, the Bank shall distribute to the Executive the benefit described in this Section 2.3 in lieu of any other benefit under this Article.


  2.3.1 Amount of Benefit . The annual benefit under this Section 2.3 is the Disability Benefit set forth on Schedule A for the Plan Year ending prior to Separation from Service.

 

  2.3.2 Distribution of Benefit . The Bank shall distribute the annual benefit to the Executive in twelve (12) equal monthly installments commencing the first day of the month following Separation from Service. The annual benefit shall be distributed to the Executive for fifteen (15) years.

 

2.4 Change in Control Benefit . Upon a Change in Control followed within thirty-six (36) months by a Separation from Service, the Bank shall distribute to the Executive the benefit described in this Section 2.4 in lieu of any other benefit under this Article.

 

  2.4.1 Amount of Benefit . The annual benefit under this Section 2.4 is the Change in Control Benefit set forth on Schedule A for the Plan Year ending prior to Separation from Service.

 

  2.4.2 Distribution of Benefit . The Bank shall distribute the annual benefit to the Executive in twelve (12) equal monthly installments commencing on the first day of the month following Separation from Service. The annual benefit shall be distributed to the Executive for fifteen (15) years.

 

  2.4.3 Parachute Payments . Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, to the extent any distribution(s), if made, under this Section 2.4 would be treated as an “excess parachute payment” under Section 280G of the Code, the Bank shall reduce the distribution(s) to the extent it would not be an excess parachute payment.

 

2.5 Restriction on Timing of Distribution . Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if the Executive is considered a Specified Employee at Separation from Service under such procedures as established by the Bank in accordance with Section 409A of the Code, benefit distributions that are made upon Separation from Service may not commence earlier than six (6) months after the date of such Separation from Service. Therefore, in the event this Section 2.3 is applicable to the Executive, any distribution which would otherwise be paid to the Executive within the first six months following the Separation from Service shall be accumulated and paid to the Executive in a lump sum on the first day of the seventh month following the Separation from Service. All subsequent distributions shall be paid in the manner specified.

 

2.6 Distributions Upon Income Inclusion Under Section 409A of the Code . Upon the inclusion of any portion of the amount into the Executive’s income as a result of the failure of this non-qualified deferred compensation plan to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, to the extent such tax liability can be covered by the amount which the Bank has accrued with respect to the Bank’s obligations under Article 2, a distribution shall be made as soon as is administratively practicable following the discovery of the plan failure, provided that such distribution does not exceed the amount required to be included in the Executive’s income.


2.7 Change in Form or Timing of Distributions . For distribution of benefits under this Article 2, the Executive and the Bank may, subject to the terms of Section 8.1, amend the Agreement to delay the timing or change the form of distributions. Any such amendment:

 

  (a) may not accelerate the time or schedule of any distribution, except as provided in Section 409A of the Code and the regulations thereunder;

 

  (b) must, for benefits distributable under Sections 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4, delay the commencement of distributions for a minimum of five (5) years from the date the first distribution was originally scheduled to be made; and

 

  (c) must take effect not less than twelve (12) months after the amendment is made.

Article 3

Distribution at Death

 

3.1 Death During Active Service . If the Executive dies while in the active service of the Bank, the Bank shall distribute to the Beneficiary the benefit described in this Section 3.1. This benefit shall be distributed in lieu of the benefits under Article 2.

 

  3.1.1 Amount of Benefit . The annual benefit under this Section 3.1 is the Normal Retirement Benefit amount set forth in section 2.1.1.

 

  3.1.2 Distribution of Benefit . The Bank shall distribute the annual benefit to the Beneficiary in twelve (12) equal monthly installments for fifteen (15) years commencing the first day of the month following receipt by the Bank of the Executive’s death certificate.

 

3.2 Death During Distribution of a Benefit . If the Executive dies after any benefit distributions have commenced under this Agreement but before receiving all such distributions, the Bank shall distribute to the Beneficiary the remaining benefits at the same time and in the same amounts that would have been distributed to the Executive had the Executive survived.

 

3.3 Death After Separation from Service But Before Benefit Distributions Commence . If the Executive is entitled to benefit distributions under this Agreement, but dies prior to the commencement of said benefit distributions, the Bank shall distribute to the Beneficiary the same benefits that the Executive was entitled to prior to death except that the benefit distributions shall commence within thirty (30) days following receipt by the Bank of the Executive’s death certificate.


Article 4

Beneficiaries

 

4.1 Beneficiary . The Executive shall have the right, at any time, to designate a Beneficiary(ies) to receive any benefit distributions under this Agreement upon the death of the Executive. The Beneficiary designated under this Agreement may be the same as or different from the beneficiary designation under any other plan of the Bank in which the Executive participates.

 

4.2 Beneficiary Designation: Change; Spousal Consent . The Executive shall designate a Beneficiary by completing and signing the Beneficiary Designation Form, and delivering it to the Plan Administrator or its designated agent. If the Executive names someone other than his or her spouse as a Beneficiary, a spousal consent, in the form designated by the Plan Administrator, must be signed by the Executive’s spouse and returned to the Plan Administrator. The Executive’s beneficiary designation shall be deemed automatically revoked if the Beneficiary predeceases the Executive or if the Executive names a spouse as Beneficiary and the marriage is subsequently dissolved. The Executive shall have the right to change a Beneficiary by completing, signing and otherwise complying with the terms of the Beneficiary Designation Form and the Plan Administrator’s rules and procedures, as in effect from time to time. Upon the acceptance by the Plan Administrator of a new Beneficiary Designation Form, all Beneficiary designations previously filed shall be cancelled. The Plan Administrator shall be entitled to rely on the last Beneficiary Designation Form filed by the Executive and accepted by the Plan Administrator prior to the Executive’s death.

 

4.3 Acknowledgment . No designation or change in designation of a Beneficiary shall be effective until received, accepted and acknowledged in writing by the Plan Administrator or its designated agent.

 

4.4 No Beneficiary Designation . If the Executive dies without a valid beneficiary designation, or if all designated Beneficiaries predecease the Executive, then the Executive’s spouse shall be the designated Beneficiary. If the Executive has no surviving spouse, the benefits shall be made to the personal representative of the Executive’s estate.

 

4.5 Facility of Distribution . If the Plan Administrator determines in its discretion that a benefit is to be distributed to a minor, to a person declared incompetent, or to a person incapable of handling the disposition of that person’s property, the Plan Administrator may direct distribution of such benefit to the guardian, legal representative or person having the care or custody of such minor, incompetent person or incapable person. The Plan Administrator may require proof of incompetence, minority or guardianship as it may deem appropriate prior to distribution of the benefit. Any distribution of a benefit shall be a distribution for the account of the Executive and the Executive’s Beneficiary, as the case may be, and shall be a complete discharge of any liability under the Agreement for such distribution amount.

Article 5

General Limitations

 

5.1 Termination for Cause . Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Bank shall not distribute any benefit under this Agreement if the Executive’s employment with the Bank is terminated due to a Termination for Cause.

 


5.2 Suicide or Misstatement . No benefits shall be distributed if the Executive commits suicide within two years after the Effective Date of this Agreement, or if an insurance company which issued a life insurance policy covering the Executive and owned by the Bank denies coverage (i) for material misstatements of fact made by the Executive on an application for such life insurance, or (ii) for any other reason.

 

5.3 Removal . Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Bank shall not distribute any benefit under this Agreement if the Executive is subject to a final removal or prohibition order issued by an appropriate federal banking agency pursuant to Section 8(e) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act.

Article 6

Administration of Agreement

 

6.1 Plan Administrator Duties . This Agreement shall be administered by a Plan Administrator which shall consist of the Board, or such committee or person(s) as the Board shall appoint. The Plan Administrator shall administer this Agreement according to its express terms and shall also have the discretion and authority to (i) make, amend, interpret and enforce all appropriate rules and regulations for the administration of this Agreement and (ii) decide or resolve any and all questions including interpretations of this Agreement, as may arise in connection with the Agreement to the extent the exercise of such discretion and authority does not conflict with Section 409A of the Code and regulations thereunder.

 

6.2 Agents . In the administration of this Agreement, the Plan Administrator may employ agents and delegate to them such administrative duties as it sees fit, (including acting through a duly appointed representative), and may from time to time consult with counsel who may be counsel to the Bank.

 

6.3 Binding Effect of Decisions . The decision or action of the Plan Administrator with respect to any question arising out of or in connection with the administration, interpretation and application of the Agreement and the rules and regulations promulgated hereunder shall be final and conclusive and binding upon all persons having any interest in the Agreement.

 

6.4 Indemnity of Plan Administrator . The Bank shall indemnify and hold harmless the members of the Plan Administrator against any and all claims, losses, damages, expenses or liabilities arising from any action or failure to act with respect to this Agreement, except in the case of willful misconduct by the Plan Administrator or any of its members.

 

6.5 Bank Information . To enable the Plan Administrator to perform its functions, the Bank shall supply full and timely information to the Plan Administrator on all matters relating to the date and circumstances of the retirement, Disability, death, or Separation from Service of the Executive, and such other pertinent information as the Plan Administrator may reasonably require.


6.6 Annual Statement . The Plan Administrator shall provide to the Executive, within one hundred twenty (120) days after the end of each Plan Year, a statement setting forth the benefits to be distributed under this Agreement.

Article 7

Claims And Review Procedures

 

7.1 Claims Procedure . An Executive or Beneficiary (“claimant”) who has not received benefits under the Agreement that he or she believes should be distributed shall make a claim for such benefits as follows:

 

  7.1.1 Initiation – Written Claim . The claimant initiates a claim by submitting to the Plan Administrator a written claim for the benefits. If such a claim relates to the contents of a notice received by the claimant, the claim must be made within sixty (60) days after such notice was received by the claimant. All other claims must be made within one hundred eighty (180) days of the date on which the event that caused the claim to arise occurred. The claim must state with particularity the determination desired by the claimant.

 

  7.1.2 Timing of Plan Administrator Response . The Plan Administrator shall respond to such claimant within 90 days after receiving the claim. If the Plan Administrator determines that special circumstances require additional time for processing the claim, the Plan Administrator can extend the response period by an additional 90 days by notifying the claimant in writing, prior to the end of the initial 90-day period, that an additional period is required. The notice of extension must set forth the special circumstances and the date by which the Plan Administrator expects to render its decision.

 

  7.1.3 Notice of Decision . If the Plan Administrator denies part or all of the claim, the Plan Administrator shall notify the claimant in writing of such denial. The Plan Administrator shall write the notification in a manner calculated to be understood by the claimant. The notification shall set forth:

 

  (a) The specific reasons for the denial;

 

  (b) A reference to the specific provisions of the Agreement on which the denial is based;

 

  (c) A description of any additional information or material necessary for the claimant to perfect the claim and an explanation of why it is needed;

 

  (d) An explanation of the Agreement’s review procedures and the time limits applicable to such procedures; and

 

  (e) A statement of the claimant’s right to bring a civil action under ERISA Section 502(a) following an adverse benefit determination on review.


7.2 Review Procedure . If the Plan Administrator denies part or all of the claim, the claimant shall have the opportunity for a full and fair review by the Plan Administrator of the denial, as follows:

 

  7.2.1 Initiation – Written Request . To initiate the review, the claimant, within 60 days after receiving the Plan Administrator’s notice of denial, must file with the Plan Administrator a written request for review.

 

  7.2.2 Additional Submissions – Information Access . The claimant shall then have the opportunity to submit written comments, documents, records and other information relating to the claim. The Plan Administrator shall also provide the claimant, upon request and free of charge, reasonable access to, and copies of, all documents, records and other information relevant (as defined in applicable ERISA regulations) to the claimant’s claim for benefits.

 

  7.2.3 Considerations on Review . In considering the review, the Plan Administrator shall take into account all materials and information the claimant submits relating to the claim, without regard to whether such information was submitted or considered in the initial benefit determination.

 

  7.2.4 Timing of Plan Administrator Response . The Plan Administrator shall respond in writing to such claimant within 60 days after receiving the request for review. If the Plan Administrator determines that special circumstances require additional time for processing the claim, the Plan Administrator can extend the response period by an additional 60 days by notifying the claimant in writing, prior to the end of the initial 60-day period, that an additional period is required. The notice of extension must set forth the special circumstances and the date by which the Plan Administrator expects to render its decision.

 

  7.2.5 Notice of Decision . The Plan Administrator shall notify the claimant in writing of its decision on review. The Plan Administrator shall write the notification in a manner calculated to be understood by the claimant. The notification shall set forth:

 

  (a) The specific reasons for the denial;

 

  (b) A reference to the specific provisions of the Agreement on which the denial is based;

 

  (c) A statement that the claimant is entitled to receive, upon request and free of charge, reasonable access to, and copies of, all documents, records and other information relevant (as defined in applicable ERISA regulations) to the claimant’s claim for benefits; and

 

  (d) A statement of the claimant’s right to bring a civil action under ERISA Section 502(a).


Article 8

Amendments and Termination

 

8.1 Amendments . This Agreement may be amended only by a written agreement signed by the Bank and the Executive. However, the Bank may unilaterally amend this Agreement to conform with written directives to the Bank from its auditors or banking regulators or to comply with legislative or tax law, including without limitation Section 409A of the Code and any and all regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder.

 

8.2 Plan Termination Generally . The Bank may unilaterally terminate this Agreement at any time. The benefit shall be the amount which the Bank has accrued with respect to the Bank’s obligations under Article 2 as of the date the Agreement is terminated. Except as provided in Section 8.3, the termination of this Agreement shall not cause a distribution of benefits under this Agreement. Rather, upon such termination benefit distributions will be made at the earliest distribution event permitted under Article 2 or Article 3.

 

8.3 Plan Terminations Under Section 409A . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 8.2, if the Bank terminates this Agreement in the following circumstances:

 

  (a) Within thirty (30) days before, or twelve (12) months after a Change in Control, provided that all distributions are made no later than twelve (12) months following such termination of the Agreement and further provided that all the Bank’s arrangements which are substantially similar to the Agreement are terminated so the Executive and all participants in the similar arrangements are required to receive all amounts of compensation deferred under the terminated arrangements within twelve (12) months of the termination of the arrangements;

 

  (b) Upon the Bank’s dissolution or with the approval of a bankruptcy court provided that the amounts deferred under the Agreement are included in the Executive’s gross income in the latest of (i) the calendar year in which the Agreement terminates; (ii) the calendar year in which the amount is no longer subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture; or (iii) the first calendar year in which the distribution is administratively practical; or

 

  (c) Upon the Bank’s termination of this and all other non-account balance plans (as referenced in Section 409A of the Code or the regulations thereunder), provided that all distributions are made no earlier than twelve (12) months and no later than twenty-four (24) months following such termination, and the Bank does not adopt any new non-account balance plans for a minimum of five (5) years following the date of such termination;

the Bank may distribute the amount which the Bank has accrued with respect to the Bank’s obligations under Article 2, determined as of the date of the termination of the Agreement, to the Executive in a lump sum subject to the above terms.


Article 9

Miscellaneous

 

9.1 Binding Effect . This Agreement shall bind the Executive and the Bank, and their beneficiaries, survivors, executors, administrators and transferees.

 

9.2 No Guarantee of Employment . This Agreement is not a contract for employment. It does not give the Executive the right to remain as an employee of the Bank, nor does it interfere with the Bank’s right to discharge the Executive. It also does not require the Executive to remain an employee nor interfere with the Executive’s right to terminate employment at any time.

 

9.3 Non-Transferability . Benefits under this Agreement cannot be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged, attached or encumbered in any manner.

 

9.4 Tax Withholding and Reporting . The Bank shall withhold any taxes that are required to be withheld, including but not limited to taxes owed under Section 409A of the Code and regulations thereunder, from the benefits provided under this Agreement. The Executive acknowledges that the Bank’s sole liability regarding taxes is to forward any amounts withheld to the appropriate taxing authority(ies). Further, the Bank shall satisfy all applicable reporting requirements, including those under Section 409A of the Code and regulations thereunder.

 

9.5 Applicable Law . The Agreement and all rights hereunder shall be governed by the laws of the State of Wisconsin, except to the extent preempted by the laws of the United States of America.

 

9.6 Unfunded Arrangement . The Executive and the Beneficiary are general unsecured creditors of the Bank for the distribution of benefits under this Agreement. The benefits represent the mere promise by the Bank to distribute such benefits. The rights to benefits are not subject in any manner to anticipation, alienation, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance, attachment, or garnishment by creditors. Any insurance on the Executive’s life or other informal funding asset is a general asset of the Bank to which the Executive and Beneficiary have no preferred or secured claim.

 

9.7 Reorganization . The Bank shall not merge or consolidate into or with another bank, or reorganize, or sell substantially all of its assets to another bank, firm, or person unless such succeeding or continuing bank, firm, or person agrees to assume and discharge the obligations of the Bank under this Agreement. Upon the occurrence of such event, the term “Bank” as used in this Agreement shall be deemed to refer to the successor or survivor bank.

 

9.8 Entire Agreement . This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the Bank and the Executive as to the subject matter hereof. No rights are granted to the Executive by virtue of this Agreement other than those specifically set forth herein.

 

9.9 Interpretation . Wherever the fulfillment of the intent and purpose of this Agreement requires, and the context will permit, the use of the masculine gender includes the feminine and use of the singular includes the plural.


9.10 Alternative Action . In the event it shall become impossible for the Bank or the Plan Administrator to perform any act required by this Agreement, the Bank or Plan Administrator may in its discretion perform such alternative act as most nearly carries out the intent and purpose of this Agreement and is in the best interests of the Bank, provided that such alternative acts do not violate Section 409A of the Code.

 

9.11 Headings . Article and section headings are for convenient reference only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of its provisions.

 

9.12 Validity . In case any provision of this Agreement shall be illegal or invalid for any reason, said illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts hereof, but this Agreement shall be construed and enforced as if such illegal and invalid provision has never been inserted herein.

 

9.13 Notice . Any notice or filing required or permitted to be given to the Bank or Plan Administrator under this Agreement shall be sufficient if in writing and hand-delivered, or sent by registered or certified mail, to the address below:

 

  ATTN: Human Resources  
  860 N Rapids Rd, PO Box 700  
  Manitowoc, WI 54221-0700  

Such notice shall be deemed given as of the date of delivery or, if delivery is made by mail, as of the date shown on the postmark on the receipt for registration or certification.

Any notice or filing required or permitted to be given to the Executive under this Agreement shall be sufficient if in writing and hand-delivered, or sent by mail, to the last known address of the Executive.

 

9.14 Compliance with Section 409A . This Agreement shall at all times be administered and the provisions of this Agreement shall be interpreted consistent with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code and any and all regulations thereunder, including such regulations as may be promulgated after the Effective Date of this Agreement.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Executive and a duly authorized representative of the Bank have signed this Agreement.

 

EXECUTIVE:     BANK:
    INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK

 

    By  

 

    Title  

 

 


INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK

Salary Continuation Agreement

BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION FORM

 

 

 

{    } New Designation

 

{    } Change in Designation

I,                                          , designate the following as Beneficiary under the Agreement:

 

     Primary:        
     
    

 

                    %    
     
    

 

    

 

                  %

    

   
     Contingent:        
     
    

 

                    %    
     
    

 

    

 

                  %

    

   

Notes:

 

    Please PRINT CLEARLY or TYPE the names of the beneficiaries.

 

    To name a trust as Beneficiary, please provide the name of the trustee(s) and the exact name and date of the trust agreement.

 

    To name your estate as Beneficiary, please write “Estate of [your name] ”.

 

    Be aware that none of the contingent beneficiaries will receive anything unless ALL of the primary beneficiaries predecease you.

I understand that I may change these beneficiary designations by delivering a new written designation to the Plan Administrator, which shall be effective only upon receipt and acknowledgment by the Plan Administrator prior to my death. I further understand that the designations will be automatically revoked if the Beneficiary predeceases me, or, if I have named my spouse as Beneficiary and our marriage is subsequently dissolved.

 

Name:  

 

   
Signature:  

 

    Date:                      

 

SPOUSAL CONSENT (Required if Spouse not named beneficiary):

I consent to the beneficiary designation above, and acknowledge that if I am named Beneficiary and our marriage is subsequently dissolved, the designation will be automatically revoked.

 

Spouse Name:

 

 

   

Signature:

 

 

    Date:                     

    

Received by the Plan Administrator this              day of              , 2     

 

By:  

 

Title:  

 

 

Exhibit 10.7

INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEES’

ELECTIVE DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN

Amended January 2013

The Investors Community Bank Management Employees’ Elective Deferred Bonus Plan (“ Deferred Bonus Plan ”) was adopted and established by Investors Community Bank, a Wisconsin banking corporation (“ Bank ”), effective as of January 18, 2000, and is maintained by the Bank as an unfunded nonqualified deferred compensation plan for the purpose of providing benefits for a select group of management employees as provided herein. The Deferred Bonus Plan was amended and restated, effective as of January 1, 2004, as the “Investors Community Bank Management Employees’ Elective Deferred Compensation Plan” (“ Plan ”). The Plan is hereby amended and restated, effective as of January 1, 2005, to comply with Code Section 409A with respect to amounts deferred or vested under the Plan on or after January 1, 2005. For purposes of this Plan, Internal Revenue Code (“Code”) shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, together with such regulations and administrative guidance promulgated thereunder.

ARTICLE I

ELIGIBILITY AND PARTICIPATION

1.1 All management employees of the Bank who have been identified as influential within the Bank and selected by the Board of Directors of the Bank (“ Board of Directors ”) are eligible to become and remain participants in this Plan.

1.2 The individuals described in Section 1.1 may participate in this Plan by filing a written election with the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (“ Compensation Committee ”) in the form attached hereto, or other form approved by the Compensation Committee. In the first year in which an individual becomes eligible to participate in this Plan, the newly eligible individual may make an election, within 30 days after the date the person becomes eligible, to defer amounts earned under the Bank’s management incentive bonus program (“ Bonus Amounts ”) and amounts earned as base salary, as set forth in Section 4.2 of each such individual’s Employment Agreement with the Bank (“ Base Salary Amounts ”), payable subsequent to the election (such deferrals of Bonus Amounts and Base Salary Amounts to be collectively referred to herein as “Deferred Compensation Amounts”). Except as otherwise provided herein, elections to defer payment of Bonus Amounts and/or Base Salary Amounts must be made before the beginning of the calendar year for which the Bonus Amounts and/or Base Salary Amounts are payable. Amounts payable to an individual electing to participate in this Plan (“Participant”) under the Investors Community Bank Loan Servicing Bonus Structured Payout Agreement dated December 31, 2003, by and between such Participant and the Bank, shall not be eligible for deferral hereunder.

1.3 Intentionally blank. Amended December 6, 2005.


1.4 For each Participant, the Compensation Committee shall establish and maintain an individual bookkeeping account (“ Deferred Benefit Account ”) for the purposes of determining each Participant’s benefits under this Plan (“ Deferred Benefits ”). The amount of each Participant’s Deferred Compensation Amounts shall be credited to such Deferred Benefit Account as of the date such Deferred Compensation Amounts otherwise would be payable, and the amount of each Participant’s Match Amount shall be credited to such Deferred Benefit Account as of December 31 of each year. Deferred Compensation Amounts shall vest immediately at the time such amounts are credited to each Participant’s Deferred Benefit Account. Match Amounts shall vest ratably at a rate of 20% per year on each anniversary date of the credit of such Match Amount to a Participant’s Deferred Benefit Account. Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon a Participant’s separation from service due to retirement following attainment of age 58, death or disability, all Match Amounts credited to a Participant’s Deferred Benefit Account shall immediately be 100% vested and nonforfeitable. With respect to amounts deferred and vested under the Plan before January 1, 2005, disability shall be determined by the Compensation Committee in its sole discretion. With respect to amounts deferred and vested under the Plan on or after January 1, 2005, a Participant shall be deemed to have a disability if the Participant:

 

  (a) is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that is expected to result in death or to last for a continuous period of at least 12 months;

 

  (b) because of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that is expected to result in death or to last for a continuous period of at least 12 months, is receiving income replacement benefits for a period of at least three months under an accident and health plan covering employees of the Company; or

 

  (c) is determined to be disabled by the Social Security Administration.

1.5 The Compensation Committee may, but is not required to, establish a trust or other investment arrangement (“ Investment Arrangement ”) in connection with this Plan to provide the Bank with a source of funds to assist it with meeting its liabilities under this Plan. Any assets held under an Investment Arrangement shall be the exclusive property of the Bank, shall be subject to the claims of the Bank’s general creditors, and shall not be construed to affect the unfunded status of this Plan for purposes of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ ERISA ”) or the Code. Any Participant to whom an amount is credited under this Plan shall be deemed a general, unsecured creditor of the Bank.

1.6 Any Participant shall have the opportunity to indicate an investment preference for the investment of Deferred Compensation Amounts made under the terms of this Plan, up to such limits as may be set by the Compensation Committee from time to time in its sole discretion (“ Directed Amounts ”). Such investment selection shall be made from the investment options as determined and established by the Compensation Committee from time to time in its sole discretion. A Participant’s investment preference shall be communicated to the Compensation Committee by completion and delivery to the Compensation Committee of an investment

 

2


preference form. Participants shall indicate their initial investment preferences by filing an investment preference form with the Compensation Committee prior to the date on which the deferrals commence. Participants shall have an opportunity to change their investment preference at such times and in accordance with such procedures as determined and established by the Compensation Committee in its sole discretion.

1.7 Any Participant may defer all or any portion of the Bonus Amounts or Base Salary Amounts otherwise payable to such Participant for the calendar year or fraction thereof beginning after the date of said election, and the amounts so deferred shall be paid only as provided in this Plan. Any Participant may suspend deferrals with respect to Bonus Amounts or Base Salary Amounts otherwise payable to him or her for calendar years beginning after the date of suspension as the Participant may specify by written notice to the Compensation Committee. If a Participant elects to suspend deferrals, the Participant may make a new election to again defer Bonus Amounts or Base Salary Amounts under this Plan if the election is made before the beginning of the calendar year for which the Bonus Amounts and/or Base Salary Amounts are payable. The election to defer shall be irrevocable for the year for which the election is made.

ARTICLE II

DEFERRED BENEFITS

All Directed Amounts shall be adjusted, at least annually, to reflect the actual gain or loss of the Investment Arrangement with respect to each Participant, and all other Deferred Benefits credited under this Plan (including Match Amounts and amounts in excess of Directed Amounts) shall be adjusted as often as is necessary to reflect earnings at the Internal Earnings Rate (as hereinafter defined) until the entire Deferred Benefit Account has been distributed as provided in this Plan. For purposes of this Plan, “ Internal Earnings Rate ” means an annual rate equal to the Prime Rate (as such Prime Rate is adjusted from time to time) minus 2.25% (225 basis points) and “ Prime Rate ” means the Prime Rate of Interest (the highest quoted base rate on corporate loans at large U.S. money center commercial banks) as published in the “Money Rates” section of the most recent Midwest Edition of The Wall Street Journal , provided that if at any time the Prime Rate of Interest is no longer so published in the Midwest Edition of The Wall Street Journal , Prime Rate shall mean the interest rate announced as its Prime Rate of Interest by the largest commercial bank headquartered in the State of Wisconsin.

ARTICLE III

DISTRIBUTION

3.1 On the first day of the month next following a Termination Date (as hereinafter defined), distribution of the vested Deferred Benefits then credited to a Participant’s Deferred Benefit Account in accordance with this Plan shall be made to or with respect to such Participant in the form of a lump sum and such Participant shall irrevocably forfeit all nonvested Deferred Benefits under this Plan. For all purposes of this Plan, “ Termination Date ” means the earlier of either (i) the date on which a Participant’s employment with the Bank and all other related employers (as determined in accordance with Section 414 of the Code) terminates for any

 

3


reason, including death; or (ii) the date on which this Plan is terminated in accordance with Article IV of this Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect only to amounts deferred and vested under the Plan before January 1, 2005, the Compensation Committee, in its sole discretion and without any obligation to do so, may accelerate distribution of Deferred Benefits credited to the Deferred Benefit Account of said Participant. With respect to amounts deferred or vested on or after January 1, 2005, the Compensation Committee may in no event accelerate the time or form of any payment under the Plan, except as provided by Code Section 409A.

3.2 If a Participant should die before distribution of the full amount of the Deferred Benefit Account has been made to the Participant, any remaining amounts shall be distributed in a lump sum to the Participant’s beneficiary. If a Participant has not designated a beneficiary, or if no designated beneficiary is living on the date of distribution, then, notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, such amounts shall be distributed to such Participant’s estate in a lump sum as soon as administratively feasible following the Participant’s death.

3.3 A Participant or Participant’s beneficiary (or an authorized representative thereof) who desires to make a claim for Deferred Benefits (“ Claimant ”) shall file a written request with the Compensation Committee setting forth the basis for the claim. Whenever such a claim has been wholly or partially denied, the Compensation Committee shall furnish the Claimant with written notice of the denial within sixty (60) days of the claim, setting forth

(a) the specific reasons for the denial;

(b) references to Plan provisions on which the denial is based;

(c) a description of any additional information or material necessary to perfect a claim and an explanation of why such information or material is necessary; and

(d) an explanation of procedures for appeal.

Within sixty (60) days following receipt, a Claimant may appeal a denial by filing a written request for review with the Compensation Committee. Within sixty (60) days following such request, the Compensation Committee shall render its final decision in writing to the Claimant stating the specific reasons for such decision.

3.4 In the event a Participant incurs an unforeseeable emergency, the Participant may make a written request to the Compensation Committee for a hardship withdrawal of vested Deferred Benefits from his or her Deferred Benefit Account established under this Plan. For amounts deferred and vested under the Plan before January 1, 2005, an unforeseeable emergency is severe financial hardship to the Participant resulting from a sudden and unexpected illness or accident of the Participant or of a dependent (as defined in Section 152(a) of the Code) of the Participant, loss of the Participant’s property due to casualty, or other similar extraordinary and unforeseeable circumstances arising as a result of events beyond the control of the Participant. Withdrawals of amounts because of an unforeseeable emergency are only permitted to the extent reasonably needed to satisfy the emergency need. This section shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with Sections 1.457-2(h)(4) and 1.457-2(h)(5) of the United States Treasury Regulations. With respect to amounts deferred or vested under the Plan on or after January 1, 2005, unforeseeable emergency means a severe financial hardship to the Participant resulting

 

4


from an illness or accident of the Participant, the Participant’s spouse, or the Participant’s dependent (as defined in Code Section 152(a)); loss of the Participant’s property due to casualty; imminent foreclosure on or eviction from the Participant’s primary residence; the need to pay for medical expenses and the costs of prescription drugs; the need to pay funeral expenses of the Participant’s spouse or a dependent (as defined in Code Section 152(a)); or other similar extraordinary and unforeseeable circumstance arising as a result of events beyond the Participant’s control

3.5 Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, if, at any time, a court or the Internal Revenue Service determines that an amount in a Participant’s Deferred Benefit Account is includable in the gross income of the Participant and subject to tax, the Compensation Committee may, in its sole discretion, permit a lump sum distribution of an amount equal to the amount determined to be includable in the Participant’s gross income. With respect to amounts included in income that relate to amounts deferred or vested on or after January 1, 2005, any such lump sum distribution shall be made in accordance with Code Section 409A.

ARTICLE IV

AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION OF PLAN

The Bank reserves the right to amend or terminate this Plan at any time. Any termination shall be effective as of the end of the calendar year during which notification is given to each Participant. Notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, any amounts credited to a Deferred Benefit Account of any Participant shall remain subject to the provisions of this Plan and distribution will not be accelerated because of the termination of this Plan. No amendment or termination shall directly or indirectly reduce the balance of any amount described in this Plan as of the effective date of such amendment or termination. No additional credits or contributions will be made to the Deferred Benefit Accounts of the Participants under this Plan after termination of this Plan, except that the Compensation Committee shall continue to adjust the Deferred Benefit Accounts of the Participants under this Plan in accordance with Article II of this Plan, until all Deferred Benefits are distributed to the Participants or to their beneficiaries. Upon termination of this Plan, distribution of amounts credited to the Deferred Benefit Accounts of the Participants shall be made to the Participants or their beneficiaries in accordance with Article III of this Plan.

ARTICLE V

ADMINISTRATION

5.1 The right of a Participant or a Participant’s beneficiary to receive a distribution hereunder shall be an unsecured claim against the general assets of the Bank and neither a Participant nor a Participant’s beneficiary shall have any rights in or against any amount credited to any Deferred Benefit Accounts under this Plan or any other assets of the Bank. This Plan at all times shall be considered entirely unfunded both for tax purposes under the Code and for purposes of Title I of ERISA. Any funds invested hereunder shall continue for all purposes to be part of the general assets of the Bank and available to its general creditors in the event of bankruptcy or insolvency. Accounts under this Plan and any Deferred Benefits which may be

 

5


payable pursuant to this Plan are not subject in any manner to anticipation, sale, alienation, transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance, attachment, or garnishment by creditors of a Participant or a Participant’s beneficiary. This Plan constitutes a mere promise by the Bank to make benefit payments in the future.

5.2 This Plan shall be administered by the Compensation Committee, which shall have the authority, duty and power to interpret, and construe the provisions of this Plan as the Board of Directors deems appropriate. The Compensation Committee shall have the duty and responsibility of maintaining records, making requisite calculations and disbursing payments hereunder. The interpretations, determinations, regulations and calculations of the Compensation Committee shall be final and binding on all persons and parties concerned.

5.3 Expenses of administration of this Plan shall be paid by the Bank and may be charged against any assets held under trust or other investment arrangement established pursuant to Section 1.5 of this Plan. The Compensation Committee shall be entitled to rely on all tables, valuations, certificates, opinions, data and reports furnished by any actuary, accountant, controller, counsel or other person employed or retained by the Bank with respect to this Plan.

5.4 The Compensation Committee shall furnish individual annual statements of accrued Deferred Benefits to each Participant, or current beneficiary, in such form as determined by the Compensation Committee or as required by law.

5.5 The sole rights of a Participant or beneficiary under this Plan shall be to have this Plan administered according to its provisions, to receive whatever Deferred Benefits he or she may be entitled to hereunder, and nothing in this Plan shall be interpreted as a guaranty that any funds in any trust which may be established in connection with this Plan or assets of the Bank will be sufficient to pay any benefit hereunder. Further, the adoption and maintenance of this Plan shall not be construed as creating any contract of employment between the Bank and any Participant, nor entitle a Participant to any other legal or equitable right against the Bank except as provided in this Plan. This Plan shall not affect the right of the Bank to deal with any Participants in employment respects, including their hiring, discharge, compensation, and conditions of employment.

5.6 The Compensation Committee may from time to time establish rules and procedures which it determines to be necessary for the proper administration of this Plan and the Deferred Benefits payable to an individual in the event that individual is declared incompetent and a conservator or other person legally charged with that individual’s care is appointed. Except as otherwise provided herein, when the Compensation Committee determines that such individual is unable to manage his or her financial affairs, the Compensation Committee may pay such individual’s benefits to such conservator, person legally charged with such individual’s care, or institution then contributing toward or providing for the care and maintenance of such individual. Any such payment shall constitute a complete discharge of any liability of the Bank, the Compensation Committee and this Plan for such individual.

5.7 This Plan may be continued after a sale of assets of the Bank, or a merger or consolidation of the Bank into or with another corporation or entity only if and to the extent that the transferee, purchaser or successor entity agrees to continue this Plan. In the event that the transferee, purchaser or successor entity does not continue this Plan, then this Plan shall be terminated subject to the provisions of Article IV of this Plan.

 

6


5.8 Each Participant shall keep the Compensation Committee informed of his or her current address and the current address of his or her designated beneficiary. The Bank shall not be obliged to search for any person. If such person is not located within three (3) years after the date on which payment of the Participant’s Deferred Benefits payable under this Plan may first be made, payment may be made as though the Participant, or his or her beneficiary had died at the end of such three-year period.

5.9 Notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, neither the Bank, the Compensation Committee nor any individual acting as an employee or agent of the Bank shall be liable to any Participant, former Participant, designated beneficiary, or any other person for any claim, loss, liability or expense incurred in connection with this Plan, unless attributed to fraud or willful misconduct on the part of the Bank, the Compensation Committee or any director, employee or agent of the Bank.

5.10 A Participant’s or beneficiary’s rights under this Plan may not be voluntarily or involuntarily assigned or alienated. If a Participant or beneficiary attempts to assign his or her rights or enters into bankruptcy proceedings, his or her right to receive payments personally under this Plan will terminate, and the Compensation Committee may apply them in such manner as will, in its judgment, serve the best interests of the Participant or beneficiary.

5.11 All questions pertaining to the construction, validity and effect of this Plan shall be determined in accordance with the laws of the United States and to the extent not preempted by such laws, by the laws of the State of Wisconsin.

 

7


INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEES’

ELECTIVE DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN

Deferral Election/Beneficiary Designation Form

Pursuant to the terms of the Investors Community Bank Management Employees’ Elective Deferred Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) (defined terms in the Plan have the same meaning herein), I hereby elect to become a Participant under the Plan, effective as of the date hereof, and I further elect to defer, pursuant to the terms of the Plan,      percent or $             of the amounts earned by me as Bonus Amounts and      percent or $         of the amounts earned by me as Base Salary Amounts after the date hereof. This election shall be effective beginning after this date until the calendar year next beginning after the date on which I notify the Compensation Committee to suspend future deferrals.

I understand that this election to defer shall be continued as to Bonus Amounts and/or Base Salary Amounts which are earned for each calendar year for which this election to defer is effective until distribution after my Termination Date, or as provided in the Plan. Further, I understand that if I suspend deferrals I may make a new election to again become a Participant in the Plan and that any new election to defer payment of Bonus Amounts and/or Base Salary Amounts must be made before the beginning of the next calendar year.

The balance to the credit of my Deferred Benefit Account shall be paid in a lump sum on the first day of the month next following my Termination Date.

If I should die after I become entitled to a distribution under the Plan but prior to receipt of the entire distribution to which I am entitled, then all of the distribution to which I am entitled under the Plan and which has not been distributed to me or is not distributable to my surviving spouse after my death under the Plan shall be distributed to the beneficiary named below.

Beneficiary:                                                                          

 

 

Signature
Date:  

 

 

8


INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEES’

ELECTIVE DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN

Change of Election/Beneficiary Form

Pursuant to the terms of the Investors Community Bank Management Employees’ Elective Deferred Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) (defined terms in the Plan have the same meaning herein), I hereby make the following changes in elections made by me under the Plan:

1.              I hereby elect to suspend the deferrals of my Bonus Amounts effective as of the end of the current fiscal year.

2.              I hereby elect to suspend the deferrals of my Base Salary Amounts effective as of the end of the current fiscal year.

3.              I hereby elect to become a Participant in the Plan (notwithstanding my previous suspension) effective as of the beginning of the calendar year commencing after the date hereof.

4. If I should die after I become entitled to distribution under the Plan, but prior to receipt of the entire distribution to which I am entitled, then all of the distribution to which I am entitled under the Plan and which has not been distributed to me or is not distributable to my surviving spouse after my death under the Plan, shall be distributed to the following beneficiary:

Beneficiary:                                                                          

The elections or beneficiary designation set forth herein shall supersede ones heretofore made by the undersigned Participant.

 

PARTICIPANT

 

Date:  

 

 

9

Exhibit 10.8

 

 

COUNTY BANCORP, INC.

2012 EQUITY INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN

Adopted March 20, 2012

Amended and Restated Effective October 7, 2014

 

 

ARTICLE 1.

ESTABLISHMENT, PURPOSE, AND DURATION

1.1 Establishment . County Bancorp, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation (the “ Company ”), established an incentive compensation plan to be known as the “COUNTY BANCORP, INC. 2012 EQUITY INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN” (the “ Plan ”), as set forth in this document on March 20, 2012 and hereby amends and restates the Plan effective as of October 7, 2014.

The Plan provides for the grant of Incentive Stock Options (“ ISOs ”), Nonqualified Stock Options (“ NSOs ”), Stock Appreciation Rights (“ SARs ”), and Restricted Stock.

The Plan shall become effective on the date of its initial adoption by the Company’s Board of Directors as stated above (the “ Effective Date ”) and shall remain in effect as provided in Section 1.3. Solely in order to qualify any ISOs granted hereunder for favorable tax treatment as incentive stock options under the Code, this Plan shall be submitted for approval by the Company’s shareholders within twelve (12) months of the Effective Date; provided, that if this Plan is not approved by the Company’s shareholders within twelve (12) months of the Effective Date, then it and any Awards hereunder shall remain in force and effect except that any ISOs granted hereunder shall automatically, without further action on the part of the Company, the Committee or any Participant, and notwithstanding any designation in an Award Agreement to the contrary, become NSOs.

1.2 Purpose . The purpose of this Plan is to promote the success and enhance the value of the Company by linking the personal interests of key employees to those of the Company’s shareholders, and by providing key employees with an incentive for outstanding performance. This Plan is further intended to provide flexibility to the Company in its ability to motivate, attract, and retain the services of key employees upon whose judgment, interest, and special effort the successful conduct of its operations is largely dependent.

1.3 Duration . Unless earlier terminated as provided herein, no Awards may be granted more than ten (10) years after the Effective Date; provided, that Awards previously granted shall remain outstanding in accordance with their applicable terms and conditions.

1.4 Prior Plans . From and after the Effective Date, the Company will make new Awards only under this Plan. For the avoidance of doubt, all awards granted before the Effective Date under any prior plan shall remain in full force and effect and shall continue to be governed


by the terms of the applicable plan and related award agreement. Unless clearly indicated otherwise, all references herein to “Awards” shall be deemed to refer exclusively to Awards granted under and pursuant to this Plan and not under any prior (or subsequent) plan of the Company.

ARTICLE 2.

DEFINITIONS

Whenever used herein, the following terms shall have the meaning set forth below, and when the meaning is intended, the initial letter of the word shall be capitalized.

2.1 “ Award means, individually or collectively, a grant of ISOs, NSOs, SARs, or Restricted Stock under this Plan.

2.2 “ Award Agreement means an agreement entered into by the Company and a Participant setting forth the terms and provisions applicable to an Award granted to such Participant hereunder.

2.3 “ Beneficial Owner or “Beneficial Ownership” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Exchange Act Rule 13d-3.

2.4 “ Board means the Board of Directors of the Company.

2.5 “ Cause means a Participant’s breach of a duty or failure to perform a duty he or she owes to the Company and the breach or failure to perform constitutes any of the following: (i) a willful failure to deal fairly with the Company and/or a Subsidiary or the shareholders of the Company and/or Subsidiary in connection with a matter in which the Participant has a material conflict of interest; (ii) Participant’s conviction of or plea of guilty or no contest to a violation of criminal law; (iii) a transaction from which the Participant derived an improper personal profit; or (iv) willful misconduct.

2.6 “ Change in Control shall mean any of the following:

(a) Individuals who, on the Effective Date, constitute the Board (the “ Incumbent Directors ”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board; provided, that any person becoming a director subsequent to the Effective Date whose election or nomination for election was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Incumbent Directors then on the Board (either by a specific vote or by approval of the proxy statement of the Company in which such person is named as a nominee for director, without written objection to such nomination) shall be an Incumbent Director;

(b) Any Person is or becomes a “beneficial owner” (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 13d-3), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 25% or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities eligible to vote for the election of the Board (the “ Company Voting Securities ”); provided, that the event described in this paragraph (b) shall not be deemed to be a Change in Control by virtue of any of the following acquisitions: (i) by the Company or any Subsidiary; (ii) by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company

 

2


or any Subsidiary; (iii) by any underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to an offering of such securities; or (iv) pursuant to a “Non-Qualifying Transaction” (as defined in paragraph (c), below); or

(c) The consummation of a merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange, sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, a plan of liquidation or dissolution of the Company or similar form of corporate transaction involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that requires the approval of the Company’s shareholders, whether for such transaction or the issuance of securities in the transaction (a “Business Transaction”), unless immediately following such Business Transaction: (i) more than 50% of the total voting power of (A) the corporation resulting from such Business Transaction (the “Surviving Corporation”), or (B) if applicable, the ultimate parent corporation that directly or indirectly has beneficial ownership of at least 95% of the voting securities eligible to elect directors of the Surviving Corporation (the “ Parent Corporation ”), is represented by Company Voting Securities that were outstanding immediately prior to such Business Transaction (or, if applicable, is represented by shares into which such Company Voting Securities were converted pursuant to such Business Transaction), and such voting power among the holders thereof is in substantially the same proportion as the voting power of such Company Voting Securities among the holders thereof immediately prior to the Business Transaction; (ii) no person (other than any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Surviving Corporation or the Parent Corporation), is or becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 25% or more of the total voting power of the outstanding voting securities eligible to elect directors of the Parent Corporation (or, if there is no Parent Corporation, the Surviving Corporation); and (iii) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors of the Parent Corporation (or, if there is no Parent Corporation, the Surviving Corporation) following the consummation of the Business Transaction were Incumbent Directors at the time of the Board’s approval of the execution of the initial agreement providing for such Business Transaction (any Business Transaction that satisfies all of the criteria specified in (i), (iii) and (iii) above shall be deemed to be a “ Non-Qualifying Transaction ”).

Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Change in Control of the Company shall not be deemed to occur solely because any person acquires beneficial ownership of more than 25% of the Company Voting Securities as a result of the acquisition of Company Voting Securities by the Company which reduces the number of Company Voting Securities outstanding; provided, that if after such acquisition by the Company such person becomes the beneficial owner of additional Company Voting Securities that increases the percentage of outstanding Company Voting Securities beneficially owned by such Person, a Change in Control of the Company shall then occur.

2.7 “ Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, or any successor thereto.

2.8 “ Committee means the Compensation Committee of the Board or, if at any time there is no such Compensation Committee in existence, the Board acting as a Committee of the Whole.

 

3


2.9 “ Company means County Bancorp, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation, and any successor thereto as provided in ARTICLE 14.

2.10 “ Director means any individual who is a member of the Board or of the board of directors of any Subsidiary.

2.11 “ Disability means a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months that renders a Participant unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity.

2.12 “ Employee means any employee of the Company and/or its Subsidiaries. Directors who are not otherwise employed by the Company and/or its Subsidiaries shall not be considered Employees under this Plan.

2.13 “ Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, or any successor act thereto.

2.14 “ Fair Market Value means the closing price of a Share on The NASDAQ Global Market or such other established stock exchange or national market system on which the Shares are listed (or the closing bid, if no sales were reported), as quoted on such exchange or system on the day of determination, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Administrator deems reliable; provided however, that if a Share is not susceptible of valuation by such method, the term “Fair Market Value” shall mean the fair market value of a Share as the Administrator may determine in conformity with pertinent law and regulations of the Treasury Department.

2.15 “ Fiscal Year means the year commencing on January 1 and ending December 31 or other time period as approved by the Board.

2.16 “ Freestanding SAR means a SAR that is granted independently of any Options, as described in ARTICLE 7.

2.17 “ Grant Price means the price at which a SAR may be exercised by a Participant, as determined by the Committee pursuant to Section 7.1.

2.18 “ Incentive Stock Option or ISO means an Option to purchase Shares that is designated as an “Incentive Stock Option” and is intended to meet the requirements of Section 422, or any successor provision, of the Code.

2.19 “ Independent Contractor means an individual providing services to the Company and/or its Subsidiaries, other than a Director who is not also an Employee of the Company and/or its Subsidiaries. Such Independent Contractor shall be eligible to participate in the Plan as selected by the Committee in accordance with ARTICLE 5. Notwithstanding any other provision herein to the contrary, the following shall apply in the case of an Independent Contractor who is allowed to participate in the Plan: (i) with respect to any reference in this Plan to the working relationship between such Independent Contractor and the Company and/or its Subsidiaries, the term “service” shall apply as may be appropriate in lieu of the term “employment” or “employ”; (ii) no such Independent Contractor shall be eligible for a grant of

 

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an ISO; and (iii) the exercise period and vesting of an Award following such Independent Contractor’s termination from service shall be specified and governed under the terms and conditions of the Plan, or if different, in the Award as may be determined by the Committee and set forth in the related Award Agreement.

2.20 “ Nonqualified Stock Option or NSO means an Option to purchase Shares, that is not intended to be an Incentive Stock Option or that otherwise does not meet the requirements for ISO treatment under Section 422 of the Code.

2.21 “ Option means an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonqualified Stock Option.

2.22 “ Option Price means the price at which a Share may be purchased by a Participant pursuant to an Option, as determined by the Committee.

2.23 “ Participant means an Employee, Director or Independent Contractor who has been selected to receive an Award or who has an outstanding Award granted under the Plan.

2.24 “ Period of Restriction means the period when Awards are subject to forfeiture based on the passage of time, the achievement of performance goals, and/or upon the occurrence of other events as determined by the Committee, at its discretion.

2.25 “ Person shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) thereof, including a “group” as defined in Section 13(d) thereof.

2.26 “ Restricted Stock means an Award of Company Stock that is subject to transfer restrictions and is made pursuant to ARTICLE 8.

2.27 “ Retirement means a voluntary Termination of Employment after a Participant has (i) attained the age of sixty (60); and (ii) completed at least five (5) years of continuous service with the Company or its Subsidiaries.

2.28 “ Shares or Stock means the Shares of the Company’s $0.01 par value common stock.

2.29 “ Stock Appreciation Right or SAR means an Award, designated as a SAR, pursuant to the terms of ARTICLE 7.

2.30 “ Subsidiary means any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, or other entity (other than the Company) in an unbroken chain of entities beginning with the Company if each of the entities other than the last entity in the unbroken chain owns at least fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power in one of the other entities in such chain.

2.31 “ Tandem SAR means an SAR that is granted in connection with a related Option, the exercise of which shall require forfeiture of the right to purchase a Share under the related Option (and when a Share is purchased under the Option, the Tandem SAR shall similarly be cancelled) or an SAR that is granted in tandem with an Option but the exercise of such Option does not cancel the SAR, but rather results in the exercise of the related SAR.

 

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2.32 “ 10% Shareholder means an individual who owns or is deemed to own stock possessing more than 10% of the combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

2.33 “ Termination of Employment means the cessation or curtailment of a Participant’s services for the Company and any Subsidiary where both the Participant and the Company (or Subsidiary) reasonably expect that the level of bona fide services the Participant will perform for the Company and all Subsidiaries will permanently decrease to no more than 20 percent of the average level of bona fide services performed over the immediately preceding 36-month period (or the full period of services to the Company and all Subsidiaries if the Participant has been providing such services for fewer than 36 months). The Committee shall have the ability to stipulate in a Participant’s Award Agreement that a transfer to a company that is spun-off from the Company shall not be deemed a Termination of Employment with the Company for purposes of the Plan until the Participant’s employment is terminated with the spun-off company under this definition.

ARTICLE 3.

ADMINISTRATION

3.1 General . The Committee shall be responsible for administering the Plan. In discharging its duties hereunder, the Committee may employ attorneys, consultants, accountants and other professional advisers, and the Committee, the Company, and its officers and Directors shall be entitled to rely upon the advice, opinions or valuations of any such Persons. All actions taken and all interpretations and determinations made by the Committee shall be final, conclusive, and binding upon the Participants, the Company, and all other interested parties.

3.2 Authority of the Committee . The Committee shall have full and exclusive discretionary power and authority to interpret the terms and the intent of the Plan, to determine eligibility for Awards hereunder, and to adopt such rules, regulations, and guidelines for administering the Plan as it may deem necessary or proper. Such authority shall include, but not be limited to, selecting Award recipients, establishing all terms and conditions of each Award and adopting modifications and amendments, or subplans to the Plan or any Award Agreement. Notwithstanding such discretionary authority, all Awards granted hereunder and all actions taken by the Committee shall be subject to the terms and provisions of this Plan.

The Committee need not, except as expressly required by this Plan or by applicable law, make any or all of the terms and conditions of Awards hereunder uniform as between or among Awards or Participants.

3.3 Delegation . The Committee may delegate, to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law, to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company any or all of the authority of the Committee with respect to the grant of Awards to Participants, other than Participants who, at the time any such delegated authority is exercised, are executive officers and/or are subject to potential liability under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act with respect to transactions involving equity securities of the Company.

 

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3.4 Section 162(m) . To the extent that the Administrator determines it to be desirable to qualify Awards granted hereunder as “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code, the Plan will be administered by a committee of two (2) or more “outside directors” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code.

3.5 Rule 16b-3 . To the extent that the Administrator determines it to be desirable to qualify transactions hereunder as exempt under Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act or any successor to Rule 16b-3, the transactions contemplated hereunder will be structured to satisfy the requirements for exemption under Rule 16b-3.

ARTICLE 4.

SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN AND MAXIMUM AWARDS

4.1 Number of Shares Available for Awards . Subject to adjustment as provided in this ARTICLE 4, the number of Shares which may be delivered pursuant to Awards granted under the Plan (the “ Share Authorization ”) is Six Hundred Thousand (600,000) shares. 1 The maximum aggregate number of Shares that may be made subject to any Award granted in any one Fiscal Year to any one Participant shall be 10% of the Share Authorization. The maximum number of Shares of Restricted Stock that may be issued shall be limited to 50% of the Share Authorization. Any Shares related to Awards which terminate by expiration, forfeiture, cancellation, or otherwise without the issuance of such Shares, are settled in cash in lieu of Shares, or are exchanged with the Committee’s permission for Awards not involving Shares, shall be available again for grant hereunder. Moreover, if the Option Price of any Option or the tax withholding requirements with respect to any Award are satisfied by tendering Shares to the Company (by either actual delivery or by attestation), or if a SAR is exercised, only the number of Shares issued, net of the Shares tendered, if any, will be deemed delivered for purposes of determining the maximum number of Shares available for delivery hereunder. The maximum number of Shares available for issuance hereunder shall not be reduced to reflect any dividends or dividend equivalents that are reinvested into additional Shares or credited as additional Restricted Stock. Shares available for issuance hereunder may be authorized and unissued Shares or treasury Shares.

4.2 Adjustments in Authorized Shares . In the event of any corporate event or transaction (including, but not limited to, a change in the Shares of the Company or the capitalization of the Company) such as a merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization, separation, stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, split up, spin-off, or other distribution of Stock or property of the Company, combination of securities, exchange of securities, dividend in kind, or other like change in capital structure or distribution (other than normal cash dividends) to shareholders of the Company, or any similar corporate event or transaction, the Committee, in its sole discretion, in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of Participants’ rights hereunder, shall substitute or adjust, in an equitable manner, as applicable, the number and

 

 

1  

Updated to reflect 10 for 1 stock split on April 4, 2014.

 

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kind of Shares that may be issued hereunder, the number and kind of Shares subject to outstanding Awards, the Option Price or Grant Price applicable to outstanding Awards, and other value determinations applicable to outstanding Awards.

Appropriate adjustments may also be made by the Committee in the terms of any Awards to reflect such changes or distributions and to modify any other terms of outstanding Awards on an equitable basis, including modifications of performance goals and changes in the length of performance periods. The determination of the Committee as to the foregoing adjustments, if any, shall be conclusive and binding on Participants.

Subject to the provisions of ARTICLE 11 and any applicable law or regulatory requirement, without affecting the number of Shares reserved or available hereunder, the Committee may authorize the issuance, assumption, substitution, conversion or termination of Awards under this Plan in connection with any merger, consolidation, acquisition of property or Stock, or reorganization, upon such terms and conditions as it may deem appropriate. Additionally, the Committee may amend this Plan, or adopt supplements hereto, in such manner as it deems appropriate to provide for such issuance, assumption, substitution, conversion or termination, all without further action by the Company’s shareholders.

4.3 Exemption from Code Section 409A . All Awards and Award Agreements under this Plan shall be structured, administered, and interpreted in a manner so as to be exempt from the application of Code Section 409A.

ARTICLE 5.

ELIGIBILITY, PARTICIPATION AND VESTING

5.1 Eligibility . Individuals eligible to participate in the Plan include all Employees, Directors, and Independent Contractors.

5.2 Participation . The Committee may from time to time, select from all eligible Employees, Directors, and Independent Contractors, those to whom Awards shall be granted and shall determine the nature and amount of each Award.

5.3 Vesting, Generally . Awards hereunder shall vest, i.e., become nonforfeitable, at such times and in such amounts as shall be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion and set forth in a vesting schedule included in or with the Award Agreement related to such Award, which vesting schedule may provide that all or some part of the applicable Award vests immediately upon grant, or on specified dates over a period of time, or upon attainment of performance goals specified in the Award Agreement; provided, that if no vesting schedule is specified in or by the Award Agreement, then Awards shall vest 20 percent on each of the first through fifth anniversaries of the date of grant.

5.4 Vesting upon Retirement . Unless otherwise specified in an Award Agreement, a Participant shall be fully vested in any and all Awards hereunder upon the Participant’s Retirement (as defined herein).

5.5 Vesting upon Death or Disability . Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon Termination of Employment due to the death or Disability of the Participant:

 

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(a) Any and all Options and SARs granted hereunder shall become immediately exercisable; provided, that Participant or his or her beneficiary shall have until the earlier of: (i) twelve (12) months following such termination date; or (ii) the expiration of the Option or SAR term, to exercise any such Option or SAR.

(b) Any Period of Restriction for Restricted Stock granted hereunder that have not previously vested shall end, and such Restricted Stock shall become fully vested.

5.6 Change in Control . Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a Change in Control, vesting shall be determined in accordance with ARTICLE 11.

ARTICLE 6.

STOCK OPTIONS

6.1 Grant of Options . Options may be granted to Participants in such number, and upon such terms, and at any time and from time to time as shall be determined by the Committee, provided, that ISOs shall not be granted to Non-Employee Directors or Independent Contractors.

6.2 Award Agreement . Each Option grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that shall specify the Option Price, the duration of the Option, the number of Shares to which the Option pertains, the conditions upon which an Option shall become vested and exercisable, and such other provisions as the Committee determines are not inconsistent with the terms hereof. The Award Agreement also shall specify whether the Option is intended to be an ISO or a NSO; provided, that if the Award Agreement fails to so specify, then the Option shall be deemed to be a NSO.

6.3 Option Price . The Option Price for each grant of an Option under this Plan shall be determined by the Committee and shall be specified in the Award Agreement. The Option Price shall be at least one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of grant. If an Option intended to qualify as an ISO is granted to a 10% Shareholder, the Option Price shall be at least one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of grant.

6.4 Duration of Options . Each Option granted to a Participant shall expire at such time as the Committee shall determine at the time of grant; provided, that no Option shall be exercisable later than the tenth (10th) anniversary date of its grant. If an Option intended to qualify as an ISO is granted to a 10% Shareholder, such Option shall not be exercisable later than the fifth (5th) anniversary date of its grant.

6.5 Exercise of Options . Options shall be exercisable at such times and be subject to such restrictions and conditions as the Committee shall in each instance approve.

6.6 Payment . Options shall be exercised by the delivery of a written notice of exercise to the Company, setting forth the number of Shares with respect to which the Option is to be exercised, accompanied by full payment for the Shares.

 

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The Option Price upon exercise of any Option shall be payable to the Company in full either: (i) in cash or its equivalent; (ii) by tendering previously acquired Shares having an aggregate Fair Market Value at the time of exercise equal to the total Option Price; (iii) by a combination of (i) and (ii); or (iv) any other method approved by the Committee in its sole discretion at the time of grant and as set forth in the Award Agreement.

The Committee also may allow cashless exercise as permitted under the Federal Reserve Board’s Regulation T, subject to applicable securities law restrictions, or by any other means which the Committee determines to be consistent with the Plan’s purpose and applicable law.

Subject to Section 6.7 and any governing rules or regulations, as soon as practicable after receipt of a written notification of exercise and full payment, the Company shall deliver to the Participant, Share certificates or evidence of book entry Shares, in an appropriate amount based upon the number of Shares purchased under the Option(s).

All payments under all of the methods indicated above shall be paid in United States dollars.

6.7 Restrictions on Share Transferability . Subject to Section 15.9, the Committee may impose such restrictions on Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an Option as it may deem advisable, including, without limitation, requiring the Participant to hold the Shares acquired pursuant to exercise for a specified period of time, restrictions under applicable federal securities laws, and under any blue sky or state securities laws applicable to such Shares.

6.8 Termination of Employment . Each Award Agreement shall set forth the extent to which the Participant shall have the right to exercise the Option following the Participant’s Termination of Employment. Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, shall be included in the Award Agreement, and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for Termination of Employment.

6.9 Transferability of Options .

(a) Incentive Stock Options . No ISO granted under the Plan may be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. Further, all ISOs granted to a Participant under this ARTICLE 6 shall be exercisable during his or her lifetime only by such Participant.

(b) Nonqualified Stock Options . Except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or otherwise at any time by the Committee, no NSO may be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution; provided, that the Board or Committee may permit further transfer, on a general or a specific basis, and may impose conditions and limitations on any permitted transfer. Further, except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or otherwise at any time by the Committee, or unless the Board or the Committee decides to permit further transfer, NSOs granted to a Participant shall be exercisable during his or her lifetime only by such Participant.

6.10 Notification of Disqualifying Disposition . The Participant will notify the Company upon the disposition of Shares issued pursuant to the exercise of an ISO. The Company will use such information to determine whether a disqualifying disposition as described in Section 421(b) of the Code has occurred.

 

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ARTICLE 7.

STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS

7.1 Grant of SARs . SARs may be granted to Participants at any time and from time to time as shall be determined by the Committee. The Committee may grant Freestanding SARs, Tandem SARs, or any combination thereof. The Committee shall have complete discretion in determining the number of SARs granted to each Participant and in determining the terms and conditions pertaining to such SARs.

The SAR Grant Price for each SAR shall be determined by the Committee and shall be specified in the Award Agreement. The SAR Grant Price must be at least one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of grant.

7.2 SAR Agreement . Each SAR Award shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that shall specify the Grant Price, the vesting schedule and term of the SAR, and such other provisions as the Committee shall determine.

7.3 Term of SAR . The term of an SAR shall be determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, and, except as determined otherwise by the Committee and specified in the SAR Award Agreement, no SAR shall be exercisable later than the tenth (10th) anniversary of the grant date.

7.4 Exercise of Freestanding SARs . Freestanding SARs may be exercised upon whatever terms and conditions the Committee, in its sole discretion, imposes upon them in the Award Agreement.

7.5 Exercise of Tandem SARs . Tandem SARs may be exercised for all or part of the Shares subject to the related Option upon the surrender of the right to exercise the equivalent portion of the related Option. A Tandem SAR may be exercised only with respect to the Shares for which its related Option is then exercisable. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary, with respect to a Tandem SAR granted in connection with an ISO: (i) the Tandem SAR will expire no later than the expiration of the underlying ISO; (ii) the value of the payout with respect to the Tandem SAR may be for no more than one hundred percent (100%) of the difference between the Option Price of the underlying ISO and the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to the underlying ISO at the time the Tandem SAR is exercised; and (iii) the Tandem SAR may be exercised only when the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to the ISO exceeds the Option Price of the ISO.

7.6 Payment of SAR Amount . Upon the exercise of an SAR, a Participant shall be entitled to receive payment from the Company in an amount determined by multiplying:

(a) The difference between the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of exercise over the Grant Price; by

(b) The number of Shares with respect to which the SAR is exercised.

 

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At the discretion of the Committee, the payment upon SAR exercise may be in cash, in Shares of equivalent value, in some combination thereof, or in any other manner approved by the Committee at its sole discretion. The Committee’s determination regarding the form of SAR payout shall be set forth or reserved for later determination in the Award Agreement pertaining to the grant of the SAR.

7.7 Termination of Employment . Each Award Agreement shall set forth the extent to which the Participant shall have the right to exercise the SAR following the Participant’s Termination of Employment. Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, shall be included in the Award Agreement, and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for Termination of Employment.

7.8 Nontransferability of SARs . Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, no SAR may be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution; provided that the Board or Committee may permit further transfer, on a general or a specific basis, and may impose conditions and limitations on any permitted transfer. Further, except as otherwise provided in the Award Agreement or otherwise unless the Board or the Committee decides to permit further transfer, all SARs granted to a Participant shall be exercisable during his or her lifetime only by such Participant.

7.9 Other Restrictions . The Committee may impose such other conditions and/or restrictions on any Shares received upon exercise of a SAR as it may deem advisable.

ARTICLE 8.

RESTRICTED STOCK

8.1 Grant of Restricted Stock . The Committee, at any time and from time to time, may grant Shares of Restricted Stock to Participants in such amounts as the Committee shall determine.

8.2 Restricted Stock Agreement . Each Restricted Stock grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that shall specify the Period(s) of Restriction, the number of Shares of Restricted Stock granted, and such other provisions as the Committee shall determine.

8.3 Transferability . Except as provided in this ARTICLE 8, Shares of Restricted Stock may not be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated until the end of the applicable Period of Restriction established by the Committee and specified in the Award Agreement, or upon earlier satisfaction of any other conditions, as specified by the Committee, in its sole discretion, and set forth in the Award Agreement. All rights with respect to the Restricted Stock granted to a Participant shall be available during his or her lifetime only to such Participant.

8.4 Other Restrictions . The Committee may impose such other conditions and/or restrictions on any Shares of Restricted Stock as it may deem advisable including, without limitation, a requirement that Participants pay a stipulated purchase price for each Share of Restricted Stock, restrictions based upon the achievement of specific performance goals, time-based restrictions on vesting following the attainment of the performance goals, time-based

 

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restrictions, restrictions under applicable federal or state securities laws, or any holding requirements or sale restrictions placed on the Shares by the Company upon vesting of such Restricted Stock.

To the extent deemed appropriate by the Committee, the Company may retain the certificates representing Shares of Restricted Stock in the Company’s possession until such time as all conditions and/or restrictions applicable to such Shares have been satisfied or lapse.

Except as otherwise provided in this ARTICLE 8, but subject to Section 15.9, Shares of Restricted Stock covered by each Restricted Stock Award shall become freely transferable by the Participant after all conditions and restrictions applicable to such Shares have been satisfied or lapse.

8.5 Certificate Legend . Each certificate representing Shares of Restricted Stock shall bear a legend substantially as set forth below, in addition to any other legend applicable to Stock certificates of the Company, generally, or as may be included by the Committee or the Board in their discretion:

“THE SALE OR OTHER TRANSFER OF THE SHARES OF STOCK REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE, WHETHER VOLUNTARY, INVOLUNTARY, OR BY OPERATION OF LAW, IS SUBJECT TO CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER AS SET FORTH IN THE COUNTY BANCORP, INC. 2012 EQUITY INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN, AND IN THE ASSOCIATED RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT. A COPY OF THE PLAN AND SUCH RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE SECRETARY OF COUNTY BANCORP, INC.”

8.6 Voting Rights . To the extent permitted or required by law, as determined by the Committee, Participants holding Shares of Restricted Stock may be granted the right to exercise full voting rights with respect to those Shares during the Period of Restriction.

8.7 Dividends . During the Period of Restriction, Participants holding Shares of Restricted Stock shall be credited with dividends paid with respect to Restricted Stock while they are so held.

8.8 Termination of Employment . Each Award Agreement shall set forth the extent to which the Participant shall have the right to retain Restricted Stock following the Participant’s Termination of Employment. Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, shall be included in the Award Agreement entered into with each Participant, and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for Termination of Employment.

8.9 Section 83(b) Election . The Committee may provide in an Award Agreement that the Award of Restricted Stock is conditioned upon the Participant making or refraining from making an election with respect to the Award under Section 83(b) of the Code. If a Participant makes an election pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Code concerning a Restricted Stock Award, the Participant shall promptly file a copy of such election with the Committee.

 

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ARTICLE 9.

BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION

A Participant’s “beneficiary” is the person or persons entitled to receive payments or other benefits or exercise rights that are available under the Plan in the event of the Participant’s death. A Participant may designate a beneficiary or change a previous beneficiary designation at any time by using forms and following procedures approved by the Committee for that purpose. If no beneficiary designated by the Participant is eligible to receive payments or other benefits or exercise rights that are available under the Plan at the Participant’s death the beneficiary shall be the Participant’s estate.

Notwithstanding the provisions above, the Committee may in its discretion, after notifying the affected Participants, modify the foregoing requirements, institute additional requirements for beneficiary designations, or suspend the existing beneficiary designations of living Participants or the process of determining beneficiaries under this ARTICLE 9, or both. If the Committee suspends the process of designating beneficiaries on forms and in accordance with procedures it has approved pursuant to this ARTICLE 9, the determination of who is a Participant’s beneficiary shall be made under the Participant’s will and applicable state law.

ARTICLE 10.

RIGHTS OF EMPLOYEES AND INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS

10.1 Employment . Nothing in this Plan or any Award Agreement shall interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Company and/or its Subsidiaries to terminate any Participant’s employment or other service relationship at any time, nor confer upon any Participant any right to continue in the capacity in which he or she is employed or otherwise serves the Company and/or its Subsidiaries.

Neither an Award nor any benefits arising under this Plan shall constitute part of an employment contract with the Company and/or its Subsidiaries and, accordingly, subject to ARTICLES 3 and 10, this Plan and the benefits hereunder may be terminated at any time in the sole and exclusive discretion of the Committee without giving rise to liability on the part of the Company and/or its Subsidiaries for severance payments.

10.2 Participation . No Employee or Independent Contractor shall have the right to be selected to receive an Award under this Plan, or, having been so selected, to be selected to receive a future Award.

10.3 Rights as a Shareholder . Except with respect to Restricted Stock to the extent specified herein or in an Award Agreement, a Participant shall have none of the rights of a shareholder with respect to Shares covered by any Award until the Participant becomes the record holder of such Shares.

 

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ARTICLE 11.

CHANGE IN CONTROL

11.1 Awards Granted Prior to October 7, 2014 . For Awards granted prior to October 7, 2014, upon the occurrence of a Change in Control, unless otherwise specifically prohibited under applicable laws, or by the rules and regulations of any governing governmental agencies or national securities exchanges, or unless the Committee shall determine otherwise in the Award Agreement (which may include a modification to the definition of a Change in Control as determined by the Committee):

(a) Any and all Options and SARs shall become immediately exercisable; additionally, with respect to NSOs and SARs (but not ISOs), if a Participant’s employment is terminated for any other reason except Cause within twelve (12) months of such Change in Control, the Participant shall have until the earlier of: (i) twelve (12) months following such termination date; or (ii) the expiration of the NSO or SAR term, to exercise any such NSO or SAR; and

(b) Any Period of Restriction for Shares of Restricted Stock that have not previously vested shall end, and such Restricted Stock shall become fully vested and transferable.

Subject to ARTICLE 12, the Committee shall have the authority to make any modifications to the Awards as determined by the Committee to be appropriate before the effective date of the Change in Control.

The provisions of this Section 11.1 are to be interpreted in a manner such that, in the case of a Change in Control that involves the receipt by the shareholders of the Company of cash or other property (including the stock of another company) in exchange for their Shares of Stock of the Company, the Participant holding an Award that is or can be settled by the delivery of Shares shall have the opportunity to (i) receive the same consideration for such Shares as is being received by other shareholders of the Company, and (ii) to make such elections in respect thereof (for example, an election to receive stock, or cash, or a combination for his or her Shares of Company Stock) as are available to other shareholders of the Company. In particular but without limitation, the provisions of this Section 11.1 that state than an Award shall become “immediately exercisable” or “immediately paid” shall be deemed to mean that such Award shall become exercisable or paid immediately prior to the consummation of any Change in Control that involves the receipt by the shareholders of the Company of cash or other property (including the stock of another company) in exchange for their Shares of Stock of the Company or in sufficient time prior to consummation of such Change in Control as shall enable the Participant to make any elections in respect thereof.

11.2 Awards Granted After October 7, 2014 . For Awards granted after October 7, 2014, unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, upon the occurrence of (a) a Change in Control, and (b) a Participant’s involuntary Termination of Employment (other than due to Cause) that occurs within the twelve (12) month period following such Change in Control:

(i) Any and all Options and SARs shall become immediately exercisable; additionally, the Participant shall have until the earlier of: (x) twelve (12) months following such termination date; or (y) the expiration of the Option or SAR term, to exercise any such Option or SAR; and

 

15


(ii) Any Period of Restriction for Shares of Restricted Stock that have not previously vested shall end, and such Restricted Stock shall become fully vested and transferable.

11.3 Committee Discretion in the Event of a Change in Control . Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control, the Committee, as constituted before such Change in Control, may, in its sole discretion, as to any such Award, either at the time the Award is made hereunder or any time thereafter: (a) make such adjustment to any such Award then outstanding as the Committee deems appropriate to reflect such Change in Control; and/or (b) cause any such Award then outstanding to be assumed, or new rights substituted therefor, by the acquiring or surviving entity after such Change in Control. Additionally, in the event of any Change in Control with respect to Options and SARs, the Committee, as constituted before such Change in Control, may, in its sole discretion (except as may be otherwise provided in the Award Agreement): (a) cancel any outstanding unexercised Options or SARs (whether or not vested) that have a per-Share Option Price or Grant Price (as applicable) that is greater than the Change in Control Price (defined below); or (b) cancel any outstanding unexercised Options or SARs (whether or not vested) that have a per-Share Option Price or Grant Price (as applicable) that is less than or equal to the Change in Control Price in exchange for a cash payment of an amount equal to (x) the difference between the Change in Control Price and the Option Price or Grant Price (as applicable), multiplied by (y) the total number of Shares underlying such Option or SAR that are vested and exercisable at the time of the Change in Control. The Committee may, in its discretion, include such further provisions and limitations in any Award Agreement as it may deem desirable. The “Change in Control Price” means the lower of (a) the per-Share Fair Market Value as of the date of the Change in Control, or (b) the price paid per Share as part of the transaction which constitutes the Change in Control.

ARTICLE 12.

AMENDMENT, MODIFICATION, SUSPENSION, AND TERMINATION

12.1 Amendment, Modification, Suspension, and Termination . The Board may, at any time and from time to time, alter, amend, modify, suspend, or terminate this Plan in whole or in part. No amendment of the Plan shall be made without shareholder approval if shareholder approval is required by law, regulation, or stock exchange rule.

12.2 Adjustment of Awards Upon the Occurrence of Certain Unusual or Nonrecurring Events . The Committee may make adjustments in the terms and conditions of, and the criteria included in, Awards in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events (including, without limitation, the events described in Section 4.2) affecting the Company or the financial statements of the Company or of changes in applicable laws, regulations, or accounting principles, whenever the Committee determines that such adjustments are appropriate in order to prevent unintended dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan. The determination of the Committee as to the foregoing adjustments, if any, shall be conclusive and binding on Participants under the Plan.

12.3 Awards Previously Granted . Notwithstanding any other provision hereof to the contrary, no termination, amendment, suspension, or modification of this Plan shall adversely affect in any material way any Award previously granted hereunder without the written consent of the Participant holding such Award.

 

16


ARTICLE 13.

WITHHOLDING

13.1 Tax Withholding . The Company shall have the power and the right to deduct or withhold, or require a Participant to remit to the Company, an amount sufficient to satisfy federal, state, and local taxes, domestic or foreign (including the Participant’s FICA obligation), required by law or regulation to be withheld with respect to any taxable event arising or as a result of this Plan.

13.2 Share Withholding . With respect to withholding required upon the exercise of Options or SARs, upon the lapse of restrictions on Restricted Stock, or any other taxable event arising as a result of Awards granted hereunder, the Company may require or Participants may elect, subject to the approval of the Committee, to satisfy the withholding requirement, in whole or in part, by having the Company withhold Shares having a Fair Market Value of a Share on the date the tax is to be determined equal to the tax that could be imposed on the transaction, provided, that if required by the accounting rules and regulations to maintain favorable accounting treatment for the Awards, the tax is to be determined equal to the minimum statutory total tax that could be imposed on the transaction. All elections shall be irrevocable, made in writing, and signed by the Participant, and shall be subject to any restrictions or limitations that the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate.

ARTICLE 14.

SUCCESSORS

All obligations of the Company under the Plan with respect to Awards granted hereunder, shall be binding on any successor to the Company, whether the existence of such successor is the result of a direct or indirect purchase, merger, consolidation, or otherwise, of all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company.

ARTICLE 15.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

15.1 Forfeiture Events . The Committee may specify in an Award Agreement or other document that the Participant’s rights, payments, and benefits with respect to an Award shall be subject to reduction, cancellation, forfeiture, or recoupment upon the occurrence of certain specified events, in addition to any otherwise applicable vesting or performance conditions of an Award. Such events shall include, but shall not be limited to, termination of employment for Cause, violation of material Company and/or Subsidiary policies, breach of noncompetition, confidentiality, or other restrictive covenants that may apply to the Participant, or other conduct by the Participant that is detrimental to the business or reputation of the Company and/or its Subsidiaries.

15.2 Legend . The certificates for Shares may include any legend that the Committee deems appropriate to reflect any restrictions on transfer of such Shares.

 

17


15.3 Delivery of Title . The Company shall have no obligation to issue or deliver evidence of title for Shares issued under the Plan prior to:

(a) Obtaining any approvals from governmental agencies that the Company determines are necessary or advisable; and

(b) Completion of any registration or other qualification of the Shares under any applicable national or foreign law or ruling of any governmental body that the Company determines to be necessary or advisable.

15.4 Investment Representations . The Committee may require any Participant receiving Shares pursuant to an Award to represent and warrant in writing that the Participant is acquiring the Shares for investment and without any present intention to sell or distribute such Shares.

15.5 Uncertificated Shares . To the extent that this Plan provides for issuance of certificates to reflect the issuance or transfer of Shares, the transfer of such Shares may be affected on a noncertificated basis, to the extent not prohibited by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange.

15.6 Unfunded Plan . Participants shall have no right, title, or interest whatsoever in or to any investments that the Company and/or its Subsidiaries may make to aid it in meeting its obligations under the Plan. Nothing contained in the Plan, and no action taken pursuant to its provisions, shall create or be construed to create a trust of any kind, or a fiduciary relationship between the Company and/or its Subsidiaries and any Participant, beneficiary, legal representative, or any other person. To the extent that any person acquires a right to receive payments from the Company and/or its Subsidiaries under the Plan, such right shall be no greater than the right of an unsecured general creditor of the Company. All payments to be made hereunder shall be paid from the general funds of the Company and no special or separate fund shall be established and no segregation of assets shall be made to assure payment of such amounts except as expressly set forth in the Plan. The Plan is not intended to be subject to ERISA.

15.7 No Fractional Shares . No fractional Shares shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award. The Committee shall determine whether cash or other property shall be issued or paid in lieu of fractional Shares or whether such fractional Shares or any rights thereto shall be forfeited or otherwise eliminated.

15.8 Retirement and Welfare Plans . The Awards under this Plan will not be included as “compensation” for purposes of computing benefits payable to any Participant under the Company’s retirement plans (both qualified and nonqualified) or welfare benefit plans unless such other plan expressly provides that such compensation shall be taken into account in computing a Participant’s benefit.

15.9 Transferability . Notwithstanding any provision of this Plan or any Award Agreement to the contrary, Shares issued upon the exercise of Awards hereunder shall be subject to all restrictions on transfer applicable to Shares of Company Stock, generally, including the provisions of Section 5.04 of the Company’s Bylaws and any other restriction that may hereafter be so imposed.

 

18


ARTICLE 16.

LEGAL CONSTRUCTION

16.1 Gender and Number . Except where otherwise indicated by the context, any masculine term used herein also shall include the feminine, the plural shall include the singular, and the singular shall include the plural.

16.2 Severability . In the event any provision of the Plan shall be held illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of the Plan, and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision had not been included.

16.3 Requirements of Law . The granting of Awards and the issuance of Shares under the Plan shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and to such approvals by any governmental agencies as may be required. The Company shall receive the consideration required by law for the issuance of Awards under the Plan.

The inability of the Company to obtain authority from any regulatory body having jurisdiction, which authority is deemed by the Company’s counsel to be necessary to the lawful issuance and sale of any Shares hereunder, shall relieve the Company of any liability in respect of the failure to issue or sell such Shares as to which such requisite authority shall not have been obtained.

16.4 Securities Law Compliance . The Company may use reasonable endeavors to effect compliance with the requirements of applicable federal and state securities laws.

16.5 Governing Law . This Plan and each Award Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Wisconsin, excluding any conflicts or choice of law rule or principle that might otherwise refer construction or interpretation of the Plan to the substantive law of another jurisdiction. Unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, recipients of an Award under the Plan are deemed to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the federal or state courts of Wisconsin, to resolve any and all issues that may arise out of or relate to the Plan or any related Award Agreement.

 

19

Exhibit 10.9

COUNTY BANCORP, INC.

2012 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan

Award Agreement

This Award Agreement, by and between County Bancorp, Inc. (“CBI” or “Company”), and                                          (“Participant”), is dated this      day of                     , 20     (“Grant Date”).

The Compensation Committee (“Committee”) of Investors Community Bank (“ICB”) recognizes the important role of the Participant in the success of ICB. As such, the Committee, pursuant to a delegation of authority from the board of directors of CBI, would like to reward the Participant with a stake in the ownership of CBI, subject to the terms and conditions contained within this individual award agreement (the “Award Agreement”). Accordingly, the Committee hereby grants the Participant the right to earn the equity awards described herein.

1. Plan Document Controls . All awards reflected in this Award Agreement (“Awards”) are granted pursuant to the County Bancorp, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Plan”), which is hereby incorporated by reference. The Awards are subject to all of the applicable provisions of the Plan as of the Grant Date, and in the event of any inconsistency between this Award Agreement and the terms of the Plan, the terms of the Plan shall control. A copy of the Plan is available on the Investors Community Bank Intranet and /or by contacting human resources. Capitalized terms that are not defined herein shall have the same definition as provided in the Plan.

2. Options .

 

  a. Grant of Options . The Company hereby grants to the Participant options (“Options”) to purchase              shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $.01 per share (“Shares”), subject to the terms and conditions set forth below. The following table contains the designation of the Options granted hereunder as incentive stock options or nonqualified stock options, as well as the Option Price(s), vesting date(s), and expiration date(s) of the Options, and the number of Options that vest as of each such vesting date:

 

TYPE OF OPTIONS

   NUMBER OF OPTIONS    OPTION PRICE    VESTING DATE    EXPIRATION DATE

Incentive Stock Options

           

Incentive Stock Options

           

 

  b. Earlier Vesting Events . Options granted hereunder shall fully vest and be immediately exercisable upon any of the following events:

 

  i. The Participant’s Termination of Employment due to death, Disability, or Retirement; or

 

  ii. The occurrence of a Change in Control.

 

  c. Manner of Exercise . Vested and unexpired Options may be exercised by the Participant, in whole or in part, by giving written notice to the Company, specifying the number of Shares that the Participant elects to purchase, the date on which such purchase is to be made, and such other representations that the Company may require pursuant to the terms of the Plan. Such notice shall be accompanied by the aggregate Option Price for the Options that are being exercised,


  d. Payment of Option Price . The Option Price upon exercise of any Option shall be payable to the Company in full either: (i) in cash or its equivalent; (ii) by tendering previously acquired Shares having an aggregate Fair Market Value at the time of exercise equal to the total Option Price ( provided , if required to maintain favorable accounting treatment for the Options granted, the Shares that are tendered must have been held by the Participant for at least six (6) months prior to their tender to satisfy the Option Price or have been purchased on the open market); (iii) by a combination of (i) and (ii). To the extent permitted by the Federal Reserve Board’s Regulation T, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, allow a Participant to elect a cashless exercise of Options in whole or in part.

 

  e. Exercise Following Termination of Employment .

 

  i. If the Participant experiences a Termination of Employment due to death or Disability, Vested and unexpired Options may be exercised by the Participant (or by the Participant’s beneficiary, or if none, the personal representative of the Participant’s estate) until the earlier of (A) twelve (12) months following the date of such Termination of Employment; or (B) the expiration of the Option term.

 

  ii. If the Participant experiences a Termination of Employment due to Retirement, Vested and unexpired Options may be exercised by the Participant until the earlier of (A) three (3) months following the date of such Termination of Employment; or (B) the expiration of the Option term.

 

  iii. With respect to nonqualified stock options, if the Participant experiences a Termination of Employment for any reason other than Cause within twelve (12) months of a Change in Control, the Participant shall have until the earlier of: (A) twelve (12) months following such termination date; or (B) the expiration of the nonqualified stock option term, to exercise any such nonqualified stock option.

 

  iv. If the Participant experiences a Termination of Employment for any reason other than those listed above, Options may not be exercised following such Termination of Employment.

 

  f. Notice of Disqualifying Disposition of Incentive Stock Option Shares . If the Participant acquires Shares pursuant to the exercise of an incentive stock option, and thereafter sells or disposes of such Shares before the later of: (1) the date two years after the Grant Date; or (2) the date one year after the date of exercise, the Participant shall immediately notify the Company in writing of such disposition. The Participant agrees that he may be subject to income tax withholding by the Company on the income recognized by the Participant on such disposition.

 

  g. Rights as Shareholder . A Participant shall have none of the rights of a shareholder with respect to Shares covered by an Option until the Participant becomes the record holder of such Shares.

3. Stock Appreciation Rights .

 

  a. Grant of Freestanding Stock Appreciation Rights . The Company hereby grants to the Participant freestanding stock appreciation rights (“SARs”) covering              Shares of the Company’s common stock, subject to the terms and conditions set forth below. The following table contains the Grant Price(s), vesting date(s), and expiration date(s) of the SARs, and the number of SARs that vest as of each such vesting date:

 

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NUMBER OF SARs

   GRANT PRICE    VESTING DATE    EXPIRATION DATE
        
        

 

  b. Earlier Vesting Events . SARs granted hereunder shall fully vest and be immediately exercisable upon any of the following events:

 

  i. The Participant’s Termination of Employment due to death, Disability, or Retirement; or

 

  ii. The occurrence of a Change in Control.

 

  c. Manner of Exercise . Vested and unexpired SARs may be exercised by the Participant, in whole or in part, by giving written notice to the Company, specifying the number of Shares in respect to which the SARs are exercised, the date on which such exercise is to occur, and such other representations that the Company may require pursuant to the terms of the Plan.

 

  d. Settlement of SAR . Upon exercise of all or a specified portion of a SAR, the Participant (or such other person entitled to exercise the SAR pursuant to this Award Agreement and the Plan) shall be entitled to receive from the Company, cash in an amount equal to the amount determined by multiplying:

 

  i. 100% percent of the amount (if any) by which the Fair Market Value on the date of exercise of the SAR exceeds the Grant Price, by

 

  ii. The number of Shares with respect to which the SAR shall have been exercised.

 

  e. Exercise Following Termination of Employment .

 

  i. If the Participant experiences a Termination of Employment due to death or Disability, Vested and unexpired SARs may be exercised by the Participant (or by the Participant’s beneficiary, or if none, the personal representative of the Participant’s estate) until the earlier of (A) twelve (12) months following the date of such Termination of Employment; or (B) the expiration of the SAR term.

 

  ii. If the Participant experiences a Termination of Employment due to Retirement, Vested and unexpired SARs may be exercised by the Participant until the earlier of (A) three (3) months following the date of such Termination of Employment; or (B) the expiration of the SAR term.

 

  iii. If the Participant experiences a Termination of Employment for any reason other than Cause within twelve (12) months of a Change in Control, the Participant shall have until the earlier of: (A) twelve (12) months following such termination date; or (B) the expiration of the SAR term, to exercise any such SARs.

 

  iv. If the Participant experiences a Termination of Employment for any reason other than those listed above, SARs may not be exercised following such Termination of Employment.

4. Restricted Stock .

 

  a. Grant of Restricted Stock . The Company hereby grants to the Participant              Shares of the Company’s common stock, subject to the terms and conditions and restrictions set forth below.

 

-3-


  b. Period of Restriction . Prior to                     , 20     (the “Vesting Date”), the shares of Restricted Stock granted hereunder shall not be subject to sale, assignment, pledge or other transfer of disposition by the Participant, except as provided in subsections 3(d)(i) and 7(b) below, or except by reason of an exchange or conversion of such shares because of merger, consolidation, reorganization or other corporate action. Any shares into which the granted shares may be converted or for which the granted shares may be exchanged in a merger, consolidation, reorganization or other corporate action shall be subject to the same transferability restrictions as the granted shares. The period between the Grant Date and the Vesting Date is the “Period of Restriction” for the shares of Restricted Stock granted herein.

 

  c. Voting and Dividend Rights . During the Period of Restriction, the Participant shall have the right to exercise full voting rights , and shall be credited with dividends paid, with respect to Restricted Stock that are held by the Participant and that have not been forfeited.

 

  d. Termination of Employment During Period of Restriction .

 

  i. If the Participant experiences a Termination of Employment during the Period of Restriction due to death, Disability, or Retirement, the Period of Restriction for shares of Restricted Stock granted hereunder that have not previously vested shall end, and such Restricted Stock shall become fully vested and transferable.

 

  ii. If the Participant experiences a Termination of Employment during the Period of Restriction for reasons other than death, Disability, or Retirement, the shares of Restricted Stock granted hereunder that have not previously vested shall be forfeited.

 

  e. Section 83(b) Election . The Participant acknowledges that: (1) the Restricted Stock granted pursuant to this Award Agreement is restricted property for purposes of Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code and that the shares granted are subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture as therein defined until the year in which such shares are no longer subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture; and (2) the Participant may make an election to include the Fair Market Value of the shares in income in the year of the grant in which case no income is included in the year the shares are no longer subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture. Responsibility for determining whether or not to make such an election and compliance with the necessary requirements is the sole responsibility of the Participant.

5. Grant Date Fair Market Value . The Fair Market Value of each Share as of the Grant Date was $             Dollars and                      Cents ($            .    ).

6. Beneficiary Designation . The Participant may designate one or more beneficiaries who are entitled to receive payments or other benefits or exercise rights that are available under the Plan in the event of the Participant’s death. A Participant may designate a beneficiary or change a previous beneficiary designation at any time by using forms and following procedures approved by the Committee for that purpose. If no beneficiary is designated by the Participant, or if all beneficiaries designated by the Participant predecease the Participant or are otherwise ineligible to receive payments or other benefits or exercise rights that are available under the Plan at the Participant’s death, the beneficiary shall be the Participant’s estate.

7. Employment .  Neither the Awards reflected in this Award Agreement nor any benefits arising under the Plan shall constitute part of an employment contract between the Participant and the Company and/or its Subsidiaries. Nothing in the Plan or this Award Agreement shall interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Company and/or its Subsidiaries to terminate the Participant’s employment or other service relationship at any time, nor confer upon the Participant any right to continue in the capacity in which he or she is employed or otherwise serves the Company and/or its Subsidiaries.

 

-4-


8. Change in Control . Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control, unless otherwise specifically prohibited under applicable laws, or by the rules and regulations of any governing governmental agencies:

 

  a. Any and all Options and granted hereunder shall become immediately exercisable; additionally, with respect to nonqualified stock options (but not incentive stock options), if a Participant’s employment is terminated for any other reason except Cause within twelve (12) months of such Change in Control, the Participant shall have until the earlier of: (i) twelve (12) months following such termination date; or (ii) the expiration of the nonqualified stock option term, to exercise any such nonqualified stock option;

 

  b. Any Period of Restriction for Restricted Stock granted hereunder that have not previously vested shall end, and such Restricted Stock shall become fully vested and transferable;

 

  c. Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Committee shall have the authority to make any modifications to the Awards as determined by the Committee to be appropriate before the effective date of the Change in Control.

9. Successors . All obligations of the Company under the Plan with respect to Awards granted hereunder, shall be binding on any successor to the Company, whether the existence of such successor is the result of a direct or indirect purchase, merger, consolidation, or otherwise, of all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company.

10. Retirement and Welfare Plans .  The Awards under this Award Agreement will not be included as “compensation” for purposes of computing benefits payable to the Participant under the Company’s retirement plans (both qualified and nonqualified) or welfare benefit plans unless such other plan expressly provides that such compensation shall be taken into account in computing the Participant’s benefit.

11. Severability .  In the event any provision of this Award Agreement shall be held illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of the Award Agreement, and the Award Agreement shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision had not been included.

12. Transferability . Notwithstanding any provision of this Award Agreement to the contrary, Shares issued pursuant to Awards hereunder shall be subject to all restrictions on transfer applicable to Shares of Company common stock generally, including the provisions of Section 5.04 of the Company’s Bylaws and any other restriction that may hereafter be so imposed.

13. Governing Law, Jurisdiction, and Venue .  This Award Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Wisconsin, excluding any conflicts or choice of law rule or principle that might otherwise refer construction or interpretation of the Award Agreement to the substantive law of another jurisdiction. The Participant expressly agrees to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the federal or state courts of Wisconsin to resolve any and all issues that may arise out of or relate to the Plan and/or this Award Agreement.

 

-5-


Dated: Fill in the Date      
By:      
County Bancorp, Inc.:   

Participant:

  

 

     

 

William C Censky   

Name

  
CEO and Chairman of the Board      

 

     
Chairperson, Compensation Committee of Investors Community Bank      
             Recorded in Bank Tracking      

 

-6-


BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION

COUNTY BANCORP, INC.

2012 EQUITY INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN

I,                                         , designate the following as beneficiary of benefits under the Plan payable following my death:

 

Primary:          
   

 

                   %
   

 

                   %
   
           
Contingent:        
   

 

                   %
   

 

                   %
   
           

Notes:

 

    Please PRINT CLEARLY or TYPE the names of the beneficiaries.

 

    To name a trust as beneficiary, please provide the name of the trustee(s) and the exact name and date of the trust agreement.

 

    To name your estate as beneficiary, please write “Estate of _[your name]_”.

 

    Be aware that none of the contingent beneficiaries will receive anything unless ALL of the primary beneficiaries predecease you.

I understand that I may change these beneficiary designations by delivering a new written designation to the Plan Administrator, which shall be effective only upon receipt and acknowledgment by the Plan Administrator prior to my death. I further understand that the designations will be automatically revoked if the beneficiary predeceases me, or, if I have named my spouse as beneficiary and our marriage is subsequently dissolved.

 

Name:      

 

        
Signature:      

 

      Date:   

 

 

SPOUSAL CONSENT (Required if Spouse not named beneficiary):

I consent to the beneficiary designation above, and acknowledge that if I am named beneficiary and our marriage is subsequently dissolved, the designation will be automatically revoked.

 

Spouse Name:      

 

        
Signature:      

 

      Date:   

 

    

Received by the Plan Administrator this      day of                     , 2    .

 

By:  

 

Title:  

 

 

-7-

Exhibit 10.10

INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK

2006 Equity Compensation Plan

Article 1. Establishment, Purpose, and Duration

1.1 Establishment of the Plan.  County Bancorp, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation (hereinafter referred to as the “Company”), establishes an incentive compensation plan to be known as the Investors Community Bank 2006 Equity Plan (hereinafter referred to as the “Plan”), as set forth in this document.

The Plan permits the grant of Incentive Stock Options (“ISOs”), Nonqualified Stock Options (“NSOs”), Stock Appreciation Rights (“SARs”), Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Shares, Performance Units, and Stock-Based Awards.

The Plan shall become effective upon approval of the Plan (the “Effective Date”) by the Company’s Board of Director’s and shall remain in effect as provided in Section 1.3 hereof.

1.2 Purpose of the Plan.  The purpose of the Plan is to promote the success and enhance the value of the Company by linking the personal interests of the Participants to those of the Company’s shareholders, and by providing Participants with an incentive for outstanding performance.

The Plan is further intended to provide flexibility to the Company in its ability to motivate, attract, and retain the services of Participants upon whose judgment, interest, and special effort the successful conduct of its operation largely is dependent.

1.3 Duration of the Plan.  Unless sooner terminated as provided herein, the Plan shall terminate ten (10) years from the Effective Date. After the Plan is terminated, no future Awards may be granted, but Awards previously granted shall remain outstanding in accordance with their applicable terms and conditions and the Plan’s terms and conditions. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Incentive Stock Options may be granted more than ten (10) years after the earlier of (a) the adoption of the Plan by the Board, and (b) the Effective Date.

1.4 Awards under Prior Option Plans.  From and after the Effective Date, the Company will make new Awards only under this Plan. For the avoidance of doubt, all awards granted before the Effective Date under any prior plan shall remain in full force and effect and shall continue to be governed by the terms of the applicable plan and related award agreement.

Article 2. Definitions

Whenever used in the Plan, the following terms shall have the meaning set forth below, and when the meaning is intended, the initial letter of the word shall be capitalized.

2.1 “Affiliate” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations of the Exchange Act.

2.2 “Award” means, individually or collectively, a grant under this Plan of ISOs, NSOs, SARs, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Shares, Performance Units, or Stock-Based Awards.

2.3 “Award Agreement” means either (i) an agreement entered into by the Company and each Participant setting forth the terms and provisions applicable to Awards granted under this Plan; or (ii) a statement issued by the Company to a Participant describing the terms and provisions of such Award.


2.4 “Beneficial Owner or Beneficial Ownership” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act.

2.5 “Board” or “Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

2.6 “Cause” means:

(a) Gross negligence or gross neglect of duties;

(b) Commission of a felony or of a gross misdemeanor involving moral turpitude; or

(c) Fraud, disloyalty, dishonesty or willful violation of any law or significant Company policy committed in connection with the person’s employment in service and resulting in an adverse effect on the Company.

2.7 “Change in Control” shall mean any of the following:

(a) Individuals who, on the date of adoption of this Plan, constitute the Board (the “Incumbent Directors”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board, provided that any person becoming a director subsequent to such date, whose election or nomination for election was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Incumbent Directors then on the Board (either by a specific vote or by approval of the proxy statement of the Company in which such person is named as a nominee for director, without written objection to such nomination) shall be an Incumbent Director; provided, however, that no individual initially elected or nominated as a director of the Company as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to directors or as a result of any other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of any person other than the Board shall be deemed to be an Incumbent Director;

(b) Any “person” (as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act and as used in Sections 13(d)(3) and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act) is or becomes a “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d 3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 25% or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities eligible to vote for the election of the Board (the “Company Voting Securities”); provided, however, that the event described in this paragraph (ii) shall not be deemed to be a Change in Control by virtue of any of the following acquisitions: (A) by the Company or any Subsidiary, (B) by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any Subsidiary, (C) by any underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to an offering of such securities or (D) pursuant to a Non-Qualifying Transaction (as defined in paragraph (c)); or

(c) The consummation of a merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange, sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, a plan of liquidation or dissolution of the Company or similar form of corporate transaction involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that requires the approval of the Company’s shareholders, whether for such transaction or the issuance of securities in the transaction (a “Business Transaction”), unless immediately following such Business Transaction: (A) more than 50% of the total voting power of (x) the corporation resulting from such Business Transaction (the “Surviving Corporation”), or (y) if applicable, the ultimate parent corporation that directly or indirectly has beneficial ownership of at least 95% of the voting securities eligible to elect directors of the Surviving Corporation (the “Parent Corporation”), is represented by Company Voting Securities that were outstanding immediately prior to such Business Transaction (or, if applicable, is represented by shares into which such Company Voting Securities were converted pursuant to such Business Transaction), and such voting power among the holders thereof is in substantially the same proportion as the voting power of such Company Voting Securities among the holders thereof immediately prior to the Business Transaction, (B) no


person (other than any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Surviving Corporation or the Parent Corporation), is or becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 25% or more of the total voting power of the outstanding voting securities eligible to elect directors of the Parent Corporation (or, if there is no Parent Corporation, the Surviving Corporation) and (C) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors of the Parent Corporation (or, if there is no Parent Corporation, the Surviving Corporation) following the consummation of the Business Transaction were Incumbent Directors at the time of the Board’s approval of the execution of the initial agreement providing for such Business Transaction (any Business Transaction which satisfies all of the criteria specified in (A), (B) and (C) above shall be deemed to be a “Non-Qualifying Transaction”).

Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Change in Control of the Company shall not be deemed to occur solely because any person acquires beneficial ownership of more than 25% of the Company Voting Securities as a result of the acquisition of Company Voting Securities by the Company which reduces the number of Company Voting Securities outstanding; provided , that if after such acquisition by the Company such person becomes the beneficial owner of additional Company Voting Securities that increases the percentage of outstanding Company Voting Securities beneficially owned by such person, a Change in Control of the Company shall then occur.

2.8 “Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, or any successor thereto.

2.9 “Committee” Compensation Committee of the Board. However, if a member of the Compensation Committee is not an “outside director” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code or is not a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, the Compensation Committee may from time to time delegate some or all of its functions under the Plan to a committee or subcommittee composed members that meet the relevant requirements. The term “Committee” includes any such committee or subcommittee, to the extent of the Compensation Committee’s delegation.

2.10 “Company” means County Bancorp, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation, and any successor thereto as provided in Article 17 herein.

2.11 “Covered Employee” means a Participant who is a “covered employee,” as defined in Section 162(m) of the Code and the regulations promulgated under Section 162(m) of the Code, or any successor statute.

2.12 “Director” means any individual who is a member of the Board of Directors of the Company and/or its Subsidiaries.

2.13 “Employee” means any employee of the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries. Directors who are not otherwise employed by the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries shall not be considered Employees under this Plan.

Individuals described in the first sentence of this definition who are foreign nationals or are employed outside of the United States, or both, are considered to be Employees and may be granted Awards on the terms and conditions set forth in the Plan, or on such other terms and conditions as may, in the judgment of the Committee, be necessary or desirable to further the purpose of the Plan

2.14 “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, or any successor act thereto.


2.15 “Fair Market Value” or “FMV” means a price that is based on the opening, closing, actual, high, low, or average selling prices of a Share on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) or other established stock exchange (or exchanges) on the applicable date, the preceding trading day, the next succeeding trading day, or an average of trading days, as determined by the Committee in its discretion. Such definition of FMV shall be specified in the Award Agreement and may differ depending on whether FMV is in reference to the grant, exercise, vesting, or settlement or payout of an Award. If, however, the accounting standards used to account for equity awards granted to Participants are substantially modified subsequent to the Effective Date of the Plan, the Committee shall have the ability to determine an Award’s FMV based on the relevant facts and circumstances. If Shares are not traded on an established stock exchange, FMV shall be determined by the Committee based on an independent appraisal that meets the requirements of Code Section 401(a)(28)(c) and regulations thereunder.

2.16 “Fiscal Year” means the year commencing on January 1 and ending December 31 or other time period as approved by the Board.

2.17 “Freestanding SAR” means an SAR that is granted independently of any Options, as described in Article 7 herein.

2.18 “Full Value Award” means an Award other than in the form of an ISO, NQSO, or SAR and which is settled by the issuance of Shares.

2.19 “Grant Price” means the price at which a SAR may be exercised by a Participant, as determined by the Committee and set forth in Section 7.1 herein.

2.20 “Incentive Stock Option” or “ISO” means an Option to purchase Shares granted under Article 6 herein and that is designated as an Incentive Stock Option and is intended to meet the requirements of Section 422 of the Code, or any successor provision.

2.21 “Independent Contractor” means an individual providing services to the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries, other than a Director who is not also an Employee of the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries. Such Independent Contractor shall be eligible to participate in the Plan as selected by the Committee in accordance with Article 5. Notwithstanding any other provision in the Plan to the contrary, the following shall apply in the case of an Independent Contractor who is allowed to participate in the Plan: (a) with respect to any reference in this Plan to the working relationship between such Independent Contractor and the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries, the term “service” shall apply as may be appropriate in lieu of the term “employment” or “employ”; (b) no such Independent Contractor shall be eligible for a grant of an ISO; and (c) the exercise period and vesting of an Award following such Independent Contractor’s termination from service shall be specified and governed under the terms and conditions of the Plan, or if different, in the Award as may be determined by the Committee and set forth in the Independent Contractor’s Award Agreement related to such Award.

2.22 “Insider” shall mean an individual who is, on the relevant date, an officer, Director, or more than ten percent (10%) Beneficial Owner of any class of the Company’s equity securities that is registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act, as determined by the Board in accordance with Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

2.23 “Nonqualified Stock Option” or “NQSO” means an Option to purchase Shares, granted under Article 6 herein, which is not intended to be an Incentive Stock Option or that otherwise does not meet such requirements.

2.24 “Option” means an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonqualified Stock Option, as described in Article 6 herein.


2.25 “Option Price” means the price at which a Share may be purchased by a Participant pursuant to an Option, as determined by the Committee.

2.26 “Participant” means an Employee, Director or Independent Contractor who has been selected to receive an Award or who has an outstanding Award granted under the Plan.

2.27 “Performance-Based Compensation” means compensation under an Award that satisfies the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code for deductibility of remuneration paid to Covered Employees.

2.28 “Performance Measures” means measures as described in Article 11 on which the performance goals are based and which are approved by the Company’s shareholders pursuant to this Plan in order to qualify Awards as Performance-Based Compensation.

2.29 “Performance Period” means the period of time during which the performance goals must be met in order to determine the degree of payout and/or vesting with respect to an Award.

2.30 “Performance Share” means an Award granted to a Participant, as described in Article 9 herein.

2.31 “Performance Unit” means an Award granted to a Participant, as described in Article 9 herein.

2.32 “Period of Restriction” means the period when Awards are subject to forfeiture based on the passage of time, the achievement of performance goals, and/or upon the occurrence of other events as determined by the Committee, at its discretion.

2.33 “Person” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) thereof, including a “group” as defined in Section 13(d) thereof.

2.34 “Restricted Stock” means an Award of Shares granted to a Participant pursuant to Article 8 herein.

2.35 “Restricted Stock Unit” means an Award granted to a Participant pursuant to Article 8 herein.

2.36 “Shares” or “Stock” means the Shares of common stock of the Company.

2.37 “Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means an Award, designated as an SAR, pursuant to the terms of Article 7 herein.

2.38 “Stock-Based Award” means an Award granted pursuant to the terms of Section 10.2 herein.

2.39 “Subsidiary” means any corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, or other entity (other than the Company) in an unbroken chain of entities beginning with the Company if each of the entities other than the last entity in the unbroken chain owns at least fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power in one of the other entities in such chain.

2.40 “Tandem SAR” means an SAR that is granted in connection with a related Option pursuant to Article 7 herein, the exercise of which shall require forfeiture of the right to purchase a Share


under the related Option (and when a Share is purchased under the Option, the Tandem SAR shall similarly be cancelled) or an SAR that is granted in tandem with an Option but the exercise of such Option does not cancel the SAR, but rather results in the exercise of the related SAR.

Article 3. Administration

3.1 General.  The Committee shall be responsible for administering the Plan. The Committee may employ attorneys, consultants, accountants, and other persons, and the Committee, the Company, and its officers and Directors shall be entitled to rely upon the advice, opinions, or valuations of any such persons. All actions taken and all interpretations and determinations made by the Committee shall be final, conclusive, and binding upon the Participants, the Company, and all other interested parties.

3.2 Authority of the Committee.  The Committee shall have full and exclusive discretionary power and authority to interpret the terms and the intent of the Plan and to determine eligibility for Awards and to adopt such rules, regulations, and guidelines for administering the Plan as the Committee may deem necessary or proper. Such authority shall include, but not be limited to, selecting Award recipients, establishing all Award terms and conditions and, subject to Article 15, adopting modifications and amendments, or subplans to the Plan or any Award Agreement, including without limitation, any that are necessary to comply with the laws of the countries in which the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries operate.

3.3 Delegation.  The Committee may delegate to one or more of its members or to one or more officers of the Company, its Affiliates and/or its Subsidiaries, or to one or more agents or advisors such administrative duties as it may deem advisable, and the Committee or any person to whom it has delegated duties as aforesaid may employ one or more persons to render advice with respect to any responsibility the Committee or such person may have under the Plan. Except with respect to Awards to Insiders, the Committee may (to the extent permitted by applicable law), by resolution, authorize one or more officers of the Company to do one or both of the following: (a) designate officers, Employees, or Independent Contractors of the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries to be recipients of Awards; and (b) determine the size of the Award; provided, however, that the resolution providing such authorization sets forth the total number of Awards such officer or officers may grant.

Article 4. Shares Subject to the Plan and Maximum Awards

4.1 Number of Shares Available for Awards.  Subject to adjustment as provided in this Article 4, the number of Shares which may be delivered pursuant to Awards granted under the Plan (the “Share Authorization” shall be the greater of 40,000 shares or 20% of the stock issued and outstanding on January 1, 2006 unless otherwise restricted by bank or bank holding company regulation). The maximum aggregate number of Shares that may be granted pursuant to any Award granted in any one Fiscal Year to any one Participant shall be 10% of the Share Authorization. The maximum number of Shares that may be issued for Full Value Awards shall be limited to 50% of the Share Authorization. Any Shares related to Awards which terminate by expiration, forfeiture, cancellation, or otherwise without the issuance of such Shares, are settled in cash in lieu of Shares, or are exchanged with the Committee’s permission for Awards not involving Shares, shall be available again for grant under the Plan. Moreover, if the Option Price of any Option granted under the Plan or the tax withholding requirements with respect to any Award granted under the Plan are satisfied by tendering Shares to the Company (by either actual delivery or by attestation), or if an SAR is exercised, only the number of Shares issued, net of the Shares tendered, if any, will be deemed delivered for purposes of determining the maximum number of Shares available for delivery under the Plan. The maximum number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan shall not be reduced to reflect any dividends or dividend equivalents that are reinvested into additional Shares or credited as additional Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Shares, or Stock-Based Awards. The Shares available for issuance under the Plan may be authorized and unissued Shares or treasury Shares.


4.2 Adjustments in Authorized Shares.  In the event of any corporate event or transaction (including, but not limited to, a change in the Shares of the Company or the capitalization of the Company) such as a merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization, separation, Stock dividend, Stock split, reverse Stock split, split up, spin-off, or other distribution of Stock or property of the Company, combination of securities, exchange of securities, dividend in kind, or other like change in capital structure or distribution (other than normal cash dividends) to shareholders of the Company, or any similar corporate event or transaction, the Committee, in its sole discretion, in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of Participants’ rights under the Plan, shall substitute or adjust, in an equitable manner, as applicable, the number and kind of Shares that may be issued under the Plan, the number and kind of Shares subject to outstanding Awards, the Option Price or Grant Price applicable to outstanding Awards, the Award Limits, and other value determinations applicable to outstanding Awards.

Appropriate adjustments may also be made by the Committee in the terms of any Awards under the Plan to reflect such changes or distributions and to modify any other terms of outstanding Awards on an equitable basis, including modifications of performance goals and changes in the length of Performance Periods. The determination of the Committee as to the foregoing adjustments, if any, shall be conclusive and binding on Participants under the Plan.

Subject to the provisions of Article 14 and any applicable law or regulatory requirement, without affecting the number of Shares reserved or available hereunder, the Committee may authorize the issuance, assumption, substitution, conversion or termination of Awards under this Plan in connection with any merger, consolidation, acquisition of property or Stock, or reorganization, upon such terms and conditions as it may deem appropriate. Additionally, the Committee may amend the Plan, or adopt supplements to the Plan, in such manner as it deems appropriate to provide for such issuance, assumption, substitution, conversion or termination, all without further action by the Company’s shareholders.

Article 5. Eligibility, Participation , and Vesting

5.1 Eligibility.  Individuals eligible to participate in the Plan include all Employees, Directors, and Independent Contractors.

5.2 Actual Participation.  Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee may from time to time, select from all eligible Employees, Directors, and Independent Contractors, those to whom Awards shall be granted and shall determine the nature and amount of each Award.

5.3 Vesting.  Awards granted under the Plan shall vest, i.e., become nonforfeitable five (5) years after the date of grant.

5.4 Vesting upon Retirement at age 60.  Notwithstanding the foregoing or any provision of an Award Agreement to the contrary, and subject to the continued observance of any noncompetition covenant or agreement that may be in effect, a Participant shall be fully vested in any and all Awards hereunder (with the exception of Awards under the Plan which are subject to achievement of any of the Performance Measures specified in Article 11) upon the Participant’s Retirement on or after age 60 with at least five years of service with the Company.

5.5 Vesting upon death or disability.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon the death or disability of the Participant:

(a) Any and all Options and SARs granted hereunder shall become immediately exercisable; provided, however, that Participant or his beneficiary shall have until the earlier of: (i) twelve (12) months following such termination date; or (ii) the expiration of the Option or SAR term, to exercise any such Option or SAR;


(b) Any Period of Restriction for Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units granted hereunder that have not previously vested shall end, and such Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall become fully vested;

(c) The target payout opportunities attainable under all outstanding Awards under the Plan which are subject to achievement of any of the Performance Measures specified in Article 11, or any other performance conditions or restrictions that the Committee has made the Award contingent upon, shall be deemed to have been fully earned as of the date of the Participant’s death or disability.

(i) The vesting of all Awards denominated in Shares shall be accelerated as of the effective date of the Participant’s death or disability, and there shall be paid out to Participants (or beneficiaries, as appropriate) a pro rata number of Shares based upon an assumed achievement of all relevant targeted performance goals and upon the length of time within the Performance Period, if any, that has elapsed prior to the Participant’s death or disability. The Committee has the authority to pay all or any portion of the value of the Shares in cash.

(ii) Awards denominated in cash shall be paid pro rata to Participants with the proration determined as a function of the length of time within the Performance Period, if any, that has elapsed prior to the Participant’s Death or Disability, and based on an assumed achievement of all relevant targeted performance goals.

5.6 Vesting upon Change in Control.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a Change in Control, vesting shall be determined in accordance with Article 14 of the Plan.

Article 6. Stock Options

6.1 Grant of Options.  Subject to the terms and provisions of the Plan, Options may be granted to Participants in such number, and upon such terms, and at any time and from time to time as shall be determined by the Committee, provided that ISOs shall not be granted to Non-Employee Directors and Independent Contractors.

6.2 Award Agreement.  Each Option grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that shall specify the Option Price, the duration of the Option, the number of Shares to which the Option pertains, the conditions upon which an Option shall become vested and exercisable, and such other provisions as the Committee shall determine which are not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan. The Award Agreement also shall specify whether the Option is intended to be an ISO or a NQSO.

6.3 Option Price.  The Option Price for each grant of an Option under this Plan shall be determined by the Committee and shall be specified in the Award Agreement. The Option Price shall be at least one hundred percent (100%) of the FMV of the Shares on the date of grant.

6.4 Duration of Options.  Each Option granted to a Participant shall expire at such time as the Committee shall determine at the time of grant; provided, however, no Option shall be exercisable later than the tenth (10 th ) anniversary date of its grant.

6.5 Exercise of Options.  Options granted under this Article 6 shall be exercisable at such times and be subject to such restrictions and conditions as the Committee shall in each instance approve, which need not be the same for each grant or for each Participant.


6.6 Payment.  Options granted under this Article 6 shall be exercised by the delivery of a written notice of exercise to the Company, setting forth the number of Shares with respect to which the Option is to be exercised, accompanied by full payment for the Shares.

The Option Price upon exercise of any Option shall be payable to the Company in full either: (a) in cash or its equivalent; (b) by tendering (either by actual delivery or attestation) previously acquired Shares having an aggregate FMV at the time of exercise equal to the total Option Price (provided, if required to maintain favorable accounting treatment for the Options granted, the Shares that are tendered must have been held by the Participant for at least six (6) months prior to their tender to satisfy the Option Price or have been purchased on the open market); (c) by a combination of (a) and (b); or (d) any other method approved by the Committee in its sole discretion at the time of grant and as set forth in the Award Agreement.

The Committee also may allow cashless exercise as permitted under the Federal Reserve Board’s Regulation T, subject to applicable securities law restrictions, or by any other means which the Committee determines to be consistent with the Plan’s purpose and applicable law.

Subject to Section 6.7 and any governing rules or regulations, as soon as practicable after receipt of a written notification of exercise and full payment, the Company shall deliver to the Participant, Share certificates or evidence of book entry Shares, in an appropriate amount based upon the number of Shares purchased under the Option(s).

Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, all payments under all of the methods indicated above shall be paid in United States dollars.

6.7 Restrictions on Share Transferability.  The Committee may impose such restrictions on any Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an Option granted under this Article 6 as it may deem advisable, including, without limitation, requiring the Participant to hold the Shares acquired pursuant to exercise for a specified period of time, restrictions under applicable federal securities laws, under the requirements of any stock exchange or market upon which such Shares are then listed and/or traded, and under any blue sky or state securities laws applicable to such Shares.

6.8 Termination of Employment.  Each Participant’s Award Agreement shall set forth the extent to which the Participant shall have the right to exercise the Option following termination of the Participant’s employment with the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries. Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, shall be included in the Award Agreement entered into with each Participant, need not be uniform among all Options issued pursuant to this Article 6, and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for termination.

6.9 Transferability of Options.

(a)  Incentive Stock Options.  No ISO granted under the Plan may be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. Further, all ISOs granted to a Participant under this Article 6 shall be exercisable during his or her lifetime only by such Participant.

(b)  Nonqualified Stock Options.  Except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Award Agreement or otherwise at any time by the Committee, no NQSO granted under this Article 6 may be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution; provided that the Board or Committee may permit further transferability, on a general or a specific basis, and may impose conditions and limitations on any permitted transferability. Further, except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Award Agreement or otherwise at any time by the Committee, or unless the Board or the Committee decides to permit further transferability, all NQSOs granted to a Participant under this Article 6 shall be exercisable during his or her lifetime only by such Participant.


6.10 Notification of Disqualifying Disposition.  The Participant will notify the Company upon the disposition of Shares issued pursuant to the exercise of an ISO. The Company will use such information to determine whether a disqualifying disposition as described in Section 421(b) of the Code has occurred.

Article 7. Stock Appreciation Rights

7.1 Grant of SARs.  Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, SARs may be granted to Participants at any time and from time to time as shall be determined by the Committee. The Committee may grant Freestanding SARs, Tandem SARs, or any combination of these forms of SARs.

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, the Committee shall have complete discretion in determining the number of SARs granted to each Participant and, consistent with the provisions of the Plan, in determining the terms and conditions pertaining to such SARs.

The SAR Grant Price for each grant of a Freestanding SAR shall be determined by the Committee and shall be specified in the Award Agreement. The SAR Grant Price must be at least one hundred percent (100%) of the FMV of the Shares on the date of grant. The Grant Price of Tandem SARs must be at least one hundred percent (100%) of the FMV of the Shares on the date of grant.

7.2 SAR Agreement.  Each SAR Award shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that shall specify the Grant Price, the term of the SAR, and such other provisions as the Committee shall determine.

7.3 Term of SAR.  The term of an SAR granted under the Plan shall be determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, and except as determined otherwise by the Committee and specified in the SAR Award Agreement, no SAR shall be exercisable later than the tenth (10th) anniversary date of its grant.

7.4 Exercise of Freestanding SARs.  Freestanding SARs may be exercised upon whatever terms and conditions the Committee, in its sole discretion, imposes upon them.

7.5. Exercise of Tandem SARs.  Tandem SARs may be exercised for all or part of the Shares subject to the related Option upon the surrender of the right to exercise the equivalent portion of the related Option. A Tandem SAR may be exercised only with respect to the Shares for which its related Option is then exercisable.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary, with respect to a Tandem SAR granted in connection with an ISO: (a) the Tandem SAR will expire no later than the expiration of the underlying ISO; (b) the value of the payout with respect to the Tandem SAR may be for no more than one hundred percent (100%) of the difference between the Option Price of the underlying ISO and the FMV of the Shares subject to the underlying ISO at the time the Tandem SAR is exercised; and (c) the Tandem SAR may be exercised only when the FMV of the Shares subject to the ISO exceeds the Option Price of the ISO.

7.6 Payment of SAR Amount.  Upon the exercise of an SAR, a Participant shall be entitled to receive payment from the Company in an amount determined by multiplying:

(a) The difference between the FMV of a Share on the date of exercise over the Grant Price; by

(b) The number of Shares with respect to which the SAR is exercised.


At the discretion of the Committee, the payment upon SAR exercise may be in cash, in Shares of equivalent value, in some combination thereof, or in any other manner approved by the Committee at its sole discretion. The Committee’s determination regarding the form of SAR payout shall be set forth or reserved for later determination in the Award Agreement pertaining to the grant of the SAR.

7.7 Termination of Employment.  Each Award Agreement shall set forth the extent to which the Participant shall have the right to exercise the SAR following termination of the Participant’s employment with the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries. Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, shall be included in the Award Agreement entered into with Participants, need not be uniform among all SARs issued pursuant to the Plan, and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for termination.

7.8 Nontransferability of SARs.  Except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Award Agreement, no SAR granted under the Plan may be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution; provided that the Board or Committee may permit further transferability, on a general or a specific basis, and may impose conditions and limitations on any permitted transferability. Further, except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Award Agreement or otherwise unless the Board or the Committee decides to permit further transferability, all SARs granted to a Participant under this Article 7 shall be exercisable during his or her lifetime only by such Participant.

7.9 Other Restrictions.  The Committee shall impose such other conditions and/or restrictions on any Shares received upon exercise of a SAR granted pursuant to the Plan as it may deem advisable. This includes, but is not limited to, requiring the Participant to hold the Shares received upon exercise of an SAR for a specified period of time.

Article 8. Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units

8.1 Grant of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units.  Subject to the terms and provisions of the Plan, the Committee, at any time and from time to time, may grant Shares of Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Units to Participants in such amounts, as the Committee shall determine. Restricted Stock Units shall be similar to Restricted Stock except that no Shares are actually awarded to the Participant on the date of grant.

8.2 Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Unit Agreement.  Each Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Unit grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that shall specify the Period(s) of Restriction, the number of Shares of Restricted Stock or the number of Restricted Stock Units granted, and such other provisions as the Committee shall determine.

8.3 Transferability.  Except as provided in this Article 8, the Shares of Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Units granted herein may not be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated until the end of the applicable Period of Restriction established by the Committee and specified in the Award Agreement (and in the case of Restricted Stock Units until the date of delivery or other payment), or upon earlier satisfaction of any other conditions, as specified by the Committee, in its sole discretion, and set forth in the Award Agreement. All rights with respect to the Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Units granted to a Participant under the Plan shall be available during his or her lifetime only to such Participant.

8.4 Other Restrictions.  The Committee shall impose such other conditions and/or restrictions on any Shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units granted pursuant to the Plan as it may deem advisable including, without limitation, a requirement that Participants pay a stipulated purchase price for each Share of Restricted Stock or each Restricted Stock Unit, restrictions based upon the achievement of specific performance goals, time-based restrictions on vesting following the attainment of the performance


goals, time-based restrictions, restrictions under applicable federal or state securities laws, or any holding requirements or sale restrictions placed on the Shares by the Company upon vesting of such Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units.

To the extent deemed appropriate by the Committee, the Company may retain the certificates representing Shares of Restricted Stock in the Company’s possession until such time as all conditions and/or restrictions applicable to such Shares have been satisfied or lapse.

Except as otherwise provided in this Article 8, Shares of Restricted Stock covered by each Restricted Stock Award shall become freely transferable by the Participant after all conditions and restrictions applicable to such Shares have been satisfied or lapse, and Restricted Stock Units shall be paid in cash, Shares, or a combination of cash and Shares as the Committee, in its sole discretion shall determine.

8.5 Certificate Legend.  In addition to any legends placed on certificates pursuant to Section 8.4 herein, each certificate representing Shares of Restricted Stock granted pursuant to the Plan may bear a legend such as the following:

“The sale or other transfer of the Shares of Stock represented by this certificate, whether voluntary, involuntary, or by operation of law, is subject to certain restrictions on transfer as set forth in the Investors Community Bank’s 2006 Equity Compensation Plan, and in the associated Restricted Stock Award Agreement. A copy of the Plan and such Restricted Stock Award Agreement may be obtained from the Investors Community Bank.”

8.6 Voting Rights.  To the extent permitted or required by law, as determined by the Committee, Participants holding Shares of Restricted Stock granted hereunder may be granted the right to exercise full voting rights with respect to those Shares during the Period of Restriction. A Participant shall have no voting rights with respect to any Restricted Stock Units granted hereunder.

8.7 Dividends and Dividend Equivalents.  During the Period of Restriction, Participants holding Shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units granted hereunder may, if the Committee so determines, be credited with dividends paid with respect to Restricted Stock or dividend equivalents with respect to Restricted Stock Units while they are so held in a manner determined by the Committee in its sole discretion. The Committee may apply any restrictions to the dividends or dividend equivalents that the Committee deems appropriate. The Committee, in its sole discretion, may determine the form of payment of dividends or dividend equivalents, including cash, Shares, Restricted Stock, or Restricted Stock Units and such dividends or dividend equivalents may be subject to accrual, forfeiture, or payout restrictions as determined by the Committee.

8.8 Termination of Employment.  Each Award Agreement shall set forth the extent to which the Participant shall have the right to retain Restricted Stock and/or Restricted Stock Units following termination of the Participant’s employment with the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries. Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, shall be included in the Award Agreement entered into with each Participant, need not be uniform among all Shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units issued pursuant to the Plan, and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for termination.

8.9 Section 83(b) Election.  The Committee may provide in an Award Agreement that the Award of Restricted Stock is conditioned upon the Participant making or refraining from making an election with respect to the Award under Section 83(b) of the Code. If a Participant makes an election pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Code concerning a Restricted Stock Award, the Participant shall be required to file promptly a copy of such election with the Company.


Article 9. Performance Shares and Performance Units

9.1 Grant of Performance Shares and Performance Units.  Subject to the terms of the Plan, Performance Shares and/or Performance Units may be granted to Participants in such amounts and upon such terms, and at any time and from time to time, as shall be determined by the Committee.

9.2 Value of Performance Shares and Performance Units.  Each Performance Share shall have an initial value equal to the FMV of a Share on the date of grant. Each Performance Unit shall have an initial value that is established by the Committee at the time of grant. The Committee shall set performance goals in its discretion which, depending on the extent to which they are met, will determine the value and/or number of Performance Shares/Performance Units that will be paid out to the Participant.

9.3 Earning of Performance Shares and Performance Units.  Subject to the terms of this Plan, after the applicable Performance Period has ended, the holder of Performance Shares/Performance Units shall be entitled to receive payout on the value and number of Performance Shares/Performance Units earned by the Participant over the Performance Period, to be determined as a function of the extent to which the corresponding performance goals have been achieved. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company has the ability to require the Participant to hold the Shares received pursuant to such Award for a specified period of time.

9.4 Form and Timing of Payment of Performance Shares and Performance Units.  Payment of earned Performance Shares/Performance Units shall be as determined by the Committee and as evidenced in the Award Agreement. Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Committee, in its sole discretion, may pay earned Performance Shares/Performance Units in the form of cash or in Shares (or in a combination thereof) equal to the value of the earned Performance Shares/Performance Units as soon as practicable after the end of the applicable Performance Period. Any Shares may be granted subject to any restrictions deemed appropriate by the Committee. The determination of the Committee with respect to the form of payout of such Awards shall be set forth in the Award Agreement pertaining to the grant of the Award.

9.5 Dividend Equivalents.  At the discretion of the Committee, Participants holding Performance Shares may be entitled to receive dividend equivalents with respect to dividends declared with respect to the Shares. Such dividends may be subject to accrual, forfeiture, or payout restrictions as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion.

9.6 Termination of Employment.  Each Award Agreement shall set forth the extent to which the Participant shall have the right to retain Performance Shares and/or Performance Units following termination of the Participant’s employment with the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries. Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, shall be included in the Award Agreement entered into with each Participant, need not be uniform among all Awards of Performance Shares or Performance Units issued pursuant to the Plan, and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for termination.

9.7 Nontransferability.  Except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Award Agreement, Performance Shares/Performance Units may not be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. Further, except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Award Agreement, a Participant’s rights under the Plan shall be exercisable during his or her lifetime only by such Participant.

Article 10. Stock-Based Awards

10.1 Stock-Based Awards.  The Committee may grant other types of equity-based or equity-related Awards (including the grant or offer for sale of unrestricted Shares) in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions, as the Committee shall determine. Such Awards may entail the transfer of actual


Shares to Participants, or payment in cash or otherwise of amounts based on the value of Shares and may include, without limitation, Awards designed to comply with or take advantage of the applicable local laws of jurisdictions other than the United States.

10.2 Value of Stock-Based Awards.  Each Stock-Based Award shall have a value based on the value of a Share, as determined by the Committee. The Committee may establish performance goals in its discretion. If the Committee exercises its discretion to establish performance goals, the number and/or value of Stock-Based Awards that will be paid out to the Participant will depend on the extent to which the performance goals are met.

10.3 Earning of Stock-Based Awards.  Subject to the terms of this Plan, the holder of Stock-Based Awards shall be entitled to receive payout on the number and value of Stock-Based Awards earned by the Participant, to be determined as a function of the extent to which applicable performance goals, if any, have been achieved.

10.4 Form and Timing of Payment of Stock-Based Awards.  Payment of earned Stock-Based Awards shall be as determined by the Committee and as evidenced in the Award Agreement. Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Committee, in its sole discretion, may pay earned Stock-Based Awards in the form of cash or in Shares (or in a combination thereof) that have an aggregate FMV equal to the value of the earned Stock-Based Awards. Such Shares may be granted subject to any restrictions deemed appropriate by the Committee. The determination of the Committee with respect to the form of payout of such Awards shall be set forth in the Award Agreement pertaining to the grant of the Award.

10.5 Termination of Employment.  Each Award Agreement shall set forth the extent to which the Participant shall have the right to receive Stock-Based Awards following termination of the Participant’s employment with the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries. Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, shall be included in the Award Agreement entered into with each Participant, need not be uniform among all Awards of Stock-Based Awards issued pursuant to the Plan, and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for termination.

10.6 Nontransferability.  Except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Award Agreement, Stock-Based Awards may not be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. Further, except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Award Agreement, a Participant’s rights under the Plan shall be exercisable during the Participant’s lifetime only by the Participant.

10.7 Dividend Equivalents.  At the discretion of the Committee, Participants holding Stock-Based Awards may be entitled to receive dividend equivalents with respect to dividends declared with respect to the Shares. Such dividends may be subject to accrual, forfeiture, or payout restrictions as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion.

Article 11. Performance Measures

Unless and until the Committee proposes for shareholder vote and the shareholders approve a change in the general Performance Measures set forth in this Article 11, the performance goals upon which the payment or vesting of an Award to a Covered Employee that is intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation shall be limited to the following Performance Measures:

(a) Earnings per share (actual or targeted growth);

(b) Net income after capital costs;

(c) Net income (before or after taxes);

(d) Return measures (including, but not limited to, return on assets, risk-adjusted return on capital, or return on equity);


(e) Efficiency ratio;

(f) Full-time equivalency control;

(g) Stock price (including, but not limited to, growth measures and total shareholder return);

(h) Noninterest income compared to net interest income ratio;

(i) Expense targets;

(j) Margins;

(k) Operating efficiency;

(l) EVA®;

(m) Credit quality measures;

(n) Customer satisfaction;

(o) Loan growth;

(p) Deposit growth;

(q) Net interest margin;

(r) Fee income;

(s) Operating expense; and

(t) Credit quality.

In addition to the foregoing, the Committee may consider the following individual unit/production Performance Measures; cost per dollar loan growth; cost per dollar deposit growth; revenue per personnel; operating expense to group budget; service levels (group); and personal performance.

Any Performance Measure(s) may be used to measure the performance of the Company as a whole or any business unit of the Company or any combination thereof, as the Committee may deem appropriate, or any of the above Performance Measures as compared to the performance of a group of comparator companies, or published or special index that the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate. The Committee also has the authority to provide for accelerated vesting of any Award based on the achievement of performance goals pursuant to the Performance Measures specified in this Article 11.

The Committee may provide in any such Award that any evaluation of performance may include or exclude any of the following events that occurs during a Performance Period: (a) asset write-downs; (b) litigation or claim judgments or settlements; (c) the effect of changes in tax laws, accounting principles, or other laws or provisions affecting reported results; (d) reorganization or restructuring programs; (e) extraordinary or nonrecurring items as described in Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 30 and/or in management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations appearing in the Company’s annual report to shareholders for the applicable year; (f) acquisitions or divestitures; and (g) foreign exchange gains and losses. To the extent such inclusions or exclusions affect Awards to Covered Employees, they shall be prescribed in a form that meets the requirements of Code Section 162(m) for deductibility.

Awards that are designed to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation, and that are held by Covered Employees, may not be adjusted upward. The Committee shall retain the discretion to adjust such Awards downward.

In the event that applicable tax and/or securities laws change to permit Committee discretion to alter the governing Performance Measures without obtaining shareholder approval of such changes, the Committee shall have sole discretion to make such changes without obtaining shareholder approval. In addition, in the event that the Committee determines that it is advisable to grant Awards that shall not qualify as Performance-Based Compensation, the Committee may make such grants without satisfying the requirements of Code Section 162(m).


Article 12. Beneficiary Designation

A Participant’s “beneficiary” is the person or persons entitled to receive payments or other benefits or exercise rights that are available under the Plan in the event of the Participant’s death. A Participant may designate a beneficiary or change a previous beneficiary designation at any time by using forms and following procedures approved by the Committee for that purpose. If no beneficiary designated by the Participant is eligible to receive payments or other benefits or exercise rights that are available under the Plan at the Participant’s death the beneficiary shall be the Participant’s estate.

Notwithstanding the provisions above, the Committee may in its discretion, after notifying the affected Participants, modify the foregoing requirements, institute additional requirements for beneficiary designations, or suspend the existing beneficiary designations of living Participants or the process of determining beneficiaries under this Article 12, or both. If the Committee suspends the process of designating beneficiaries on forms and in accordance with procedures it has approved pursuant to this Article 12, the determination of who is a Participant’s beneficiary shall be made under the Participant’s will and applicable state law.

Article 13. Rights of Employees and Independent Contractors

13.1 Employment.  Nothing in the Plan or an Award Agreement shall interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries to terminate any Participant’s employment or other service relationship at any time, nor confer upon any Participant any right to continue in the capacity in which he or she is employed or otherwise serves the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries.

Neither an Award nor any benefits arising under this Plan shall constitute part of an employment contract with the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries and, accordingly, subject to Articles 3 and 15, this Plan and the benefits hereunder may be terminated at any time in the sole and exclusive discretion of the Committee without giving rise to liability on the part of the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries for severance payments.

For purposes of the Plan, transfer of employment of a Participant between the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries shall not be deemed a termination of employment. Additionally, the Committee shall have the ability to stipulate in a Participant’s Award Agreement that a transfer to a company that is spun-off from the Company shall not be deemed a termination of employment with the Company for purposes of the Plan until the Participant’s employment is terminated with the spun-off company.

13.2 Participation.  No Employee or Independent Contractor shall have the right to be selected to receive an Award under this Plan, or, having been so selected, to be selected to receive a future Award.

13.3 Rights as a Shareholder.  A Participant shall have none of the rights of a shareholder with respect to Shares covered by any Award until the Participant becomes the record holder of such Shares.

Article 14. Change in Control

Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control, unless otherwise specifically prohibited under applicable laws, or by the rules and regulations of any governing governmental agencies or national securities exchanges, or unless the Committee shall determine otherwise in the Award Agreement (which may include a modification to the definition of a Change in Control as determined by the Committee):

(a) Any and all Options and SARs granted hereunder shall become immediately exercisable; additionally, if a Participant’s employment is terminated for any other reason except Cause within twelve (12) months of such Change in Control, the Participant shall have until the earlier of: (i) twelve (12) months following such termination date; or (ii) the expiration of the Option or SAR term, to exercise any such Option or SAR;


(b) Any Period of Restriction for Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units granted hereunder that have not previously vested shall end, and such Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall become fully vested;

(c) The target payout opportunities attainable under all outstanding Awards under the Plan which are subject to achievement of any of the Performance Measures specified in Article 11, or any other performance conditions or restrictions that the Committee has made the Award contingent upon, shall be deemed to have been fully earned as of the effective date of the Change in Control.

(i) The vesting of all Awards denominated in Shares shall be accelerated as of the effective date of the Change in Control, and there shall be paid out to Participants a pro rata number of Shares based upon an assumed achievement of all relevant targeted performance goals and upon the length of time within the Performance Period, if any, that has elapsed prior to the Change in Control. The Committee has the authority to pay all or any portion of the value of the Shares in cash.

(ii) Awards denominated in cash shall be paid pro rata to Participants with the proration determined as a function of the length of time within the Performance Period, if any, that has elapsed prior to the Change in Control, and based on an assumed achievement of all relevant targeted performance goals.

(d) Subject to Article 15, herein, the Committee shall have the authority to make any modifications to the Awards as determined by the Committee to be appropriate before the effective date of the Change in Control.

Article 15. Amendment, Modification, Suspension, and Termination

15.1 Amendment, Modification, Suspension, and Termination.  The Committee or Board may, at any time and from time to time, alter, amend, modify, suspend, or terminate the Plan in whole or in part. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, without the prior approval of the Company’s shareholders, Options issued under the Plan will not be repriced, replaced, or regranted through cancellation, or by lowering the exercise price of a previously granted Option. No amendment of the Plan shall be made without shareholder approval if shareholder approval is required by law, regulation, or stock exchange rule.

15.2 Adjustment of Awards Upon the Occurrence of Certain Unusual or Nonrecurring Events.  The Committee may make adjustments in the terms and conditions of, and the criteria included in, Awards in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events (including, without limitation, the events described in Section 4.2 hereof) affecting the Company or the financial statements of the Company or of changes in applicable laws, regulations, or accounting principles, whenever the Committee determines that such adjustments are appropriate in order to prevent unintended dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan. The determination of the Committee as to the foregoing adjustments, if any, shall be conclusive and binding on Participants under the Plan.

15.3 Awards Previously Granted.  Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan to the contrary, no termination, amendment, suspension, or modification of the Plan shall adversely affect in any material way any Award previously granted under the Plan, without the written consent of the Participant holding such Award.


Article 16. Withholding

16.1 Tax Withholding.  The Company shall have the power and the right to deduct or withhold, or require a Participant to remit to the Company, an amount sufficient to satisfy federal, state, and local taxes, domestic or foreign (including the Participant’s FICA obligation), required by law or regulation to be withheld with respect to any taxable event arising or as a result of this Plan.

16.2 Share Withholding.  With respect to withholding required upon the exercise of Options or SARs, upon the lapse of restrictions on Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units, or upon the achievement of performance goals related to Performance Shares, or any other taxable event arising as a result of Awards granted hereunder, the Company may require or Participants may elect, subject to the approval of the Committee, to satisfy the withholding requirement, in whole or in part, by having the Company withhold Shares having a FMV of a Share on the date the tax is to be determined equal to the tax that could be imposed on the transaction, provided that if required by the accounting rules and regulations to maintain favorable accounting treatment for the Awards, the tax is to be determined equal to the minimum statutory total tax that could be imposed on the transaction. All elections shall be irrevocable, made in writing, and signed by the Participant, and shall be subject to any restrictions or limitations that the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate.

Article 17. Successors

All obligations of the Company under the Plan with respect to Awards granted hereunder, shall be binding on any successor to the Company, whether the existence of such successor is the result of a direct or indirect purchase, merger, consolidation, or otherwise, of all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company.

Article 18. General Provisions

18.1 Forfeiture Events.  The Committee may specify in an Award Agreement or other document that the Participant’s rights, payments, and benefits with respect to an Award shall be subject to reduction, cancellation, forfeiture, or recoupment upon the occurrence of certain specified events, in addition to any otherwise applicable vesting or performance conditions of an Award. Such events shall include, but shall not be limited to, termination of employment for Cause, violation of material Company, Affiliate, and/or Subsidiary policies, breach of noncompetition, confidentiality, or other restrictive covenants that may apply to the Participant, or other conduct by the Participant that is detrimental to the business or reputation of the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries.

18.2 Legend.  The certificates for Shares may include any legend that the Committee deems appropriate to reflect any restrictions on transfer of such Shares.

18.3 Delivery of Title.  The Company shall have no obligation to issue or deliver evidence of title for Shares issued under the Plan prior to:

(a) Obtaining any approvals from governmental agencies that the Company determines are necessary or advisable; and


(b) Completion of any registration or other qualification of the Shares under any applicable national or foreign law or ruling of any governmental body that the Company determines to be necessary or advisable.

18.4 Investment Representations.  The Committee may require each Participant receiving Shares pursuant to an Award under this Plan to represent and warrant in writing that the Participant is acquiring the Shares for investment and without any present intention to sell or distribute such Shares.

18.5 Employees Based Outside of the United States.  Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, in order to comply with the laws in other countries in which the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries operate or have Employees or Independent Contractors, the Committee, in its sole discretion, shall have the power and authority to:

(a) Determine which Affiliates and Subsidiaries shall be covered by the Plan;

(b) Determine which Employees and Independent Contractors outside the United States are eligible to participate in the Plan;

(c) Modify the terms and conditions of any Award granted to Employees or Independent Contractors outside the United States to comply with applicable foreign laws;

(d) Establish subplans and modify exercise procedures and other terms and procedures, to the extent such actions may be necessary or advisable. Any subplans and modifications to Plan terms and procedures established under this Section 18.5 by the Committee shall be attached to this Plan document as appendices; and

(e) Take any action, before or after an Award is made that it deems advisable to obtain approval or comply with any necessary local government regulatory exemptions or approvals.

Notwithstanding the above, the Committee may not take any actions hereunder, and no Awards shall be granted, that would violate the Exchange Act, the Code, any securities law, or governing statute or any other applicable law.

18.6 Uncertificated Shares.  To the extent that the Plan provides for issuance of certificates to reflect the transfer of Shares, the transfer of such Shares may be affected on a noncertificated basis, to the extent not prohibited by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange.

18.7 Unfunded Plan.  Participants shall have no right, title, or interest whatsoever in or to any investments that the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries may make to aid it in meeting its obligations under the Plan. Nothing contained in the Plan, and no action taken pursuant to its provisions, shall create or be construed to create a trust of any kind, or a fiduciary relationship between the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries and any Participant, beneficiary, legal representative, or any other person. To the extent that any person acquires a right to receive payments from the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries under the Plan, such right shall be no greater than the right of an unsecured general creditor of the Company. All payments to be made hereunder shall be paid from the general funds of the Company and no special or separate fund shall be established and no segregation of assets shall be made to assure payment of such amounts except as expressly set forth in the Plan. The Plan is not intended to be subject to ERISA.

18.8 No Fractional Shares.  No fractional Shares shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award. The Committee shall determine whether cash, Awards, or other property shall be issued or paid in lieu of fractional Shares or whether such fractional Shares or any rights thereto shall be forfeited or otherwise eliminated.


18.9 Retirement and Welfare Plans.  The Awards under this Plans will not be included as “compensation” for purposes of computing benefits payable to any Participant under the Company’s retirement plans (both qualified and nonqualified) or welfare benefit plans unless such other plan expressly provides that such compensation shall be taken into account in computing a Participant’s benefit.

Article 19. Legal Construction

19.1 Gender and Number.  Except where otherwise indicated by the context, any masculine term used herein also shall include the feminine, the plural shall include the singular, and the singular shall include the plural.

19.2 Severability.  In the event any provision of the Plan shall be held illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of the Plan, and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision had not been included.

19.3 Requirements of Law.  The granting of Awards and the issuance of Shares under the Plan shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and to such approvals by any governmental agencies or national securities exchanges as may be required. The Company shall receive the consideration required by law for the issuance of Awards under the Plan.

The inability of the Company to obtain authority from any regulatory body having jurisdiction, which authority is deemed by the Company’s counsel to be necessary to the lawful issuance and sale of any Shares hereunder, shall relieve the Company of any liability in respect of the failure to issue or sell such Shares as to which such requisite authority shall not have been obtained.

19.4 Securities Law Compliance.  The Company may use reasonable endeavors to register Shares allotted pursuant to the exercise of an Award with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or to effect compliance with the registration, qualification, and listing requirements of any national or foreign securities laws, stock exchange, or automated quotation system. With respect to Insiders, transactions under this Plan are intended to comply with all applicable conditions of Rule 16b-3 or its successors under the Exchange Act. To the extent any provision of the Plan or action by the Committee fails to so comply, it shall be deemed null and void, to the extent permitted by law and deemed advisable by the Committee.

19.5 Governing Law.  The Plan and each Award Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Wisconsin, excluding any conflicts or choice of law rule or principle that might otherwise refer construction or interpretation of the Plan to the substantive law of another jurisdiction. Unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, recipients of an Award under the Plan are deemed to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the federal or state courts of Wisconsin, to resolve any and all issues that may arise out of or relate to the Plan or any related Award Agreement.

Exhibit 10.11

INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANCORP, INC.

2006 Equity Compensation Plan

Award Agreement

The board of directors of Investors Community Bancorp, Inc. (“ICB”) recognizes the important role you play in the success of ICB. As such, the board of directors would like to reward you with a stake in the ownership of ICB conditioned upon the conditions and terms contained within this individual award agreement (the “Award Agreement”). Accordingly, ICB hereby grants you the right to earn the following equity grant:

 

1.      Name of Grantee:

   Individual’s Name

2.      Date of Grant:

   Month Day, Year

3.      Type of Equity Granted:

   Incentive Stock Options; Restricted Stock

4.      Number of Equity Shares Granted:

   Number of equity shares granted

5.      Stock Price on Date of Grant:

   Stock Price

6.      Vesting Schedule:

   Vesting under the 2006 Equity Compensation Plan (“Plan” is
   determined under Article 5 of the Plan.

7.      Summary of Grant:

  

(a) Plan and Grant Document Control.  The grant is governed by the terms of the Investors Community Bank 2006 Equity Compensation Plan (the “Plan”). A copy of the Plan is available on the Investors Community Bank Intranet and /or by contacting human resources. By accepting the grant, you agree that the terms of the Plan and the Award Agreement govern the grant, including but not limited to the following:

Article 12. Beneficiary Designation

A Participant’s “beneficiary” is the person or persons entitled to receive payments or other benefits or exercise rights that are available under the Plan in the event of the Participant’s death. A Participant may designate a beneficiary or change a previous beneficiary designation at any time by using forms and following procedures approved by the Committee for that purpose. If no beneficiary designated by the Participant is eligible to receive payments or other benefits or exercise rights that are available under the Plan at the Participant’s death the beneficiary shall be the Participant’s estate.

Notwithstanding the provisions above, the Committee may in its discretion, after notifying the affected Participants, modify the foregoing requirements, institute additional requirements for beneficiary designations, or suspend the existing beneficiary designations of living Participants or the process of determining beneficiaries under this Article 12, or both. If the Committee suspends the process of designating beneficiaries on forms and in accordance with procedures it has approved pursuant to this Article 12, the determination of who is a Participant’s beneficiary shall be made under the Participant’s will and applicable state law.

Article 13. Rights of Employees and Independent Contractors

13.1 Employment.  Nothing in the Plan or an Award Agreement shall interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries to terminate any Participant’s employment or other service relationship at any time, nor confer upon any Participant any right to continue in the capacity in which he or she is employed or otherwise serves the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries.


Neither an Award nor any benefits arising under this Plan shall constitute part of an employment contract with the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries and, accordingly, subject to Articles 3 and 16, this Plan and the benefits hereunder may be terminated at any time in the sole and exclusive discretion of the Committee without giving rise to liability on the part of the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries for severance payments.

For purposes of the Plan, transfer of employment of a Participant between the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries shall not be deemed a termination of employment. Additionally, the Committee shall have the ability to stipulate in a Participant’s Award Agreement that a transfer to a company that is spun-off from the Company shall not be deemed a termination of employment with the Company for purposes of the Plan until the Participant’s employment is terminated with the spun-off company.

13.2 Participation.  No Employee or Independent Contractor shall have the right to be selected to receive an Award under this Plan, or, having been so selected, to be selected to receive a future Award.

13.3 Rights as a Shareholder.  A Participant shall have none of the rights of a shareholder with respect to Shares covered by any Award until the Participant becomes the record holder of such Shares.

Article 14. Change in Control

Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control, unless otherwise specifically prohibited under applicable laws, or by the rules and regulations of any governing governmental agencies or national securities exchanges, or unless the Committee shall determine otherwise in the Award Agreement (which may include a modification to the definition of a Change in Control as determined by the Committee):

(a) Any and all Options and SARs granted hereunder shall become immediately exercisable; additionally, if a Participant’s employment is terminated for any other reason except Cause within twelve (12) months of such Change in Control, the Participant shall have until the earlier of: (i) twelve (12) months following such termination date; or (ii) the expiration of the Option or SAR term, to exercise any such Option or SAR;

(b) Any Period of Restriction for Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units granted hereunder that have not previously vested shall end, and such Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall become fully vested;

(c) The target payout opportunities attainable under all outstanding Awards under the Plan which are subject to achievement of any of the Performance Measures specified in Article 11, or any other performance conditions or restrictions that the Committee has made the Award contingent upon, shall be deemed to have been fully earned as of the effective date of the Change in Control.

(i) The vesting of all Awards denominated in Shares shall be accelerated as of the effective date of the Change in Control, and there shall be paid out to Participants a pro rata number of Shares based upon an assumed achievement of all relevant targeted performance goals and upon the length of time within the Performance Period, if any, that has elapsed prior to the Change in Control. The Committee has the authority to pay all or any portion of the value of the Shares in cash.

(ii) Awards denominated in cash shall be paid pro rata to Participants with the proration determined as a function of the length of time within the Performance Period, if any, that has elapsed prior to the Change in Control, and based on an assumed achievement of all relevant targeted performance goals.

 

-2-


(d) Subject to Article 12, herein, the Committee shall have the authority to make any modifications to the Awards as determined by the Committee to be appropriate before the effective date of the Change in Control.

Article 15. Amendment, Modification, Suspension, and Termination

15.1 Amendment, Modification, Suspension, and Termination.  The Committee or Board may, at any time and from time to time, alter, amend, modify, suspend, or terminate the Plan in whole or in part. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, without the prior approval of the Company’s shareholders, Options issued under the Plan will not be repriced, replaced, or regranted through cancellation, or by lowering the exercise price of a previously granted Option. No amendment of the Plan shall be made without shareholder approval if shareholder approval is required by law, regulation, or stock exchange rule.

15.2 Adjustment of Awards Upon the Occurrence of Certain Unusual or Nonrecurring Events.  The Committee may make adjustments in the terms and conditions of, and the criteria included in, Awards in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events (including, without limitation, the events described in Section 4.2 hereof) affecting the Company or the financial statements of the Company or of changes in applicable laws, regulations, or accounting principles, whenever the Committee determines that such adjustments are appropriate in order to prevent unintended dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan. The determination of the Committee as to the foregoing adjustments, if any, shall be conclusive and binding on Participants under the Plan.

15.3 Awards Previously Granted.  Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan to the contrary, no termination, amendment, suspension, or modification of the Plan shall adversely affect in any material way any Award previously granted under the Plan, without the written consent of the Participant holding such Award.

Article 16. Withholding

16.1 Tax Withholding.  The Company shall have the power and the right to deduct or withhold, or require a Participant to remit to the Company, an amount sufficient to satisfy federal, state, and local taxes, domestic or foreign (including the Participant’s FICA obligation), required by law or regulation to be withheld with respect to any taxable event arising or as a result of this Plan.

16.2 Share Withholding.  With respect to withholding required upon the exercise of Options or SARs, upon the lapse of restrictions on Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units, or upon the achievement of performance goals related to Performance Shares, or any other taxable event arising as a result of Awards granted hereunder, the Company may require or Participants may elect, subject to the approval of the Committee, to satisfy the withholding requirement, in whole or in part, by having the Company withhold Shares having a FMV of a Share on the date the tax is to be determined equal to the tax that could be imposed on the transaction, provided that if required by the accounting rules and regulations to maintain favorable accounting treatment for the Awards, the tax is to be determined equal to the minimum statutory total tax that could be imposed on the transaction. All elections shall be irrevocable, made in writing, and signed by the Participant, and shall be subject to any restrictions or limitations that the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate.

Article 17. Successors

All obligations of the Company under the Plan with respect to Awards granted hereunder, shall be binding on any successor to the Company, whether the existence of such successor is the result of a direct or indirect purchase, merger, consolidation, or otherwise, of all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company.

 

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Article 18. General Provisions

18.1 Forfeiture Events.  The Committee may specify in an Award Agreement that the Participant’s rights, payments, and benefits with respect to an Award shall be subject to reduction, cancellation, forfeiture, or recoupment upon the occurrence of certain specified events, in addition to any otherwise applicable vesting or performance conditions of an Award. Such events shall include, but shall not be limited to, termination of employment for Cause, violation of material Company, Affiliate, and/or Subsidiary policies, breach of noncompetition, confidentiality, or other restrictive covenants that may apply to the Participant, or other conduct by the Participant that is detrimental to the business or reputation of the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries.

18.2 Legend.  The certificates for Shares may include any legend that the Committee deems appropriate to reflect any restrictions on transfer of such Shares.

18.3 Delivery of Title.  The Company shall have no obligation to issue or deliver evidence of title for Shares issued under the Plan prior to:

(a) Obtaining any approvals from governmental agencies that the Company determines are necessary or advisable; and

(b) Completion of any registration or other qualification of the Shares under any applicable national or foreign law or ruling of any governmental body that the Company determines to be necessary or advisable.

18.4 Investment Representations.  The Committee may require each Participant receiving Shares pursuant to an Award under this Plan to represent and warrant in writing that the Participant is acquiring the Shares for investment and without any present intention to sell or distribute such Shares.

18.5 Employees Based Outside of the United States.  Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, in order to comply with the laws in other countries in which the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries operate or have Employees or Independent Contractors, the Committee, in its sole discretion, shall have the power and authority to:

(a) Determine which Affiliates and Subsidiaries shall be covered by the Plan;

(b) Determine which Employees and Independent Contractors outside the United States are eligible to participate in the Plan;

(c) Modify the terms and conditions of any Award granted to Employees or Independent Contractors outside the United States to comply with applicable foreign laws;

(d) Establish subplans and modify exercise procedures and other terms and procedures, to the extent such actions may be necessary or advisable. Any subplans and modifications to Plan terms and procedures established under this Section 15.5 by the Committee shall be attached to this Plan document as appendices; and

(e) Take any action, before or after an Award is made that it deems advisable to obtain approval or comply with any necessary local government regulatory exemptions or approvals.

Notwithstanding the above, the Committee may not take any actions hereunder, and no Awards shall be granted, that would violate the Exchange Act, the Code, any securities law, or governing statute or any other applicable law.

 

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18.6 Uncertificated Shares.  To the extent that the Plan provides for issuance of certificates to reflect the transfer of Shares, the transfer of such Shares may be affected on a noncertificated basis, to the extent not prohibited by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange.

18.7 Unfunded Plan.  Participants shall have no right, title, or interest whatsoever in or to any investments that the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries may make to aid it in meeting its obligations under the Plan. Nothing contained in the Plan, and no action taken pursuant to its provisions, shall create or be construed to create a trust of any kind, or a fiduciary relationship between the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries and any Participant, beneficiary, legal representative, or any other person. To the extent that any person acquires a right to receive payments from the Company, its Affiliates, and/or its Subsidiaries under the Plan, such right shall be no greater than the right of an unsecured general creditor of the Company. All payments to be made hereunder shall be paid from the general funds of the Company and no special or separate fund shall be established and no segregation of assets shall be made to assure payment of such amounts except as expressly set forth in the Plan. The Plan is not intended to be subject to ERISA.

18.8 No Fractional Shares.  No fractional Shares shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award. The Committee shall determine whether cash, Awards, or other property shall be issued or paid in lieu of fractional Shares or whether such fractional Shares or any rights thereto shall be forfeited or otherwise eliminated.

18.9 Retirement and Welfare Plans.  The Awards under this Plans will not be included as “compensation” for purposes of computing benefits payable to any Participant under the Company’s retirement plans (both qualified and nonqualified) or welfare benefit plans unless such other plan expressly provides that such compensation shall be taken into account in computing a Participant’s benefit.

Article 19. Legal Construction

19.1 Gender and Number.  Except where otherwise indicated by the context, any masculine term used herein also shall include the feminine, the plural shall include the singular, and the singular shall include the plural.

19.2 Severability.  In the event any provision of the Plan shall be held illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of the Plan, and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision had not been included.

19.3 Requirements of Law.  The granting of Awards and the issuance of Shares under the Plan shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and to such approvals by any governmental agencies or national securities exchanges as may be required. The Company shall receive the consideration required by law for the issuance of Awards under the Plan.

The inability of the Company to obtain authority from any regulatory body having jurisdiction, which authority is deemed by the Company’s counsel to be necessary to the lawful issuance and sale of any Shares hereunder, shall relieve the Company of any liability in respect of the failure to issue or sell such Shares as to which such requisite authority shall not have been obtained.

19.4 Securities Law Compliance.  The Company may use reasonable endeavors to register Shares allotted pursuant to the exercise of an Award with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or to effect compliance with the registration, qualification, and listing requirements of any national or foreign securities laws, stock exchange, or automated quotation system. With respect to Insiders, transactions under this Plan are intended to comply with all applicable conditions of Rule 16b-3 or its successors under the Exchange Act. To the extent any provision of the Plan or action by the Committee fails to so comply, it shall be deemed null and void, to the extent permitted by law and deemed advisable by the Committee.

 

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19.5 Governing Law, Jurisdiction, and Venue.  The Plan and each Award Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Wisconsin, excluding any conflicts or choice of law rule or principle that might otherwise refer construction or interpretation of the Plan to the substantive law of another jurisdiction. Unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, recipients of an Award under the Plan are deemed to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the federal or state courts of Wisconsin, to resolve any and all issues that may arise out of or relate to the Plan or any related Award Agreement.

Dated: Fill in the Date

 

By:    
Investors Community Bank     The Grantee:

    

   

 

William C Censky     Name
CEO and Chairman of the Board    

    

   
Board of Directors    
Compensation Committee, Chairperson    
            Recorded in Bank Tracking    

 

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BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION

INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK

EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN

I,              , designate the following as beneficiary of benefits under the Plan payable following my death:

 

     Primary:        
     
    

 

                    %    
     
    

 

    

 

                  %

    

   
     Contingent:        
     
    

 

                    %    
     
    

 

    

 

                  %

    

   

Notes:

 

    Please PRINT CLEARLY or TYPE the names of the beneficiaries.

 

    To name a trust as beneficiary, please provide the name of the trustee(s) and the exact name and date of the trust agreement.

 

    To name your estate as beneficiary, please write “Estate of _[your name]_”.

 

    Be aware that none of the contingent beneficiaries will receive anything unless ALL of the primary beneficiaries predecease you.

I understand that I may change these beneficiary designations by delivering a new written designation to the Plan Administrator, which shall be effective only upon receipt and acknowledgment by the Plan Administrator prior to my death. I further understand that the designations will be automatically revoked if the beneficiary predeceases me, or, if I have named my spouse as beneficiary and our marriage is subsequently dissolved.

 

Name:  

 

   
Signature:  

 

    Date:                      

 

SPOUSAL CONSENT (Required if Spouse not named beneficiary):

I consent to the beneficiary designation above, and acknowledge that if I am named beneficiary and our marriage is subsequently dissolved, the designation will be automatically revoked.

 

Spouse Name:

 

 

   

Signature:

 

 

    Date:                      

    

Received by the Plan Administrator this              day of                      , 2      .

 

By:  

 

Title:  

 

 

 

-7-

Exhibit 10.12

COUNTY BANCORP, INC.

MANAGEMENT INCENTIVE PLAN

County Bancorp, Inc. hereby establishes this Management Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) for the granting of stock options and restricted stock to its key officers and employees upon and according to the terms and conditions as herein stated.

1. Purpose of this Plan. The purpose of this Plan, through the utilization of the incentives provided hereby, is to attract and retain the services of talented persons for the Company and its subsidiaries as their key officers and employees and to encourage their ownership in the Stock of the Company. The directors believe this Plan will promote the business and affairs of the Company by providing stock options and restricted stock to those persons of outstanding ability, competence and potential who are most responsible for developing and carrying out the policies and plans of the Company for the financial benefit of its shareholders.

2. Definitions. Whenever used herein, the following words and phrases shall have the respective meaning set forth:

“Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (all references herein to the Act are for convenience in the definition of ce1tain terms used herein and do not constitute an election by the Company or otherwise imply that the provisions of the Act referenced herein, or provisions of the Act which are otherwise applicable to plans of this type generally, are applicable to this Plan; and no person shall have any rights under this Plan as if such provisions of the Act were applicable).

“Anniversary Date” means the date which is one year from the Effective Date of this Plan as established hereunder “Award” means a grant of Restricted Stock hereunder in accordance with the terms, conditions and restrictions of an award agreement.

“Award Agreement” means an agreement in writing, in the form as may be approved by the Committee, executed and delivered by the Company to a Participant with respect to that Award and shall specify the number of shares granted, the period of time during which the shares are to be restricted, the Fair Market Value of the Shares or the date of the grant, and such other terms, conditions and restrictions as the Committee shall deem advisable.

“Board” means the board of directors of the Company.

“Book Value” means (i) the excess of the Company’s tangible assets over its liabilities, as determined under generally accepted accounting principles with reference to the audited financial statements of the Company, divided by (ii) the total number of shares of the Company’s common stock issued and outstanding.

“Change in Control” means and shall be deemed to have occurred on the date any of the following occurs: (i) Securities of the Company representing 25% or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities are acquired pursuant to a tender offer or exchange offer by any Person other than the Company; (ii) Any “person” (as defined in §§3(a)(9), 13(d), and 14(d) of the Act) shall become the “beneficial owner” (as


defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Act) directly or indirectly of securities of the Company representing 25% or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities, the effect of which (as determined by the Committee] is to take over control or participate in the affairs of the Company; (ii) The shareholders of the Company shall have approved a merger or consolidation of the Company in which the Company is not the continuing or surviving Company or pursuant to which shares of the Company’s stock would be converted to cash, securities, or other property (other than a merger of the Company in which the holders of the Company’s stock immediately prior to the merger have the same proportion of ownership of common stock in the surviving corporation immediately after the merger as is held immediately prior to such merger), or a sale, lease, exchange or other transfer [in one transaction or a series of related transactions] of all, or substantially all, of the assets of the Company; (iv) During any period of two consecutive years, (A) individuals who, at the beginning of such period, constituted the Board and (B) new directors whose election by the Board or nomination for election by the Company shareholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute a majority thereof. For purposes of this plan, ownership of securities shall include ownership as determined by applying the provisions of Rule 13d-3a under the Act. Provided , that none of the foregoing events shall be deemed to be a change in control if the event or events shall have been determined, by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the members of the Board in office immediately prior to such event or events, not to be a change in control for purposes of this Plan. Such majority, in its sole discretion, may also determine that an event or events not otherwise described herein constitute a change in control.

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

“Committee” means the Stock Option Committee which shall consist of at least three members of the Board who shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Board. Members of the Committee shall be “disinterested” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 of the Act and any amended rule and shall be ineligible to be granted Options or Awards hereunder.

“Company” means County Bancorp, Inc.

“Disability” means a physical or mental impairment which in the judgment of the Committee, based upon such information as may be reasonably available, from whatever source, including the results of a medical examination by a physician selected by the Committee, renders such Participant unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity and which impairment has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months or can be expected to result in death.

“Exercise Price per Share” means with respect to any Option the price per share which must be paid upon exercise of the Option.

“Fair Market Value” means, as of any date and in respect of any share of Stock, the fair market value of such stock as determined in good faith by the Committee after taking into account all relevant factors; provided , however, that the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock shall never be less than its book value. In the event that the Company’s Stock is traded on


an established market, then the closing price in the U.S. markets, on the nearest preceding trading day, as reported in the Midwest Edition of The Wall Street Journal with respect to the principal market (or the composite of the markets, if more than one) in which such shares are then traded, or if no such closing prices are reported, the mean between the high bid and the low asked prices that day on the principal market or national quotation system then in use, or if no such quotations are available, the price determined by a professional securities dealer making a market in such shares, selected by the Committee.

“For Cause” means termination of a Participant’s employment for: (i) conviction of a felony; (ii) a willful failure to deal fairly with the Company or its Subsidiaries with a matter in which the officer or employee has a material conflict of interest; (iii) a transaction from which the officer or employee derived an improper personal profit; or (iv) willful misconduct.

“herein,” “hereby,” “hereunder,” “hereof’ and other equivalent words refer to this Plan as an entirety and not solely to the particular portion of this Plan in which any such word is used.

“ISO” means any Option granted pursuant hereto as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Code §422.

“Major Shareholder” means any person who owns a 10% or greater interest in the combined voting power of all stock issued by the Company and any parent or Subsidiary corporation or entity.

“NQO” means any Option which is not an ISO and is a nonqualified stock option within the meaning of Treasury Reg. § 1.83-7.

“Option” means a right to purchase Shares at the Exercise Price per Share, during a specified period of time and may be either an ISO or an NQO.

“Participant” means any person designated by the Committee to participate in this Plan who shall be a officer or full-time employee of the Company or any Subsidiary. Full-time means employment for 1,000 or more hours per year.

“Plan” means the County Bancorp, Inc. Management Incentive Plan.

“Restricted Stock” means Shares issued in the name of the Participant subject to the terms, conditions and restrictions as set forth herein and as may be additionally specified in the Award Agreement.

“Retirement” means that a Participant, after attaining age 55, is no longer employed by the Company on a full-time basis, and is no longer gainfully employed more than 10 hours per week by any employer (or employers) other than the Company.

“Shares” means shares of Stock.

“Stock” means the common stock, par value of $.01 per share of the Company.


“Stock Option Agreement” means an agreement in writing in the form as may be approved by the Committee executed and delivered by the Company to a Participant with respect to that Option and shall specify the Exercise Price per Share, term of the Option, the number of Shares to which the Option pertains and such other provisions as the Committee shall determine.

“Subsidiary” means a financial institution chartered as a state or national bank or thrift, or any other corporation, limited liability company, or entity, any of which is owned or controlled (50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock or other ownership interests) by the Company.

3. Administration. The Committee shall be responsible for the administration of this Plan. The Committee by a majority action thereof, subject to the express provisions of this Plan, is authorized to construe and interpret this Plan, to prescribe, amend and rescind rules and regulations relating to it, to provide for conditions and assurances deemed necessary or advisable to protect the interests of the Company and its Subsidiaries and to make all other determinations which the Committee believes to be necessary or advisable in administering this Plan. Any interpretation, determination or other action made or taken by the Committee pursuant to the provisions of this Plan shall be final, binding and conclusive for all purposes and upon all persons whomsoever. The Committee shall determine the amount and type of such Options and Awards as an ISO, NQO, or Restricted Stock or any combination thereof. The Committee may also condition the grant of new Options or Restricted Stock on the surrender of any outstanding Options and/or Restricted Stock. The terms, provisions, restrictions and limitations, if any, in the Options and Awards need not be uniform and may be made selectively among otherwise eligible Participants, whether or not they are similarly situated. No member of the Board or Committee shall be liable for any act or omission by the Board, Committee or of any of the respective members thereof, in connection with the administration of this Plan, except for the member’s own willful misconduct.

4. Eligibility. Participants in this Plan shall be selected by the Committee, in its sole discretion, from among those officers and full-time employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries who are primarily responsible for this Planning, development and carrying out of the business and affairs of the Company to maximize its financial performance.

5. Stock Subject to Plan.

(a) The aggregate number of Shares which may be issued hereunder, subject to adjustment as provided for in subsection (c), below, shall be the greater of 40,000 Shares or 20% of the Shares of outstanding as of the Anniversary Date (other than increases resulting from stock issuances hereunder). The shares to be delivered hereunder may consist in whole or in part, of authorized but unissued stock or treasury stock, not reserved for any other purpose. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if, on the Anniversary Date, the number of Shares subject to Options issued hereunder exceeds 20% of the outstanding Stock on the Anniversary Date, then the Committee shall reduce the number of Options held by Participants by canceling previously issued Options in proportion to the number of Options then held by each Participant.


(b) In the event any Option expires, is canceled, surrendered without being exercised in full or is otherwise terminated, or any Shares subject to a Restricted Stock Award are reacquired by the Company, the number of such shares subject to such Option or Award shall again become available for issuance hereunder; provided , that in the event the Exercise Price per Share and/or the amount withheld for income taxes is paid for in shares of the Stock of the Company, (already owned by or which would be delivered to the Participant upon exercise of the Option for NQOs only) the Committee in its discretion may issue a new Option to such Participant for the number of shares being used for such payment(s).

(c) In the event there shall be any change in the Stock subject hereto through merger, consolidation, combination, reorganization, recapitalization, reincorporation, stock split, stock dividend, extraordinary distribution (whether in cash, property, securities or any combination thereof), exchange of shares, or other change in the corporate structure of the Company, appropriate adjustments shall be made by the Committee in (i) the aggregate number of Shares subject hereto; (ii) the number of shares subject to option then outstanding and the Exercise Price per Share thereof, to preserve, but not to increase the benefits to each Participant; and (iii) the number of shares subject to the Restricted Stock Awards then. Fractional shares shall be increased to the nearest whole share. Any such adjustments made by the Committee shall be conclusive.

6. Duration and Amendment of this Plan. There is no express limitation upon the duration of this Plan; provided , that no Option or Restricted Stock may be granted hereunder on or after the tenth anniversary of this Plan’s Effective Date. The Board may terminate or amend this Plan at any time with respect to any Shares as to which Options or Awards have not been granted; provided further , that no amendment which would disqualify this Plan from granting ISOs shall become effective until it receives the approval of the shareholders of the Company; and provided further , that the Committee may submit for shareholder approval any other amendment hereto that the Committee may deem advisable for any reason, such as for the purpose of obtaining or retaining any statutory or regulatory benefits under tax, securities or other laws, or satisfying any applicable stock exchange listing requirements.

7. Stock Options.

(a) Options may be granted at any time and from time to time as determined in the complete discretion of the Committee and each Option shall be evidenced by a Stock Option Agreement. However, in no event shall the Fair Market Value (determined at the date of grant) of the Stock with respect to which ISOs are exercisable for the first time by a Participant during any calendar year (under all plans of the Company) exceed $100,000.

(b) The Exercise Price per Share of an ISO shall be 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Stock on the date the Option is granted, except that the Exercise Price per Share of any ISO granted to any Major Shareholder shall be at least 110% of the Fair Market Value of the Stock on the date the Option is granted. The Exercise Price per Share of an NQO may be fixed by the Committee between 85% and 100% of the Fair Market Value.

(c) Options maybe exercised in part or in whole and at one time or from time to time, by written notice to the Company at its offices, accompanied by payment in full of the Exercise Price per Share for the number of shares purchased including any federal, state and/or local income taxes that may be due in connection with the exercise.


(d) Payment of the Exercise Price per Share and of the income taxes that may be withheld shall be made to the Company either: (i) in cash, check or bank draft; (ii) at the discretion of the Committee, by delivering Stock already owned by the Participant (including Restricted Stock shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of the Option for NQOs only); (iii) any combination of the foregoing; or (iv) by any other means or form of payment which the Committee determines is consistent with the purposes of this Plan and applicable law and regulation. With respect to clauses (ii) and (iii), the Fair Market Value of the Stock so delivered, including the shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of the NQO, shall be determined on the date of the exchange. To the extent that the Participant pays the Exercise Price per Share with shares of Common Stock (including the amount of any income taxes withheld), the Committee, in its discretion, may grant the Participant an additional Option for the number of shares exchanged, at an Exercise Price per Share that shall be not less than 100% (110% in the case of a Major Shareholder) of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the date of the exchange and for the same term as the exercised Option.

(e) Each Option shall expire at such time as the Committee shall determine at the time it is granted; provided , that no Option may be exercised after the expiration of ten years from the date of grant.

(f) The Committee may provide in the Stock Option Agreement that in the event of a Participant’s death, Disability or Retirement, the Options shall become exercisable at the earlier of: (i) the expiration of the Option; or (ii) twelve months from the date of such event; provided , that an ISO must be 5 exercised at the earlier of the expiration of the Option or within three months of such date of termination of employment when due to Retirement.

(g) If the employment of a Participant shall terminate for any reason other than death, Disability or Retirement, the rights under any outstanding Option shall terminate on the earlier of the expiration of the Option or on the date within three (3) months after the date of termination of employment, whichever event first occurs; provided , that if the employment of a Participant is terminated for Cause, as determined by the Committee, it may immediately revoke, rescind and terminate any Option or portion thereof previously granted hereunder; and provided further , that if a Participant enters the Armed Forces of the United States, he shall not as a result be deemed to have ceased to be employed by the Company unless the Participant shall fail to return to active employment by the Company within the period during which the Participant has reemployment rights under federal law.

(h) An Option granted hereunder shall not be transferrable by the Participant otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution and shall be exercisable during the lifetime of the Participant only by such person. The Committee may, for estate planning purposes, permit NQOs to be exercised by the members of the Participant’s immediate family or as the Participant designates in any trust or by any charity.

(i) Except as provided for in subsection (h) above, no Option or interest therein may be transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated by the Participant during such person’s lifetime, whether by operation of law or otherwise or be made subject to execution, attachment or similar process.


(j) Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control, all restrictions on the exercise of any Option shall immediately terminate.

(k) The Committee may impose such restrictions on any Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an Option hereunder as it may deem advisable, including, without limitation, restrictions under applicable Federal securities law, under the requirements of any stock exchange upon which such Shares are then listed and under any blue sky or state securities laws applicable to such shares.

8. Restricted Stock.

(a) The Committee, at any time and from time to time, may grant shares of Restricted Stock hereunder to such Participants and in such amounts in addition to or in lieu of any Option previously granted to such Participant, with the Participant’s approval and consent, as the Committee shall determine and each grant of an Award shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each Award shall contain the terms, conditions and restrictions as set forth herein and the Committee may impose such additional terms, conditions and restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable, provided they are no more favorable to a Participant than set forth elsewhere herein.

(b) From the date of issue of the Award, the Participant shall have full ownership of such Restricted Stock including the right to vote and receive dividends thereon and any other distributions including a stock option, a dividend or other distribution in Shares (which other distribution in Shares shall be subject to the same terms, conditions and restrictions as the shares of Restricted Stock with respect to which such stock dividend was paid) subject to the terms, conditions and restrictions described herein and in the Award Agreement.

(c) In addition to any restrictions the Committee may require in an Award pursuant to its authority under Section 10.01, an Award shall provide as follows: (a) No Restricted Stock may be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged, hypothecated or disposed of until the restrictions hereunder shall lapse; and (b) Any Award shall immediately become void as of the date Participant’s full-time employment with the Company is terminated “for cause” or by the Participant. In the event a Participant’s full-time employment is terminated other than “for cause” or by the Participant, and the Participant made a timely election under Code §83(b) with respect to such Award of Restricted Stock, then the restrictions shall lapse as to that portion of the Award, with a fair market value which is equal to the amount of federal income tax paid as a result of the election pursuant to Code §83(b); provided , that if a Participant enters the Armed Forces of the United States, he shall not as a result be deemed to have ceased to be employed by the Company unless the Participant shall fail to return to active employment by the Company within the period during which the Participant has reemployment rights under federal law.

(d) The terms, conditions and restrictions on any Restricted Stock shall terminate according to a vesting schedule as determined by the Committee and set forth in a Restricted Stock Award, and the secretary of the Company shall forthwith deliver the certificates evidencing such shares, free of the certificate legend, to the Participant.


(e) Any specific provision herein to the contrary notwithstanding, if a Participant’s full-time employment with the Company shall be terminated as a result of death, Disability or Retirement, then the restrictions imposed in any Award Agreement shall lapse as to all shares of Restricted Stock, issued in accordance therewith, to such Participant as of the date of such event.

(f) The Participant granted a Restricted Stock Award must pay to the Company or make arrangements satisfactory to the Committee regarding payment of any federal, state or local taxes to be withheld with respect to the Restricted Stock no later than the date on which the restriction imposed thereon shall lapse. In the event a Participant duly elects pursuant to Code §83(b) to include the Fair Market Value of such shares in his gross income for federal income tax purposes, such Participant shall pay to the Company or make arrangements satisfactory to the Committee to pay any federal, state or local taxes required to be withheld with respect to such shares. If the Participant shall fail to make such payments, the Company shall, to the extent permitted by law, have the right to deduct from any payment of any kind otherwise due to the Participant any federal, state or local taxes required by law to be withheld with respect to the Restricted Stock.

(g) The Committee may impose such restrictions on any shares of Restricted Stock granted pursuant hereto as it may deem advisable including without limitation, restrictions under applicable federal or state securities laws, and shall legend the certificates representing Restricted Stock to give appropriate notice of such restrictions and as provided for herein. The following legend shall appear on each certificate representing shares of Restricted Stock, in addition to any other legends setting forth restrictions as may be imposed by the Committee:

“THE SALE OR OTHER TRANSFER OF THE SHARES OF STOCK REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE, WHETHER VOLUNTARY, INVOLUNTARY, OR BY OPERATION OF LAW, IS SUBJECT TO CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER SET FORTH IN THE COUNTY BANCORP, INC. MANAGEMENT INCENTIVE PLAN, RULES OF ADMINISTRATION ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SUCH PLAN, AND AN AWARD AGREEMENT DATED                     . A COPY OF THE PLAN, SUCH RULES, AND SUCH AWARD AGREEMENT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE SECRETARY OF COUNTY BANCORP, INC.”

Once the shares are released from the restrictions, the Participants shall be entitled to have the legend as required removed from the stock certificates. Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control, all restrictions on outstanding Restricted Stock shall immediately terminate.

(h) The Company shall hold the certificates evidencing the Restricted Stock until the terms, conditions and restrictions thereon shall have lapsed.


9. Participant’s Limitations. Neither this Plan, nor the granting of an Option or an Award, nor any other action taken pursuant hereto shall interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Company and any of its Subsidiaries to terminate any Participant’s employment at any time or confer upon any Participant any right to continue in the employ of the Company or its Subsidiaries. A Participant or his or her representative shall have no rights as a shareholder with respect to the shares covered by Options granted to him or her until the date of the issuance of a stock certificate therefor and no adjustment will be made for dividends or other rights of distribution for which the record date is prior to the date said certificate is issued. The granting of any Option or an Award to a Participant pursuant hereto shall be entirely in the discretion of the Committee and nothing herein contained shall be construed to give any officer or employee any right to participate hereunder or to receive any Option or Award hereunder.

10. Law and Regulation. The obligation of the Company to sell and deliver Shares upon an exercise of any Option or to deliver the certificates of stock upon the expiration of the restrictions imposed on the Restricted Stock, shall be subject to the condition that legal counsel for the Company is satisfied that the sale and delivery will not violate any applicable laws, rules or regulations and shall be subject to such approvals by any governmental agencies or national security exchanges as may be required or advisable.

11. General Provisions.

(a) This Plan, all agreements hereunder, all determinations made and actions taken pursuant thereto shall be construed in accordance with and shall be governed by the laws of the State of Wisconsin.

(b) This Plan is separate and independent from any other stock option plan or similar plan of the Company.

(c) Each Participant hereunder may, from time to time, name any beneficiary or beneficiaries (who may be named contingently or successively) to whom any benefit hereunder is to be paid in case of the Participant’s death before he or she receives any or all of such benefit. Each designation will revoke all prior designations by the same Participant, shall be in a form prescribed by the Committee and will be effective only when filed by the Participant in writing with the Committee during such person’s lifetime. In the absence of any such designation, benefits remaining unpaid at the Participant’s death shall be paid to the estate of the Participant.

(d) The “Effective Date” of this Plan shall be July 9, 1996, the date of its adoption by the Board. Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, no ISOs granted hereunder shall be exercisable nor shall any Award be effective, until after shareholder approval of this Plan has been obtained.

Exhibit 10.13

COUNTY BANCORP, INC.

(a Wisconsin corporation)

MANAGEMENT INCENTIVE PLAN

STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

 

Participant:   

 

Participant’s Address:   

 

Date of Grant:   

 

Number of Shares Optioned:   

 

Option Price per Share:   

 

Option Expiration Date:   

 

Type of Option:   

¨       Nonqualified Stock Option (“NQO”)

 

¨       Incentive Stock Option (“ISO”)

This STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into, as of the Date of Agreement set forth above, by and between County Bancorp, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation (“Company”) and the Participant named above:

PREMISES

WHEREAS, the Company has adopted the County Bancorp, Inc. Management Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) under which the Committee (as defined in the Plan) may, among other things, grant options to key officers and employees of the Company and its subsidiaries to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $.01 per share (“Stock”), subject to terms, conditions, and restrictions as in its discretion it shall deem appropriate; and

WHEREAS, the Participant is a key officer and employee of the Company or a Subsidiary and the Option is granted as an incentive to continue Participant’s services and to increase Participant’s proprietary interest in the Company; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Plan, the Committee has made a grant to the Participant to purchase shares of the authorized but unissued Stock of the Company conditioned upon the due execution of this Agreement.


AGREEMENT

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and of the covenants and agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby mutually covenant and agree as follows:

1. Option Grant. The Company, in consideration of the continued employment of the Participant for the periods herein defined, grants to the Participant an Option, pursuant to the Plan, to purchase the number of shares of Stock of the Company, par value of $0.01 per share, set forth in the table on page 1 as the Number of Shares Optioned, at the Exercise Price Per Share set forth in the table on page 1, and otherwise upon the terms and conditions set forth herein.

2. Duration and Exercise of Option. This Option expires on the Option Expiration Date set forth above or prior thereto in the event of death or termination of employment of the Participant, as provided herein. The exercise of this Option is contingent upon receipt by the Company of the full purchase price of such shares, During the period between the date of the grant of this Option and the end of the tenth year after the date of the granting of this Option, this Option may be exercised with respect to not more than the percentage of the total number of Option Shares as set forth in the following schedule:

 

Years After Grant of Option

 

Percentage of Total Shares

Subject to Option

three (3)   fifty percent (50%)
four (4)   one hundred percent (100%)

3. Certain Restrictions. The Option granted hereby may be exercised only with respect to whole shares of stock. The minimum number of Optioned Shares which may be purchased at one time shall be lesser of 100 Optioned Shares or ten percent (10%) of the aggregate number of Option Shares granted hereunder. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to extend the ultimate term of this Option beyond the period of ten (10) years from the date of the grant of this Option.

4. Manner of Exercise. The Option may be exercised only by written notice, delivered or mailed by postpaid, registered or certified mail, addressed to the secretary of the Company specifying the number of Optioned Shares being purchased. Such notice shall be accompanied by (i) payment in cash or its equivalent of the entire Exercise Price of the Optioned Shares being purchased; (ii) only with the prior written consent of the Committee, by tendering previously acquired shares of Stock having a Fair Market Value (determined by the Committee in conformity with the requirements of the Plan) at the time of exercise equal to the entire purchase price of the Optioned Shares being purchased; or (iii) any combination of the foregoing. The Committee may then require that there be presented to and filed with it such evidence as it may deem sufficient to establish that the Participant is bona fide resident of the State of Wisconsin on the date of exercise, and that the shares to be purchased are being acquired for investment and not with a view to their distribution. The Committee, in its discretion, may provide through any subsidiary bank of the Company to make a loan to the Participant to finance the exercise of any Option as well as the estimated or actual amount of taxes that may be payable. The loan shall be evidenced by a promissory note for a term of one year and shall be secured or unsecured as may be determined.

 

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Shares of Stock tendered shall be duly endorsed or accompanied by stock powers duly endorsed in blank. Upon receipt of the payment of the entire purchase price of the Optioned Shares, certificates for such shares shall be issued to the Participant. The Optioned Shares so purchased shall be fully paid and nonassessable.

5. Withholding Taxes. The Participant by this Option Agreement hereby authorizes the Company or any subsidiary bank to (i) retain and withhold from any cash amounts due or to become due from the Company to the Participant an amount equal to such taxes as may be required by any taxing authority to be withheld, or (ii) to retain and withhold the number of shares having a market value not less than the amount of such taxes and cancel any such shares so withheld, in order to reimburse the Company or any subsidiary bank, unless the Participant has made arrangements satisfactory to the Committee, regarding such payment.

6. Issuance of Shares. Promptly after receipt of such notice and payment (as set forth in Section 4, above) and of such evidence of Wisconsin residency and intent to acquire for investment as may be required by the Committee, the Company shall deliver a certificate to the Participant hereunder for the number of shares with respect to which the Option shall have been so exercised. All stock purchased under this Option by the Participant during his lifetime shall be issued in the name of and delivered to the Participant for whose account it was purchased.

7. Transfer. Except as specifically provided in Section 8(h) of the Plan, the Options herein granted shall not be transferable by the Participant otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution and may be exercised during the life of the Participant only by the Participant, or his guardian or his legal representative. No assignment or transfer by the Participant of his Option, or of the rights represented hereby, whether voluntary or involuntary, by operation of law or otherwise, except by will or the laws of descent and distribution, shall vest in the assignee or transferee any interest or right herein whatsoever.

8. Not an Employment Contract. Nothing in this Agreement shall confer on the Participant any right to continue in the employ of the Company or any of its subsidiary banks in any way affect the Company’s right to terminate the Participant’s employment without prior notice at any time for any or no reason.

9. Corporate Rights Unaffected. Subject to Section 5(c) of the Plan, the existence of this Option herein granted shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Company or its shareholders to make or authorize any or all adjustments, recapitalizations, reorganizations or other merger or consolidation of the Company, or any issue of bonds, debentures, preferred or prior preference stocks or otherwise affecting the Stock or the rights thereof, or the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, or any sale or transfer of all or any part of its assets or business, or any other corporate act or proceeding, whether of a similar character or otherwise.

10. Revision of Shares. The shares with respect to which this Option is granted are shares of the stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company as constituted on the date of this Option. The Committee shall make appropriate adjustment in the Exercise Price Per Share and

 

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the number of Optioned Shares set forth in the table on page 1 if there is any change in the Stock of the Company as a result of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization, or any merger, consolidation or otherwise. The Committee shall also make appropriate adjustments in the Exercise Price Per Share and the number of Optioned Shares set forth in the table on page 1 if any Stock should be sold by the Company (except pursuant to the Plan or any other qualified or nonqualified stock option plan) at a price less than the Fair Market Value of such Stock at the time of such sale.

11. Merger or Consolidation. After a merger of one or more corporations into the Company, the Participant shall, at no additional cost and subject to any required action by the shareholders, be entitled upon any exercise of an option granted under this Agreement to receive, in lieu of the number of shares of Stock as to which such option is so exercised, the number and class of shares of stock or other securities to which the Participant would have been entitled pursuant to the terms of the agreement of merger if, immediately prior to such merger, the Participant had been the holder of record of the number of shares of Stock as to which such option is so exercised.

12. Investment Representation. The Participant, by acceptance of this Option, represents that he is a bona fide resident of the State of Wisconsin and that he presently intends that any stock purchased by him upon exercise of the Option granted under the Plan shall be purchased for investment with no intention of resale at that time. Participant undertakes to furnish a similar representation in writing at the time of exercise if so requested by the Company. This Section shall not be enforced if the shares reserved for grant hereunder shall have been duly registered under the applicable federal and state securities laws. The Participant agrees for himself and his heirs, legatees, and legal representatives, with respect to all shares of Stock acquired pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Option Agreement (or any shares of Stock issued pursuant to a stock dividend or stock split thereon or any securities issued in lieu thereof or in substitution or exchange therefor) that he and his heirs, legatees and legal representatives will not sell or otherwise dispose of such shares except pursuant to an effective Registration Statement under the Securities Act of 1933 or except in a transaction which in the opinion of counsel for the Company, is exempt from registration under such Act.

13. The Plan; Receipt of Copy. This Agreement shall be subject to the terms of the Plan as may be amended, except this Agreement may not, in any way, be restricted or limited by any Plan amendment or termination approved after the grant date, without the Participant’s written consent. The Participant acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan.

14. Choice of Law. This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with and shall be governed by the laws of the State of Wisconsin.

15. Entire Understanding. This Agreement contains the entire understanding of the parties and shall not be modified or amended except in writing and duly signed by the parties. No waiver by either party of any default under this Agreement shall be deemed a waiver of any later default.

16. Meaning of “Participant.” Whenever the word “Participant” is used herein it shall include in addition to the named Participant, his executors, administrators, personal representatives, or the person or persons to whom this Option may be transferred by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, to the extent provided hereby.

 

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17. Participant Not a Shareholder. The Participant shall not be deemed for any purpose to be a shareholder of the Company with respect to any of the Optioned Shares except to the extent that this Option shall have been exercised with respect thereto and a stock certificate issued therefor. No adjustment shall be made for any dividends or other rights for which the record date is prior to the date such stock certificate is issued.

18. Violation of Law. Anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall not be obligated to issue any shares hereunder if the exercise of this Option or the issuance of such shares shall constitute a violation by the Participant or by the Company of any provisions of any law or of any regulation of any governmental authority. Any determination made by the Committee under this Section 14 shall be final, binding and conclusive.

19. Controversy; Interpretation. Any controversy which shall arise under or as a result of or pursuant to this Option shall be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion and any interpretation by the Committee of the terms of this Option shall be final, binding and conclusive, unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors of the Company.

20. Notices. Every notice hereunder shall be in writing delivered personally or by mail, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:

 

If to the Company:   

934 North 23rd Street

 

Manitowoc, Wisconsin 53420

 

Attention: Management Incentive Plan Administrative Committee with a copy to the attention of the Secretary;

 

or at such other address as the Company, by notice, may designate in writing from time to time.

If to the Participant, or his or her personal representatives, heirs or legatees:   

The Participant’s Address shown above;

 

or at such other address as the Participant, his personal representatives, heirs or legatees by notice to the Company, may designate in writing from time to time.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Option to be signed and countersigned by its duly authorized officers as of the Date of Grant set forth in the table on page 1.

 

  COUNTY BANCORP, INC.
By:  

 

  William C. Censky, President
Attest:  

 

  Michael F. Check, Secretary

 

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Accepted in accordance with, and subject to, the above terms and conditions as of the Date of Grant set forth in the table on page 1.

 

 

                                                                , Participant

 

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Exhibit 21.1

Subsidiaries of County Bancorp, Inc.

 

Exact Name of Subsidiaries of Registrant

as Specified in their Charter

   State or Other
Jurisdiction of
Incorporation
or
Organization

Investors Community Bank

   Wisconsin

County Bancorp Statutory Trust II

   Delaware

County Bancorp Statutory Trust III

   Delaware

ICB Investment Corp.

   Nevada

Investors Insurance Services, LLC

   Wisconsin

ABS 1, LLC

   Wisconsin

Exhibit 23.2

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the use in this Registration Statement of County Bancorp Inc. on Form S-1 of our report dated November 7, 2014 on the consolidated financial statements of County Bancorp Inc. and to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in the prospectus.

/s/ CliftonLarsonAllen LLP

CliftonLarsonAllen LLP

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

November 7, 2014

Exhibit 24.1

POWER OF ATTORNEY

(Registration Statement on Form S-1)

Each of the undersigned directors of County Bancorp, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation (the “Company”) designates each of Timothy J. Schneider and Mark A. Miller, with the power of substitution, as the undersigned’s true and lawful attorney-in-fact for the purpose of: (i) executing in the undersigned’s name and on the undersigned’s behalf the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 and any related documents (including post-effective amendments) and/or supplements to said Registration Statement (or any other registration statement for the same offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended); (ii) generally doing all things in the undersigned’s name and on the undersigned’s behalf in the undersigned’s capacity as a director to enable the Company to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and all requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission; and (iii) ratifying and confirming the undersigned’s signature as it may be signed by the attorney-in-fact to the Registration Statement and any related amendments (including post-effective amendments) and/or supplements to said Registration Statement (or any other registration statement for the same offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended).

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have each executed this Power of Attorney, in one or more counterparts, as of this 7 th day of October, 2014.

 

/s/ William C. Censky

   

/s/ Timothy J. Schneider

William C. Censky     Timothy J. Schneider

/s/ Mark R. Binversie

   

/s/ Carmen L. Chizek

Mark R. Binversie     Carmen L. Chizek

/s/ Lynn D. Davis

   

/s/ Edson P. Foster

Lynn D. Davis, Ph.D.     Edson P. Foster

/s/ Wayne D. Mueller

   

/s/ Andrew J. Steimle

Wayne D. Mueller     Andrew J. Steimle

/s/ Kenneth R. Zacharias

   

/s/ Gary Ziegelbauer

Kenneth R. Zacharias     Gary Ziegelbauer