First Defiance Financial

Type: Public
On the web: http://www.fdef.com
Employees: 556
Employee growth: 9.0%

Named for its hometown, not its attitude, First Defiance Financial is the holding company for First Federal Bank of the Midwest, which operates more than 35 branches serving northwestern Ohio, western Indiana, and southern Michigan. The bank offers standard deposit products including checking, savings, and money market accounts and CDs. Commercial real estate loans account for about 40% of the bank's loan portfolio; residential mortgages make up about another 20%. The company's insurance agency subsidiary, First Insurance & Investments, provides life insurance, property/casualty coverage, and investment products. In 2008 First Defiance bought Pavilion Bancorp, giving the bank its first branches in Michigan.

Key numbers for fiscal year ending December, 2008:
Sales: $81.3M
One year growth: 14.8%
Net income: $7.4M
Income growth: (47.1%)

Officers:
Chairman, President, and CEO; Chairman and CEO, First Federal Bank of the Midwest: William J. Small
EVP and Director; President and COO, First Federal Bank of the Midwest: James L. Rohrs
EVP and CFO; CEO, First Insurance & Investments: Donald P. Hileman

Competitors:
Fifth Third
Huntington Bancshares
KeyCorp