Finward Bancorp (Nasdaq: FNWD), the holding company for Peoples Bank (the “Bank”), and MountainSeed Real Estate Services, LLC, a Georgia limited liability company, have successfully completed a $17.2 million sale-leaseback transaction.
Under the terms of the deal, which was officially closed on February 22, 2024, MountainSeed acquired 5 properties owned and operated as Peoples Bank branch locations from the Bank for an aggregate purchase price of $17.2 million. Four of the Properties are located in Lake County, Indiana and one Property is located in Cook County, Illinois.
In tandem with the closing of the sale of the Properties, the Bank entered into lease agreements with MountainSeed under which the Bank will lease each of the Properties with initial terms of 15 years. The Bank will continue to operate as usual and is not closing any branches or exiting any markets as part of the sale-leaseback transaction. “We are thrilled to partner with the team at Finward Bancorp. The transaction enables us to add to our portfolio of geographically diversified income-generating Bank branch properties that possess ultra reliable cash flows,” said Patrick Roberts. Peoples Bank, because of the deal, realizes proceeds exceeding the book value of the properties by approximately $11.7 million. This enables the Bank to allocate funds towards general corporate purposes such as improving overall asset quality, enhancing earnings, increasing liquidity, and adeptly managing capital across various rate environments.
About MountainSeed: MountainSeed acts as a beacon of trust and innovation in the real estate and banking industries, serving as a partner to over 600 community banks and credit unions across 50 states. MountainSeed has become the most active acquirer of bank branches through sale leaseback transactions. In addition, the company processes over $5 Billion commercial real estate transactions monthly, offering expertise to clients in the commercial real estate and lending industries. Their tech-enabled business provides clients access to a marketplace of products, services, and real estate data.
About Finward Bancorp: Finward Bancorp is a locally managed and independent financial holding company headquartered in Munster, Indiana, whose activities are primarily limited to holding the stock of Peoples Bank. Peoples Bank provides a wide range of personal, business, electronic and wealth management financial services from its 26 locations in Lake and Porter Counties in Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland. Finward Bancorp’s common stock is quoted on The NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC under the symbol FNWD. The website ibankpeoples.com provides information on Peoples Bank’s products and services, and Finward Bancorp’s investor relations.
For further information or inquiries, please contact:
Patrick Roberts, Chief Revenue Officer, MountainSeed
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 404-710-9642