F&M Bank Announces Promotion of Kevin Becker to Chief Credit Officer

ARCHBOLD, Ohio, March 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- F&M Bank (“F&M”), an Archbold, Ohio based bank owned by Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: FMAO) today announced the promotion of Kevin Becker to Senior Vice President and Chief Credit Officer.

Lars Eller, President and Chief Executive Officer stated, “We are thrilled to announce the promotion of Kevin Becker to Chief Credit Officer, a testament to our belief in fostering talent from within and recognizing the hard work and dedication that he has consistently demonstrated. Kevin’s profound understanding of our credit operations and unwavering commitment to our values of integrity and excellence have been instrumental in driving our success.”

Mr. Becker began his career at F&M in 2015 and most recently served as the Bank’s Deputy Chief Credit Officer where he was responsible for the credit underwriting and loan portfolio monitoring functions. In his new role as Chief Credit Officer, Mr. Becker is responsible for the oversight of the credit standards for the Bank, leading asset quality reviews to maintain a safe and sound institution, and reviewing the Bank’s allowance for credit losses. He has a B.A. in Business Administration from Defiance College and graduated with high honors from the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

About F&M Bank:
F&M Bank is a local independent community bank that has been serving its communities since 1897. F&M Bank provides commercial banking, retail banking and other financial services. Our locations are in Butler, Champaign, Fulton, Defiance, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Shelby, Williams, and Wood counties in Ohio. In Northeast Indiana, we have offices located in Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Jay, Steuben and Wells counties. The Michigan footprint includes Oakland County, and F&M has Loan Production Offices in West Bloomfield, Michigan; Muncie, Indiana; Bryan, Ohio and Perrysburg, Ohio.

Safe harbor statement
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements by F&M, including management’s expectations and comments, may not be based on historical facts and are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21B of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Actual results could vary materially depending on risks and uncertainties inherent in general and local banking conditions, competitive factors specific to markets in which F&M and its subsidiaries operate, future interest rate levels, legislative and regulatory decisions, capital market conditions, or the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its impacts on our credit quality and business operations, as well as its impact on general economic and financial market conditions. F&M assumes no responsibility to update this information. For more details, please refer to F&M’s SEC filing, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Such filings can be viewed at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov or through F&M’s website www.fm.bank.

Company Contact:	Investor and Media Contact:
Lars B. Eller President and Chief Executive Officer Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc. (419) 446-2501 leller@fm.bank	Andrew M. Berger Managing Director SM Berger & Company, Inc. (216) 464-6400 andrew@smberger.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/12252157-8b38-4558-b32a-2188a3f85f02