A banking merger will affect two banks with local branches. First Financial Bancorp and MainSource Financial Group, Inc. announced that they have received regulatory approval from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to move forward with the proposed merger. This will result in MainSource branches being renamed as First Financial branches.

Officials with First Financial say that the official closing of the merger is scheduled for April 1st. On that day, the two banks will legally become one company. While MainSource will officially be First Financial Bank at that time, company officials say it will be “business as usual” for associates and clients of each bank until the transition weekend targeted for late in the second quarter of 2018. During that weekend, MainSource Bank’s operating systems will convert and its branches will be branded as First Financial Bank branches.

“We are extremely pleased that the final step of merging our two banks is now a reality. The integration process is underway and we are excited to continue the First Financial brand as a combined financial institution to better serve our clients and communities,” said Claude E. Davis, President and Chief Executive Officer of First Financial.