BMO Harris Bank’s expansion in Indianapolis and other markets via its acquisition of M&I Bank is off to a rocky start as many customers still are unable to access their online banking accounts.
Bank of Montreal’s 2011 acquisition of Marshall & Ilsley Corp. is finally helping it make in-roads in the U.S. Midwest. It has identified five U.S. markets, including Indianapolis, where it aims to add new branches or make acquisitions.
Shares in regional banks are rallying after Canada's BMO Financial Group agreed to acquire Marshall & Ilsley Corp. in an all-stock deal.
M&I has about 30 branches in the Indianapolis area and controls about 6 percent of the market's bank deposits, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The bank is ranked sixth among area banks in terms of employment, with about 400 workers.
If First Indiana Corp. was looking to pull off a sale quickly, Milwaukee-based Marshall & Ilsley Corp. was a natural place
to turn. First Indiana CEO Robert B. Warrington had been doing deals with the bank since he took the helm from Marni McKinney
in 2006. Warrington also is a friend and golfing buddy of M&I CEO Mark Furlong.
