• Barb Britenriker, to Assume Chief Retail Banking Officer Role
• Katrina DeGroff promoted to Chief Financial Officer of the Farmers & Merchants State Bank

ARCHBOLD, Ohio, Jan. 09, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc. (“F&M”) (NASDAQ: FMAO), the holding company for the Farmers & Merchants State Bank, today announced the retirement of Allen Lantz, Executive Vice President of Retail Banking. 

Paul Siebenmorgen, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “On behalf of everyone at F&M, we want to thank Allen for his 41 years of dedication and service.  He has been a trusted employee and friend to all he has worked with.  We will miss him and wish him well in the next chapter of his life.”

Barbara Britenriker, Chief Financial Officer of F&M, has assumed the additional duties of F&M’s Chief Retail Banking Officer.  In this role, Ms. Britenriker will be responsible for the company’s retail banking efforts including customer service, branch management and overall retail strategy.  Ms. Britenriker will continue to serve as the Chief Financial Officer of F&M.  

F&M today also announced the promotion of Katrina DeGroff to Chief Financial Officer of the Farmers & Merchants State Bank.  Ms. DeGroff has been with F&M for two years and has over 20 years of accounting experience.  She has an MBA from Bowling Green State University.

Lars B. Eller, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Farmers & Merchants State Bank, stated, “Today’s announcements reflect our commitment and strategy to developing a strong leadership team.  Barb is an experienced leader and I am excited for her to take on the expanded responsibilities of Chief Retail Banking Officer for the Bank while continuing as the Chief Financial Officer of F&M.  In addition, I look forward to working closely with Katrina as we integrate the Limberlost acquisition and execute our growth initiatives.  I am encouraged by the strong platform F&M has created and we are well positioned to create long-term value for our employees, customers, communities, and shareholders.” 

About Farmers & Merchants State Bank:
The Farmers & Merchants State Bank is a local independent community bank that has been serving Northwest Ohio and Northeast Indiana since 1897. The Farmers & Merchants State Bank provides commercial banking, retail banking and other financial services through its 30 offices. Our locations are in Fulton, Defiance, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Williams, and Wood counties in Northwest Ohio. In Northeast Indiana, we have offices located in Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Jay and Steuben counties.

Safe harbor statement
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc. (“F&M“) wishes to take advantage of the Safe Harbor provisions included in the 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 or capital 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.