MUNCIE, IN— First Merchants Bank (NASDAQ: FRME) is one of the select few regional banks to receive the TIME Magazine "America's Best Mid-Sized Companies” award. First Merchants is one of nine financial services companies located in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. There were 500 companies recognized with this distinction.

This new recognition underscores the bank's steady commitment to its vision: "to enhance the financial wellness of the diverse communities we serve" while exemplifying a "helping you prosper" service mindset.

"This recognition from TIME fills us with immense pride," said Mike Stewart, President at First Merchants Bank. "Our team is passionate about providing exceptional financial services, innovative solutions, and personalized attention to empower our clients to reach their financial goals."

In order to develop the list of America's Best Mid-Size Companies, TIME and research partner Statista used the following methodology:

• All companies that operate in the United States and generated between $100 million and $10 billion of revenue were considered.
• Employee satisfaction was investigated based on survey data from a large sample of employees from these U.S. companies.
• After determining the companies with an above-average satisfaction level, each company's revenue growth over the past three years was considered.
• Finally, companies that performed above-average in employee satisfaction and revenue growth were assessed on numerous KPIs in environmental protection, social responsibility, and corporate governance.

The scores of all three dimensions were added with an equal percentage basis to form the final ranking score, with 100 points being the maximum. The 500 companies with the highest score received the America's Best Mid-Size Companies award from TIME.

First Merchants Bank boasts a remarkable history of industry recognition. This prestigious TIME honor adds to their impressive collection, which includes being named a Forbes World’s Best Bank and America's Best Banks accolades. First Merchants Bank also recently earned recognition among the top 50 performing public banks in the S&P Global Market Intelligence 2023 rankings.

About First Merchants Corporation:

With $18 billion in assets¹, First Merchants Corporation (NASDAQ: FRME) is a registered bank holding company offering a full line of commercial and consumer banking services and wealth management services through First Merchants Bank and First Merchants Private Wealth Advisors in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio. With more than 130 years of enhancing the financial wellness of the diverse communities it serves, First Merchants makes meaningful contributions through Employee Empowerment, Philanthropy and Charitable Giving, Financial Wellness, Community Home and Business Lending, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The company has been honored for its attentive and knowledgeable service and culture by Forbes, Time Magazine, American Banker, Comparably, and S&P Global Intelligence “Best Banks” awards. First Merchants Bank attributes this recognition to a mission-driven team that is passionate about “helping you prosper” through attentiveness as its genuine and unique approach to customer service. To see how First Merchants Bank is making a difference, go to https://www.firstmerchants.com/. Member FDIC

¹ As of July 25, 2024