Castle Bank to become First National Bank

Beginning Sept. 8, Castle Bank will officially call itself First National Bank, although customers can expect all the same services, Castle Bank Market President Timothy Struthers said.

Castle Bank became part of First National of Nebraska in 2002, and has operated as a division of First National Bank of Omaha since 2010, according to a news release.

“This has been a natural evolution. Both National and Castle have grown together very nicely over the last 14 years,” Struthers said. “We’re pretty proud of the association and pretty proud of their name, and it just seemed like the right time to kind of attach ourselves formally with the company’s brand.”

The official switch, including changes to bank signs, is expected to take place Labor Day weekend. The changes will not affect current customers’ banking, and will be more like a candy bar that has “a new wrapper with exactly the same ingredients,” Struthers said.

“First National Bank is well regarded and active in supporting dozens of communities throughout the Midwest that are very much like the communities we serve,” he said in the news release.

Castle Bank has 14 banking offices located in DeKalb, Kendall, Kane, Boone and McHenry counties in north central Illinois. Identifying as First National Bank is a decision that might ultimately make the business more recognizable to customers who are new to DeKalb County, Struthers said. He expects the “depth, breadth and reputation” of First National Bank, which serves more than 100 locations across seven states, to benefit DeKalb County.

“I think that as folks are more mobile today and they move between markets, I think First National will surely be more recognizable in the greater Illinois market than what Castle Bank is,” he said.

Debit cards, checks and any other banking tools branded with Castle Bank’s name still can be used under the new title, Struthers said.

“We will truly try to go from Castle Bank to First National Bank. Beyond that, really there would be no other changes,” Struthers said. “They’re very similar in reality.”