Quarterlytics / Financial Services / Banks - Regional / NorthWest Indiana Bancorp

NorthWest Indiana Bancorp

nwin · OTC Financial Services
Claim this profile
Ticker nwin
Exchange OTC
Sector Financial Services
Industry Banks - Regional
Employees 51-200
← All annual reports
FY2019 Annual Report · NorthWest Indiana Bancorp
Sign in to download
Loading PDF…
YOU

BANKING

2019 ANNUAL REPORTINTEGRITY EXCELLENCE STABILITY

COMMUNITY

THE
FIRST
110 YEARS

As we look forward to the future while celebrating our 
110th anniversary, we remain grounded in our core values 
that have brought us to where we are today. Those values 
have sustained us through the years and will guide us as 
we grow. At Peoples Bank, we recognize our responsibility 
as an active participant in the community to support 
financial stability in all aspects of business.

Peoples Bank continues to build upon the mission of 
helping customers and communities be more successful. 
We do this by emphasizing all areas of the customer 
experience - treating people with respect, honesty, and 
having genuine concern for others’ needs. 

Our focus has always been to empower customers to 
manage their finances and support them in every phase 
of their lives while enabling them to bank however they 

choose. This is because we consider every individual  
and organization we work closely with when making 
decisions. We also understand the importance of  
providing convenient banking. This is why we have  
expanded Banking Centers in both Northwest Indiana  
and South Chicagoland communities. 

The You First Banking brand is a mindset that embodies 
our commitment to the individualized needs of customers 
who walk through our door or connect with us digitally. With 
Peoples Bank, a better customer experience will always be 
more important than just getting bigger. As Peoples Bank 
continues to grow in 2020, we are committed to delivering 
better banking and an exceptional experience to all of  
our stakeholders – our shareholders, our customers,  
our employees, and the communities that we serve.

1

A message from the  
President & Chairman

Shaping the future of Peoples Bank

2019 was a year of envisioning the future at Peoples Bank, and 2020 is when we will shape 
the future of our company. We continue to evolve, and our mission keeps us grounded as we 
move forward: to help our customers and communities be more successful. Our core values of 
Stability, Integrity, Community, and Excellence guide us every day as we grow and continue to 
expand the impact on the customers and communities we serve. Stability and integrity guide 
us through uncertain times, and recent macroeconomic events remind us that we must always 
be prepared to execute on our strategy in changing environments. We have withstood difficult 
economic conditions for over a century, and we stand ready to weather whatever storm that 
comes our way as we strive to create value for all of our stakeholders. 

We engage to understand individual customer needs and provide alternatives so that our 
customers can achieve financial success on their terms. That drives development and 
investment in the products and solutions that are meaningful to our customers, and holds  
us accountable for the expectations we set for them.

Our business model is built on our mission, bringing together our customers and communities 
as we work to create value for both simultaneously. This focuses us strategically to grow the 
Bank in ways that make the most sense for our customers and create the most value for our 
shareholders. As our footprint has grown, we remain committed to helping the communities 
we serve grow economically. Partnerships with community organizations are designed to be 
sustainable and to have a meaningful impact.

Our vision is to provide a seamless customer experience, making banking with us easy by 
offering personalized advice, products, and services across self-service and assisted channels. 
Anticipating and understanding customer needs builds on the trust we have established over 
generations and improves our ability to build long-lasting relationships with our customers.

Shared Stakeholder Value

Net income for 2019 increased by 29.6% reaching $12.1 million, another record year for 
earnings. We successfully grew the loan portfolio by 18.6% and deposit base by 24.2%. At 
the same time, Peoples Bank was named as a Best Bank to Work for in America, and for the 
14th consecutive year, one of the Top 200 Community Banks in America by American Banker 
magazine. To us, that is the definition of excellence that we strive for every day as we carry out 
our mission. Creating value for our employees and investing in the future is not a tradeoff to 
creating shareholder value; in fact, it supports continued shareholder value. As of December 
31, 2019, our tangible book value per share stood at $38.85, which was a 16.0% increase 
compared to December 31, 2018. 

2019 was another milestone as we continued our expansion into the Chicagoland market 
with the successful integration of A.J. Smith Federal Savings Bank. We now have six Banking 
Centers in the South Chicagoland market and have positioned ourselves for continued growth, 
organically and inorganically. Along with our new community partners, we have built teams of 
bankers that are aligned to our mission and values.

Benjamin J. Bochnowski
President, CEO

David A. Bochnowski
Executive Chairman

2

That strategy has been successful by many measures. Over a 
third of our residential mortgages are now in our Illinois market, 
along with nearly a quarter of our commercial loans. Deposits 
remained stable in our acquired branches through integration, 
and have now grown over 20% since closing. From our first 
integration in the market in 2018 through the end of 2019, 
customer satisfaction increased to 89% in the Illinois market. 
Our brand of You First Banking is resonating with our customers 
and living up to the potential that these mergers presented 
for our shareholders. 

As a company, we strive for excellence every day. We elevated 
financial targets for our expansion into Illinois, and we exceeded 
them. Peoples Bank has a winning strategic plan with a 
management team committed to executing that plan and  
staying accountable to results.

Better Banking Keeps Getting Better

Over the past several years, we have made significant 
upgrades to our technology platforms. Internally, those 
enhancements have streamlined operations, enhanced 
risk management, improved the customer experience, and 
positioned us to dedicate more time to the customer. We 
have targeted several areas where we can deliver meaningful 
improvements and efficiencies in the coming year. Where we 
can make processes smoother, faster, and more consistent, 
we will provide a better experience and redirect resources  
to what matters to our customers. 

The Bank’s Wealth Management platform has been completely 
overhauled, giving our customers robust financial planning 
tools that ensure they are on track to meet their financial 
goals. Independent, transparent investment performance 
reporting allows for a better digital experience and streamlined 
investment advice. We continuously upgrade our residential 
mortgage platform, with responsive service that supported 
over $125 million of mortgage loan originations in 2019. 

Our Business Banking team continues to expand and get 
results. Enhanced treasury management services and lending 
products have helped both the Bank and our customers grow. 
Peoples Bank was also named Lender of the Year by the 
Regional Development Company for our commercial lending 
efforts, beating out competitors that were many times our size.  

Efficiency is built into everything we do in order to improve 
our responsiveness to customers and agility in executing our 
strategic plans. We have begun a multi-year plan to reposition 
our Banking Centers for the needs of individual communities. 
The Banking Center of the future will provide efficient service 
and operations while focusing on engaging the needs of our 
individual customers. 

Technology will also improve risk management. Planned 
upgrades to the Bank’s credit platform will provide faster 
responses to customers and better manage risk, and help 
automate certain parts of future CECL compliance. Information 
security and technology infrastructure enhancements are a 
continual process for the Bank, and we are committed to 
becoming as safe and resilient as possible.

110 Year Anniversary

As we reflect back on 110 years of corporate history, we are 
reminded of our continued tradition of community banking. 
We have always stayed true to our core values; we remain 
committed to the communities and customers we serve. 
Delivering an exceptional banking experience has always  
been our commitment to our customers. 

Our core value of stability is embodied by our 110 years of 
service. We have served generations of families as customers, 
and have been lucky enough to serve with generations of 
families at Peoples Bank. For us, it is personal. Peoples Bank 
was founded by John Bochnowski, an immigrant to this country, 
who was committed to helping his community develop and grow 
to be more prosperous than the ones that so many left behind. 
We will continue to honor that spirit and strive for excellence so 
that we can deliver on our mission for generations to come.

We are all proud of what we have accomplished as a team, 
and our collective dedication to excellence has positioned us 
for further growth and an even better customer experience. We 
continue to recruit, develop, and retain a diverse workforce that 
can deliver on the expectations that all parties have for banks in 
today’s environment. It is an exciting time at Peoples Bank as  
we move into the future. 

3

INTEGRITY

Integrity begins with treating people with respect and honesty. 
It is reflected in the reputation we have in the community and 
with our customers. We hold ourselves accountable to the 
commitment we make both internally and externally.

Peoples Bank continues to strive to be a value-driven 
organization by understanding our communities’ needs  
and acting out of genuine concern for those that we  
serve. We measure success by meeting the individual  
needs of our customers.

Our commitment goes beyond that: Peoples Bank is focused 
on creating value for all of its stakeholders, and with that, 
sharing value creation for shareholders, customers, the 
community, and employees. This is evident in the values  
the Bank has created over the decades. While maintaining 
our status as a preferred employer and good community 
partner, Peoples Bank has also been chosen as the financial 
partner of choice for customers. Integrity is the foundation 
of our other values and helps us to grow and achieve great 
future success. 

EXCELLENCE

At Peoples Bank, we strive for excellence at every level.  
From individual performance, to operating group results,  
to bank-wide initiatives, excellence is woven into everything 
we do. It is instilled within our future plans, who we are  
as people, and the results we achieve. 

Peoples Bank is proud to be named one of the Top 200 
Community Banks by American Banker magazine for the 
14th consecutive year. We are again proud to be named  

one of the Best Bank’s to Work For in America by the  
same publication. 

Our commitment to excellence has resulted in a total return 
in Northwest Indiana Bancorp stock of 174.4% since the 
beginning of 2013 when the current management team 
transitioned into leadership. As we celebrate our 110th 
anniversary, our drive for excellence will guide and assist  
our growth in 2020 and beyond.

STABILITY

No matter where or how a customer interacts with the Bank, 
our platforms keep them connected and deliver a consistent 
customer experience. This is driven by Peoples Bank’s 
commitment to providing stability across every customer 
touchpoint. That is true across our markets, including our  
most recent acquisition of AJS Bancorp, Inc. 

Stability is also ingrained in our credit decisions. We take pride 
in having a strong, stable loan portfolio and credit underwriting 
practices that helped us weather the Great Recession. Peoples 
Bank has a commitment to customers and investors to ensure 
stability in its credit portfolio not just now, but also in future 
credit cycles. 

For us, stability is central to Peoples Bank’s strategic plan, 
independence, and future growth. Our goal is to be there 
for each and every customer at their points of need, so they 
can achieve their financial goals. This has led to significant 
investments in training and banking platforms to support 
consistent service delivery, no matter how the customer 
interacts with the Bank. 

Our approach to systems and cybersecurity is also grounded 
in stability. Peoples Bank has made significant investments  
to increase reliability and security, as well as resiliency of 
the systems in the event of a breach. As we move into a new 
decade, our top priority will be to protect all of the Bank’s 
information and systems in an increasingly challenging  
cyber environment. 

4

2019 COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Peoples Bank’s sense of community and genuine concern for our customers, employees, and the  
places they live is displayed in every Bank initiative. Our business model is rooted in our commitment  
to the local community. Last year, Peoples Bank’s goal was to seek out opportunities to expand  
homeownership in underserved areas for families so they could become active participants in the local 
economy. As we move forward today, our focus and commitment to community remains the same. 

In addition to the Bank’s direct community support, Community First, the Bank’s employee  
philanthropic committee, raised over $30,000 through employee-generated donations. With  
the Bank’s matching of funds, the committee was able to donate $62,000 to local nonprofit  
organizations in Northwest Indiana and South Chicagoland.

Percentages do not add up to 100% due to rounding.

Peoples Bank donated $2,500 to Lake Area United Way.
Employees volunteer their time throughout the year at 
events such as the dodgeball tournament (pictured)  
and the United Way Day of Caring Event.

Peoples Bank, along with the Community First Committee, 
donated $15,000 to the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana. 
Employees donate their time throughout the year to pack 
food and attend various events. For every dollar donated,  
3 meals are provided.

COMMUNITY

Team Peoples (employees and their families) raised over $6,000  
at the Cancer Resource Center Unite and Fight Cancer Walk.  
The Cancer Resource Center provides support and guidance  
to those with cancer and their families free of charge.

A group of Peoples Bank employees 
prepared taxes at no cost to those in 
need through the VITA (Volunteer Income 
Tax Assistance) Program. 20 Peoples 
Bank employees volunteered their time, 
totaling 278 volunteer hours.

COMMUNITY

Peoples Bank, along with the Community 
First Committee, donated $11,000 dollars 
to Campagna Academy. Campagna provides 
homes for children who do not have one and 
helps provide guidance for children to get 
them on a more successful path in life. 

Additionally, employees baked 
cookies for the students during 
the holidays and conducted a 
school supply drive.

NorthWest Indiana Bancorp 

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

(Dollars in thousands, except for per share ratios and data)

December 31, 
2019

December 31, 
2018

Earnings:
Net revenue (a)
Noninterest expense
Pre-provision profit
Provision for loan losses
Net income

Earnings per common share data:
Net income per share:
Basic
Diluted
Cash dividends declared
Book value

Selected balance sheet data (period-end):
Total assets
Loans
Deposits
Total stockholders’ equity

Selected ratios:
Return on Equity
Return on Assets
Common equity tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets
Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets
Total capital to risk-weighted assets
Tier 1 capital to adjusted average assets

53,828 
37,388 
16,440 
2,584 
12,097 

3.53 
3.53 
 1.23 
 $38.85 

1,328,722 
906,869 
1,154,370 
134,103 

9.54%
0.94%
11.8%
11.8%
12.7%
8.5%

43,458 
31,383 
12,075 
1,308 
9,337 

3.17 
3.17 
 1.19 
$33.50 

1,096,158 
 764,400 
929,786 
101,464 

9.88%
0.93%
11.6%
11.6%
12.6%
8.6%

(a) Net revenue represents the Bancorp’s net interest income, plus non-interest income.

8

MARKET INFORMATION

The Bancorp’s Common Stock is not listed on any 
national securities exchange, but rather is quoted in 
the over-the-market on the OTC Pink Marketplace, 
which is maintained by OTC Markets Group, Inc., 
and on the OTC Bulletin Board, which is maintained 
by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., 
under the symbol “NWIN.” The Bancorp’s stock is 
not actively traded. As of February 25, 2020, the 
Bancorp had 3,463,136 shares of common stock 
outstanding and 614 stockholders of record. This 
does not reflect the number of persons or entities 
who may hold their stock in nominee or “street” 
name through brokerage firms. Any over-the-counter 
$28.37
market quotations reflect inter-dealer prices without 
retail mark-up, mark-down or commission and may 
not necessarily represent actual transactions.

$33.50

$38.85

$29.41

$32.14

Book Value per Share

Book Value per Share

$38.85

$28.37

$29.41

$32.14

$33.50

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Year ended
Basic Earnings per Share
December 31, 2019

Per Share Prices

High

Low

Dividends 
Declared Per 
Common Share

1st Quarter
$2.75
2nd Quarter

3rd Quarter

4th Quarter

$3.20

$

$3.13
44.40

$

$3.17

40.25

$3.53
$

44.00

45.40

46.00

41.30

43.55

44.45

0.30

0.31

0.31

0.31

2015

2016

Year ended
December 31, 2018

Assets (in millions)

2017

2018
Per Share Prices

High

Low

2019

Dividends 
Declared Per 
Common Share

$3.53

1st Quarter

$

45.00

$

42.80

$1,328.7
0.29

$

2nd Quarter

$964.8

3rd Quarter

4th Quarter

$913.6

44.55

$927.2

$1,096.1

42.75

46.00

45.65

42.85

41.00

0.30

0.30

0.30

Book Value per Share

$28.37

$29.41

$32.14

$33.50

Basic Earnings per Share

Assets (in millions)

$38.85

$3.20

$3.13

$3.17

$3.53

$2.75

$1,328.7

$1,096.1

Dividends per Share

$1.06

$1.11

$1.15

$1.19

$1.23

$964.8

$913.6

$927.2

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Basic Earnings per Share

Assets (in millions)

$3.20

$3.13

$3.17

$3.53

$2.75

$964.8

$913.6

$927.2

$1,328.7

$1,096.1

Dividends per Share

$1.06

$1.11

$1.15

$1.19

$1.23

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Assets (in millions)

Dividends per Share

$1,328.7

$1,096.1

$1.06

$1.11

$1.15

$1.19

$1.23

$964.8

$913.6

$927.2

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Dividends per Share

$1.06

$1.11

$1.15

$1.19

$1.23

Book Value per Share

$38.85

$28.37

$29.41

$32.14

$33.50

Basic Earnings per Share

$3.20

$3.13

$3.17

$2.75

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

9

2019 Board of Directors
David A. Bochnowski, Director since 1977
Executive Chairman of the Bancorp
Former President and Chief Executive Officer 
of Peoples Bank

James L. Wieser, J.D., Director since 1999
Attorney, Wieser & Wyllie, LLP

Edward J. Furticella, Director since 2000
Former Executive Vice President and CFO of the Bancorp, 
Purdue University Northwest Professor Emeritus of Accounting, 
Florida Gulf Coast University, Adjunct Instructor of Accounting

Joel Gorelick, Director since 2000
Former President and Chief Operating Officer of the Bancorp, 
Charter Chairman Emeritus of the Lake County Economic 
Alliance, Inc., and Director and Chairman of the Audit 
Committee of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation  

Kenneth V. Krupinski, Director since 2003
Retired Certified Public Accountant;  
past President of Swartz Retson & Co., P.C.

Anthony M. Puntillo, D.D.S., M.S.D., Director since 2004
Orthodontist, CEO of Puntillo and Crane Orthodontics, P.C. 

Donald P. Fesko, O.D., FACHE, Director since 2005
President, Chief Executive Officer, Community Foundation  
of Northwest Indiana

Amy W. Han, Ph.D., Director since 2008
Director for Clinical Affairs and Education of Indiana University 
School of Medicine – Northwest

Danette Garza, J.D., CPA, Director since 2013
Attorney and Certified Public Accountant,  
CEO of Jack Gray Logistics Network, Inc.

Benjamin J. Bochnowski, Director since 2014
President, Chief Executive Officer of the Bancorp  
and Peoples Bank

Robert E. Johnson III, Director since 2016
President and Chief Executive Officer, Cimcor Inc.

Leroy F. Cataldi, P.D., Director Emeritus
Lourdes M. Dennison, Director Emeritus  
Martin A. Dybel, Director Emeritus  
Stanley E. Mize, Director Emeritus
Gloria C. Gray Weissman, Director Emeritus

2019 Board Committees
Compensation and Benefits
Donald P. Fesko,  
Chair

Amy Han

James L. Wieser

Anthony M. Puntillo, 
Vice-Chair

Executive Committee
David A. Bochnowski, 
Chair

Joel Gorelick,  
Vice-Chair

Benjamin J. 
Bochnowski

Edward J. Furticella

Amy Han

Kenneth V. Krupinski

Anthony M. Puntillo

James L. Wieser

Nominating and Corporate Governance
Kenneth V. Krupinski, 
Chair

Danette Garza

Robert E. Johnson III

Amy Han,  
Vice-Chair

Donald P. Fesko

Edward J. Furticella

Risk Management
Robert E. Johnson, 
Chair

Danette Garza,  
Vice-Chair

Strategic Planning
Anthony M. Puntillo, 
Chair

Donald P. Fesko,  
Vice-Chair

Edward J. Furticella

Danette Garza

Anthony M. Puntillo

James L. Wieser

Edward J. Furticella

Kenneth V. Krupinski

Anthony M. Puntillo

Joel Gorelick

Robert E. Johnson III

Kenneth V. Krupinski

James L. Wieser

Wealth Management
Amy Han,  
Chair

James L. Wieser,  
Vice-Chair

Danette Garza

Kenneth V. Krupinski

Executive Team
David A. Bochnowski
Executive Chairman 

Benjamin J. Bochnowski
President, Chief Executive Officer

10

Robert T. Lowry
Executive Vice President, Chief 
Financial Officer and Treasurer

Leane E. Cerven
Executive Vice President, General 
Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Tanya A. Leetz
Executive Vice President, Chief 
Information and Technology Officer

Todd M. Scheub
Executive Vice President,  
Chief Banking Officer

Stock Transfer Agent
Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions

Independent Auditors
Plante & Moran, PLLC
10 S. Riverside Plaza, 9th Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60606-3564

Special Legal Counsel
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
11 S. Meridian Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

Annual Stockholders Meeting
The Annual Meeting of Stockholders
of NorthWest Indiana Bancorp will be
held virtually on May 15, 2020  
at 1:00 pm CDT at:

www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/NWIN2020

Annual Report on Form 10-K
A copy of the Annual Report on Form
10-K, for the NorthWest Indiana 
Bancorp, as filed with the Securities  
and Exchange Commission, will be 
furnished without charge to stockholders 
as of the record date upon written 
request to the:

Corporate Secretary
NorthWest Indiana Bancorp
9204 Columbia Avenue
Munster, Indiana 46321

(Subsidiary of NorthWest Indiana Bancorp)

CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
9204 Columbia Avenue  
Munster, IN 46321

ibankpeoples.com   |   219-836-4400

Member FDIC