Northwest Savings Bank, a subsidiary of Northwest Bancshares, continued its history of strong performance in 2009, a year when many financial institutions struggled.

Early in the year, Forbes Magazine named Northwest to its list as one of the 100 Most Trustworthy Companies in the country after having an independent third party review all 12,000 publicly traded companies in the United States. Northwest was one of only 11 banks on the list.

The local bank ranked first among savings banks awarded this honor and was the top company on the list in its geographic market which covers Pennsylvania and parts of New York, Ohio, Maryland and Florida.

Northwest opened five new banking locations during the year, three near Rochester, N.Y.; one in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and one in Youngsville, Pa.

In the Greater Pittsburgh market, the bank merged with Keystone State Savings Bank in Sharpsburg and moved its Mount Lebanon office to a larger and more convenient location in the same neighborhood.

Northwest stunned the financial markets in 2009 when it sold $688 million of its common stock in a public offering in December and became 100 percent publicly owned.

This additional capital will provide tremendous opportunities for Northwest to offer additional products and services and to continue to grow. As part of its stock offering, Northwest established a charitable foundation to benefit the communities it serves and their residents.

Banks are continuously evaluated for safety and soundness based on the levels of capital that they maintain. Northwest Savings Bank's capital levels far exceed all state and federal regulatory requirements, and Northwest is considered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) to be "well capitalized."

A second test of a bank's stability is its profitability, especially during trying times. In this regard, Northwest remained profitable during 2009, a year of severe economic crisis in our country.

In a recent survey of the country's 100 largest banks by Forbes Magazine, Northwest ranked 23rd best based on strength of capital, asset quality and profitability.

With four offices serving Butler County — Butler, Cranberry Township, Sarver and Valencia — and 31 more in contiguous counties, Northwest looks forward to continuing a tradition of service to this area that goes back more than a century.

Please visit Northwest Savings Bank and learn why it is the bank where people make the difference.

This article was submitted by Northwest Savings Bank.