“The effort during the downturn to be there for their customers--continue to provide credit was unlike some of their competitors that were focused internally on dealing with problems, preserving capital—raising capital. And customers, both businesses and consumers, I think will remember who was there for them when they needed them most.”

But the profits have had a cost. FirstMerit has cut staff by about 300 and has closed some Northeast Ohio branches. The company is buying Citizens Republic Bancorp of Michigan, which will give FirstMerit branches in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin.