POULSBO — The AmericanWest Bank branch at 18690 Highway 305 is now a Banner Bank branch, the result of an acquisition announced Nov. 5, 2014.

“While the signs on our buildings [have changed], the people inside are the same you’ve come to know and trust,” Banner announced on its website, BannerBank.com. “They will have a new name tag, but the same warm smiles that have been here to serve you at our many convenient locations. You’ll also start seeing the Banner Bank logo on your monthly statements and other notices, including bank teller and ATM receipts.”

Founded in 1890, Banner Bank is a Washington state chartered commercial bank and a subsidiary of Banner Corporation, a $9.7 billion bank holding company. Headquartered in Walla Walla, Banner Bank began expanding its service area throughout the Pacific Northwest in the 1960s. It now operates 204 full-service branches and 12 loan offices in 59 counties in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California and Utah.

Banner Bank was ranked by Forbes as one of the “50 Most Trustworthy Financial Companies” in 2014. It was recognized by the Puget Sound Business Journal as one of the top 75 corporate philanthropists in Washington in 2015; in September, the bank donated a parcel of land to the city of Oakridge, Oregon for a community park, and in  2014, Banner Bank employees volunteered nearly 40,000 hours in their local communities.

Ken Larsen, Banner Bank’s mortgage banking director, is a governor-appointed member of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission.