RENTON, Wash., Aug. 01, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Financial Northwest, Inc. (the “Company”) (NASDAQ:FFNW), the holding company for First Financial Northwest Bank (the “Bank”), proudly celebrates 10 years as a Nasdaq-listed company by ringing the opening bell on the Nasdaq Global Select Market today. First Financial Northwest is the Puget Sound Region’s home for unique and innovative banking solutions. We build long-term banking relationships, serving primarily King and Snohomish, along with neighboring Pierce and Kitsap, counties.
“Our roots go back nearly 100 years when on July 21, 1923, Jack Marlow and Al Wilson started Renton Savings and Loan Association, which eventually became First Financial Northwest Bank, on the shores of Lake Washington just 12 miles southeast of Seattle,” said Joseph W. Kiley III, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Since then, First Financial Northwest has survived the Great Depression, the Great Recession and every economic downturn in between. Today the Bank strives to provide high-touch community banking and unique, innovative solutions through the combination of an efficient, technology-centered branch network, and great local bankers who know their customers and communities.”
The Bank was established in 1923 as a Washington chartered savings and loan association. For over 94 years, we have built our reputation as a provider of financial solutions, a concierge of professional connections, and a partner in community service. Our products and services have expanded over the years to deliver business banking and commercial lending, as well as full-service personal banking, and to keep pace with the evolving preferences of existing and potential customers, particularly in the arena of technology. Reflecting this transition, the Bank changed its charter to a Washington chartered commercial bank in 2016. For the first 90-plus years of our history, First Financial Northwest was a single-branch thrift in Renton, Washington. Beginning in 2015, the Bank opened new, state-of-the-art branches using a unique branch model that incorporates a smaller footprint, leverages technology for efficient transaction flow, and incorporates the talent of our highly-skilled bankers. Today we are a full-fledged community bank that has grown to five branches, with another five expected to be added by the end of this year. We expect to continue to expand our presence in the geographical areas we serve as a component of our long-term business strategy.
First Financial Northwest, Inc. is the parent company of First Financial Northwest Bank, a Washington State chartered commercial bank headquartered in Renton, Washington, serving the Puget Sound Region through its five full-service banking offices. We are a part of the ABA NASDAQ Community Bank Index and the Russell 3000 Index. For additional information about us, please visit our website at ffnwb.com and click on the “Investor Relations” link at the bottom of the page.
Forward Looking Statements:
When used in this press release and in other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), in press releases or other public stockholder communications, or in oral statements made with the approval of an authorized executive officer, the words or phrases “believe,” “will,” “will likely result,” “are expected to,” “will continue,” “is anticipated,” “estimate,” “project,” “plans,” or similar expressions are intended to identify “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts but instead represent management's current expectations and forecasts regarding future events many of which are inherently uncertain and outside of our control. Actual results may differ, possibly materially from those currently expected or projected in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, include, but are not limited to, the following: increased competitive pressures; changes in the interest rate environment; changes in general economic conditions and conditions within the securities markets; legislative and regulatory changes; and other factors described in the Company’s latest annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission – that are available on our website at www.ffnwb.com and on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
Any of the forward-looking statements that we make in this Press Release and in the other public statements are based upon management's beliefs and assumptions at the time they are made and may turn out to be wrong because of the inaccurate assumptions we might make, because of the factors illustrated above or because of other factors that we cannot foresee. Therefore, these factors should be considered in evaluating the forward-looking statements, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. We do not undertake and specifically disclaim any obligation to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements. These risks could cause our actual results for 2017 and beyond to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, us and could negatively affect our operating and stock performance.