North Shore Bank branch in Reading. Photo from North Shore Bank website

Hometown Financial Group, Inc., a multibank mutual holding company announced that the merger of Abington Bank with North Shore Bank is complete and that North Shore Bank has joined the Hometown Financial Group family of banks. This transaction is the seventh strategic merger for Hometown Financial Group in the last nine years.

After the merger, North Shore Bank has over $3 billion in assets and 25 full-service retail locations across Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. The branches in the South Shore region will continue to operate under the Abington Bank brand as a division of North Shore Bank.

“I look forward to getting to know the Abington Bank customers, employees, and communities in the months ahead now that they have joined North Shore Bank,” said Kevin M. Tierney, Sr., chief executive officer of North Shore Bank and president of Hometown Financial Group. “I’m passionate about fulfilling our promise to deliver individualized financial solutions, enhanced smart banking tools and technology, and increased business lending capacity. At the same time, this will enable us to broaden our commitment to giving back to the communities we serve through our new foundation and our charitable giving program, The Giving Tree.”

With the merger has come a shuffle in senior leadership. Michael R. Wheeler, president and chief operating officer of North Shore Bank assumed the role of chief operating officer of Hometown Financial Group after the merger. Abington Bank President and CEO Andrew J. Raczka also retired after more than 40 years in community banking.

“We’re thrilled to welcome North Shore Bank employees and customers into the Hometown Financial Group family,” said Hometown Financial Group CEO Matthew S. Sosik. “This transaction more than doubles our presence in eastern Massachusetts and brings our holding company consolidated assets to $6.5 billion, making us one of the largest mutual holding companies in the country.”