Equity Bank has two acquisitions in the works

The Wichita-based holding company of Equity Bank has received regulatory approval for acquisition of an Arkansas-based bank, and said it plans to acquire another bank, this one based in Kansas.

Equity Bancshares said regulators approved its acquisition of $495-million-asset Community First Bancshares in Harrison, Ark., which allows Equity to close on the deal that will add five branches on Nov. 10.

Equity also announced plans to acquire Hoxie-based Prairie State Bancshares, the holding company of State Bank, which has $149 million in assets and three branches in Hoxie, Grinnell and Quinter.

Equity expects its assets to be $2.2 billion with 37 branches in Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri once the Community First and Prairie State deals are completed.

This story was originally published October 20, 2016 at 4:50 PM with the headline "Equity Bank has two acquisitions in the works."