A Bluffton institution with a wider Ohio network
The Citizens National Bank of Bluffton opened on January 31, 1920, with $50,000 in capital and about four employees, according to its institutional history. Customers arriving on its first day were offered an apple. More than a century later, the bank retains Bluffton in its legal name while marketing itself more simply as Citizens National Bank or CNB. The FDIC certificate, 6531, distinguishes this institution from the many unrelated banks using the Citizens name. [1] [3]
Its headquarters is at 102 South Main Street in Bluffton. The OCC’s September 2023 community-reinvestment evaluation identifies it as wholly owned by Citizens Bancshares, Inc. That holding company and the insured national bank are separate reporting entities; the financial figures in this profile concern the bank. The national charter identifies its legal framework and federal supervisor, not a nationwide branch network. [1] [4]
Who and where the bank serves
CNB’s current website lists nine offices: Bluffton, Celina, Defiance, Elida, Findlay, Lima, Springfield, Toledo and Van Wert. Its history page describes eleven primary counties served, including Allen, Hancock, Putnam, Hardin, Auglaize, Mercer, Van Wert, Paulding, Clark, Defiance and Lucas. This footprint combines smaller communities with several urban markets rather than concentrating exclusively on Bluffton. [3] [5]
Agricultural banking is a visible part of the offering. The dedicated agriculture page connects customers with agricultural lenders and resources for new or aspiring farmers, including financing and risk-management questions. The bank describes all nine offices as available for agricultural customers. This establishes a farm-business focus without assuming that all borrowers, deposits or branch activity are agricultural. [8]
Business finance and a broad mortgage menu
The bank’s current overview highlights equipment loans and leases alongside business credit cards and other commercial banking services. Its own business update says 2025 loan volume increased 5.4%, with commercial real estate and commercial-and-industrial lending emphasized. That is an attributed bank statement for 2025, rather than a calculation of growth from the June 2026 balance sheet. [3] [5]
Household lending includes fixed- and adjustable-rate mortgages, construction and bridge loans, jumbo loans and programs associated with FHA, VA and USDA rural housing. The website also describes a physician loan program for qualifying doctors beginning full-time practice. These products serve different borrower circumstances and eligibility rules. Their availability does not mean every customer qualifies, or that every originated mortgage remains on CNB’s own balance sheet. [5]
The everyday transaction relationship
CNB’s Online for Business service is organized into four packages. The basic level provides account access, while higher levels add self-initiated wires, tax and payroll payments, and broader ACH capabilities. ACH is the electronic network commonly used for payroll, collections and supplier payments. For a business, choosing a package therefore concerns operating workflow as much as viewing an account balance. [6]
The bank offers both check and ACH Positive Pay. Its check process compares presented payments with a customer-provided list and returns unmatched items for review. The electronic-payment version uses authorization rules to identify exceptions. These controls depend on customer setup and review; they are not guarantees against fraud. Retail services separately include savings, CDs, money-market accounts, digital wallets and access to investment services through Citizens Wealth Management Group. [5] [6]
June 2026 scale and lending exposure
At June 30, 2026, CNB reported $1.103 billion in assets, $863.6 million in deposits, $869.4 million in net loans and leases, and $105.6 million in equity. January–June net income was $13.3 million. These FDIC figures are in dollars after conversion from the source’s thousands and are not consolidated parent-company results. [2]
The bank reported $734.7 million in real-estate-secured loans, including $400.7 million in nonfarm nonresidential property loans, and $86.2 million in commercial-and-industrial loans. Nonaccrual loans totaled $5.8 million. Net loans exceeded total deposits at the reporting date, but that comparison alone does not identify the maturity or stability of other funding. A full assessment requires information beyond two balance-sheet totals. [2]
A community-credit record and recent staffing changes
The OCC’s evaluation dated September 5, 2023 rated CNB Satisfactory overall, with a Satisfactory lending test and Outstanding community-development test. The report found a majority of evaluated lending within its assessment areas and reasonable distribution among borrowers and businesses of different sizes. The document’s filename refers to 2024, but its cover date is 2023; the examination should be described by that actual date. [4]
Official announcements in August 2026 reported business-banking hires in Celina and Springfield, providing a recent operational update consistent with the bank’s commercial and agricultural emphasis. Such staffing announcements describe intended customer coverage, not an independently established increase in lending capacity or future earnings. The CRA report likewise evaluates community credit performance, explicitly not financial condition. Together, the sources support a regional relationship-bank profile while leaving future credit losses and funding needs uncertain. [4] [7]
Sources
- FDIC BankFind: legal institution and certificateOfficial sourceBack to text: ↑1↑2
- FDIC bank-level financials, June 30, 2026; income January–JuneOfficial sourceBack to text: ↑1↑2
- Citizens National Bank history and business updateSourceBack to text: ↑1↑2↑3
- OCC CRA evaluation, September 5, 2023Source · PDFBack to text: ↑1↑2↑3
- Citizens official overview, locations and mortgage optionsSourceBack to text: ↑1↑2↑3↑4
- Citizens Online for Business and payment controlsSourceBack to text: ↑1↑2
- Citizens official news releasesSourceBack to text: ↑
- Citizens agricultural banking resourcesSourceBack to text: ↑1↑2