Westamerica Bancorporation

Westamerica Bancorporation is a bank holding company that provides a full range of banking services to individual and commercial customers in Northern and Central California through its subsidiary, Westamerica Bank. The company's legal headquarters are in San Rafael, California, and its principal administrative offices are in Fairfield, California. Westamerica Bank is a California-chartered commercial bank with deposits insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) up to applicable limits. The company's strategic focus is on the banking needs of small businesses. The principal communities served are located in Northern and Central California, extending from Mendocino, Lake, and Nevada Counties in the north to Kern County in the south. Westamerica Bank also owns 100% of Community Banker Services Corporation (CBSC), which provides data processing and other support functions to the company and its subsidiaries. The company was incorporated in California in 1972 as "Independent Bankshares Corporation" and operated as a multi-bank holding company until mid-1983, when its six subsidiary banks merged into Westamerica Bank, and the holding company's name changed to Westamerica Bancorporation. The company acquired five banks in its market area during the early to mid-1990s. In April 1997, it acquired ValliCorp Holdings, Inc., parent company of ValliWide Bank. Between 2000 and 2005, the company acquired three additional banks.