FNBO Accelerates Kansas City Push With Blue Ridge Bank Deal

First National of Nebraska, with its subsidiary FNBO (First National Bank of Omaha), plans to expand its presence in Kansas City, Missouri, by acquiring Blue Ridge Bancshares and its wholly owned subsidiary Blue Ridge Bank and Trust Co.

FNBO has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Blue Ridge Bank and expects the transaction to close by the end of the year, subject to regulatory approval, it said in a Tuesday (June 2) press release.

Blue Ridge Bank has eight branches, all located in Jackson County, Missouri, and has about $850 million in assets, according to the release. Jackson County includes most of Kansas City.

“FNBO has been intentional about our growth in this region, and Blue Ridge Bank fits that vision in a meaningful way,” Joe Close, regional leader for FNBO in Kansas City, said in the release.

Bill Esry, president and CEO at Blue Ridge Bank and Trust Co., said in the release that the acquisition will amplify Blue Ridge Bank’s ability to help people acquire financial resources.

“Partnering with FNBO allows us to carry that mission forward with more tools, more access and the same commitment our customers and community have come to trust us for,” Esry said.

FNBO acquired another bank with a presence in Kansas City last year. The company announced in May 2025 that it planned an acquisition of Country Club Bank, and it announced in October 2025 that it closed the acquisition.

When announcing the acquisition, FNBO said Country Club Bank had branches in Missouri and Kansas and had $1.8 billion in deposits, $2.2 billion in assets and a trust company with $2.8 billion in assets under management.

In its Tuesday press release, FNBO said it plans to rebrand Country Club Bank branches in the fall and Blue Ridge Bank in early 2027. The company added that its latest acquisition will make it fifth in deposit market share in Kansas City.

“We’ve built strong momentum here, and this is the next step of that journey,” Clark Lauritzen, chairman and president of FNBO, said in the release. “It strengthens our ability to serve customers and become more deeply connected in the community.”