Heartland Bank Signs Ohio State’s Haskell Garrett and E.J. Liddell to NIL Partnerships

WHITEHALL, Ohio, Aug. 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Heartland BancCorp, (“Heartland” and “the company”) (OTCQX: HLAN), parent company of Heartland Bank (“Bank”), today announced NIL partnerships with Ohio State football defensive tackle Haskell Garrett and men’s basketball forward E. J. Liddell. Both players will be championing Heartland’s ‘Relationships Matter: Bank ON Community Banking’ movement.

“Community Bankers are accessible and are excellent advisors to help navigate the financial landscape. Not to mention, in good times and bad, they are there to help you and your business,” according to G. Scott McComb, Chairman, President and CEO of Heartland Bank. “As a proud sponsor of Ohio State Athletics, I am pleased to associate with these proven, dedicated and professional young men.”

“The relationship I am building with Heartland Bank is very similar to how they do business in the community,” said Garrett. “It’s very personal, impactful, and important. I couldn’t ask for a better bank to represent in the great state of Ohio.”

The movement will also contain financial education and messaging to the underbanked and to Central Ohio’s young adults who desire a valued financial partner. “One of the early lessons everyone has to learn is how to seek and understand the value of a relationship with your community banker,” said McComb.

According to Liddell, “I’m happy to have partnered with such a family-oriented bank. Being a family-oriented guy myself, it made me feel as if I was joining another big family who cares about me as a person and as a customer. I wouldn’t want to do it any other way.”

About Haskell Garrett

Haskell Garrett is a graduate of The Ohio State University obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Arts & Sciences. He is a 2021 preseason All-America on virtually every media poll after earning first-team All-America honors in 2020 by CBS Sports. Garrett is on the 2021 preseason watch lists for the Outland Trophy, the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.

About E.J. Liddell

E.J. Liddell is a junior forward for The Ohio State University men’s basketball team. He is listed for the 2021 Naismith Trophy Midseason Team for Men’s Player of the Year. First team All-Big 10 selection by Big Ten Coaches and Second Team honoree by the league media is also part of Liddell’s honors. He is also noted as Associated Press 2021 First Team All-Big 10 Selection.

About Heartland BancCorp

Heartland BancCorp is a registered Ohio bank holding company and the parent of Heartland Bank, which operates 18 full-service banking offices and TransCounty Title Agency, LLC. Heartland Bank, founded in 1911, provides full-service commercial, small business, and consumer banking services; professional financial planning services; and other financial products and services. Heartland Bank is a member of the Federal Reserve, a member of the FDIC, and an Equal Housing Lender. Heartland BancCorp is currently quoted on the OTC Markets (OTCQX) under the symbol HLAN. Learn more about Heartland Bank at Heartland.Bank.

In May of 2021, Heartland was ranked #82 on the American Banker Magazine’s list of Top 200 Publicly Traded Community Banks and Thrifts based on three-year average return on equity as of December 31, 2020.

Safe Harbor Statement

This release contains forward-looking statements that reflect management's current views of future events and operations. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company as of the date of this release. It is important to note that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the ability of the Company to implement its strategy and expand its lending operations.