SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) September 20, 1999
Firstar Corporation
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
Wisconsin 1-2981 39-1940778
(State or Other (Commission File (I.R.S. Employer
Jurisdiction of Number) Identification No.)
Incorporation)
777 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (414) 765-4321
Not Applicable
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
<PAGE>
Item 5. Other Events.
A copy of the press release dated September 20, 1999 regarding
the merger of Mercantile Bancorporation Inc. with and into Firstar Corporation
is attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(c) The following exhibits are filed with this report:
Exhibit Number Description
99.1 Press Release issued September 20, 1999
<PAGE>
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
FIRSTAR CORPORATION
By: /s/ Jennie P. Carlson
Name: Jennie P. Carlson
Title: Senior Vice President,
General Counsel and Secretary
Dated: September 21, 1999
Firstar Corporation and Mercantile Bancorporation Merger Completed
MILWAUKEE and ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 20, 1999--The merger of Firstar
Corporation (NYSE:FSR - news) and Mercantile Bancorporation Inc. (NYSE:MTL -
news) was officially completed this morning at 12:01 a.m. EDT, Monday, September
20, 1999. The combined companies will now be called "Firstar Corporation" and
its common stock will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker
symbol "FSR." This announcement was made by Jerry A. Grundhofer, president and
chief executive officer of Firstar Corporation.
This transaction creates the second largest Midwest banking franchise, providing
a full line of consumer banking, commercial banking and trust and investment
management services and products to more than 5 million customers through its
approximately 1,200 branch locations in nine Midwest states and Tennessee,
Arkansas, Florida and Arizona. The combined company will become the 14th largest
bank holding company in the United States, with assets of more than $74 billion.
Grundhofer commented, "We are pleased to welcome Firstar's newest customers,
employees and shareholders to our organization. The merging of these two
first-class banks creates a leading provider of financial services in the
Midwest region, with the ability to offer greater financial strength, a broader
range of products and services, stronger technology and greater efficiency to
our customers and communities. This merger provides unmatched economic benefits
for shareholders and will position Firstar strategically to operate on a new and
higher level of banking going forward. In the coming months, we look forward to
introducing our new customers in St. Louis, Kansas City and Little Rock, and
those in other important markets in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois
and Kentucky, to Firstar. We are excited about being able to offer our new
customers our Five Star Service Guarantee, 24-Hour Banking System and other
industry-leading financial services and products available at Firstar."
Firstar's corporate headquarters remain in Milwaukee, with St. Louis being the
headquarters for corporate banking and Cincinnati, Ohio, continuing as the
headquarters for consumer banking. In addition to "guaranteed service,"
customers of Firstar will now have access to approximately 1,200 full-service
branch locations, more than 2,000 ATM's, a broad range of electronic banking, PC
banking and Internet banking products and services.
Grundhofer, Firstar's president and chief executive officer, will continue in
that position. Thomas H. Jacobsen, Mercantile's chairman, president and chief
executive officer, who will be based in St. Louis, is now chairman of the board
of Firstar and will co-chair the board's executive committee with Grundhofer.
Roger L. Fitzsimonds, Firstar's current chairman, has announced plans to retire
and has been named chairman emeritus. Firstar Corporation's board of directors,
which includes Grundhofer and Jacobsen, is comprised of the following members:
Victoria B. Buyniski, John C. Dannemiller, David B. Garvin, J. P. Hayden, Jr.,
Roger L. Howe, David B. O'Maley, O'dell M. Owens, M.D., Thomas E. Petry, Joe F.
Hladky, Sheldon B. Lubar, Daniel F. McKeithan, Jr., John J. Stollenwerk, William
W. Wirtz, Frank Lyon, Jr., Craig D. Schnuck and Patrick T. Stokes.
Firstar Corporation will be a $74 billion bank holding company with
approximately 1,200 full-service banking offices in Ohio, Wisconsin, Missouri,
Kentucky, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Indiana, Arkansas, Minnesota, Tennessee,
Arizona and Florida. Firstar offers a full complement of banking, trust,
investment, insurance, securities brokerage and other financial services.
Firstar Corporation is the parent company of Firstar Finance, a consumer finance
company and Firstar Investment Research & Management Company, LLC (FIRMCO), an
investment advisory firm. Visit Firstar on the web at www.firstar.com. Firstar
was founded in 1853.
Contact:
Firstar Corporation
Steve Dale (Media), 414/765-4455
Joe Messinger (Analysts), 414/765-5235
