By 1990, Lake City Bank operated 14 locations in five counties. Deregulation had recently allowed banks to open branches outside their original county, and the bank moved to take advantage of opportunities that aligned with its goals.

Lake City Bank recognized the need to grow and become increasingly profitable, and its leadership remained determined not to do so at the expense of small communities. Instead, it was committed to strengthening those communities by providing responsive, local banking services. When other banks pulled out of small towns, Lake City Bank moved in.

More than once the bank bought physical locations for sale by other banks and acquired their associated accounts. Just as Lake City Bank had purchased the State Exchange Bank in Roann in 1984, it added others as time went on. It acquired branches in Goshen and Nappanee from Standard Federal Bank in 1990. NorCen Bank sold locations in Bremen and Argos to Lake City Bank in 1991.

In 1992, the bank opened a second location, built from the ground up, in Goshen, emphasizing the bank’s commitment to the community as it firmly planted roots there. This marked Lake City Bank’s 21st location. Just three years later, the bank had added five more locations in similar communities. The message was loud and clear: Small towns, we’ve got your back.