The quiet acquirer.(Old Kent Financial Corp.) From: ABA Banking Journal | Date: May 1, 2000| Author: Holliday, Karen Kahler | COPYRIGHT 2000 Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corporation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Without the usual sturm und drang, Old Kent has been buying its way into new banking markets.

The keys: disciplined buying and smooth integration

If experience has taught bankers anything in recent years, it's this: Executing a merger is a lot tougher than strategizing one. Integrating disparate operational systems and corporate cultures is never an easy task, even under the best of circumstances. Indeed, experience has shown that mergers that promise more tha...