, ▁Illinois , ▁Minnesota , ▁Arizona , ▁Iowa , ▁Ohio , ▁and ▁Missouri ▁while ▁Star ▁B anc ▁had ▁bank ing ▁offices ▁in ▁Ohio , ▁Indiana , ▁Kentucky , ▁and ▁Tennessee . ▁Under ▁the ▁mer ger ▁agreement , ▁former ▁First ar ▁board ▁members ▁would ▁have ▁ 1 4 ▁out ▁of ▁ 3 2 ▁direct ors ▁seats ▁on ▁the ▁board ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁corpor ation ▁and ▁could ▁help ▁control ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁combined ▁company . ▁It ▁was ▁decided ▁that ▁the ▁new ▁combined ▁company ▁would ▁be ▁based ▁in ▁Mil w au kee ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁new ▁company ▁would ▁use ▁the ▁First ar ▁name ▁and ▁have ▁its ▁stock ▁trad ed ▁on ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Stock ▁Exchange ▁under ▁the ▁symbol ▁F RS . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁announced ▁that ▁Star ▁Chair man ▁and ▁Chief ▁Executive ▁Jerry ▁Grund ho fer ▁would ▁become ▁president ▁and ▁chief ▁executive ▁while ▁First ar ▁Chair man ▁and ▁Chief ▁Executive ▁Roger ▁Fitz sim onds ▁would ▁become ▁chairman . ▁The ▁mer ger ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁mer ger , ▁the ▁new ▁company ▁had ▁ 7 2 0 ▁full - service ▁bank ing ▁offices ▁in ▁Ohio , ▁Wisconsin , ▁Kentucky , ▁Illinois , ▁Indiana , ▁Iowa , ▁Minnesota , ▁Tennessee ▁and ▁Arizona . ▁ ▁Exp ansion ▁in ▁Missouri ▁Just ▁five ▁months ▁later ▁the ▁newly ▁combined ▁First ar ▁announced ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁the ▁pending ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁St . ▁Louis - based ▁Mer c ant ile ▁Ban cor por ation ▁for ▁$