1 0 . 6 ▁billion ▁in ▁stock . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁announ cement , ▁Mer c ant ile ▁had ▁nearly ▁ 5 0 0 ▁bank ing ▁locations ▁throughout ▁Missouri , ▁Iowa , ▁Kansas , ▁Illinois , ▁Ark ansas ▁and ▁Kentucky ▁while ▁First ar ▁had ▁approximately ▁ 7 1 5 ▁full - service ▁bank ing ▁offices ▁in ▁Ohio , ▁Wisconsin , ▁Kentucky , ▁Illinois , ▁Indiana , ▁Iowa , ▁Minnesota , ▁Tennessee ▁and ▁Arizona . ▁The ▁ac quisition ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁After ▁the ▁mer ger , ▁Jerry ▁Grund ho fer ▁remained ▁as ▁president ▁and ▁chief ▁executive ▁officer ▁of ▁First ar . ▁Thomas ▁H . ▁Jacob sen , ▁Mer c ant ile ' s ▁chairman , ▁president ▁and ▁chief ▁executive ▁officer , ▁replaced ▁Roger ▁Fitz sim onds ▁as ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁board ▁of ▁First ar ▁while ▁Fitz sim onds ▁retired ▁and ▁became ▁chairman ▁emer it us . ▁ ▁Exp ansion ▁in ▁Tennessee ▁In ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁First ▁Union ▁announced ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁leaving ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Tennessee ▁and ▁were ▁s elling ▁their ▁ 4 1 ▁branch ▁offices ▁there ▁to ▁First ar ▁for ▁an ▁dis closed ▁amount . ▁First ar ▁had ▁previously ▁entered ▁Tennessee ▁by ▁inher iting ▁existing ▁branch ▁offices ▁from ▁Star ▁B anc . ▁ ▁U . S . ▁Ban cor p ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁First ar ▁announced ▁the ▁pending ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁U . S . ▁Ban cor p ▁of ▁Min ne apolis , ▁Minnesota ▁for