Bennington State Bank Completes Acquisition of Flint Hills Bank

April 10, 2026

Salina, Kan—

— Berco, Inc. (Berco), the bank holding company for The Bennington State Bank (BSB), a locally owned and operated community bank, is pleased to announce the completed acquisition of Flint Hills Bank, based in Eskridge, Kansas.
The completed merger expands BSB’s footprint into new Kansas markets, including Eskridge, Osage City, Hartford, and Burlingame, further strengthening its commitment to serve communities across the region.
“This is an exciting milestone for both organizations,” said Darren Gragg, Chairman, President and CEO of Bennington State Bank. “We are proud to officially welcome the customers, employees, and communities of Flint Hills Bank to Bennington State Bank. Together, we share a strong commitment to relationship banking, local decision-making, and personalized service.”
Customers can expect a seamless transition, with continued service from familiar team members along with access to expanded products, services, and technology.
“Joining Bennington State Bank allows us to build on our strong foundation, continuing to deliver the personalized service our customers value while gaining access to additional resources,” said Pat Wiederholt of Flint Hills Bank.
Flint Hills Bank operated under its primary charter name while serving customers through four separately branded community bank locations, each with a strong local presence and identity:
Flint Hills Bank- Eskridge, Kansas
Bank of Osage City- Osage City, Kansas
Hartford State Bank- Hartford, Kansas
Bank of Burlingame- Burlingame, Kansas

Founded in 1887, Bennington State Bank remains dedicated to delivering full-service banking, wealth management, and lending solutions while maintaining its focus on community relationships and local service.

About Bennington State Bank
Bennington State Bank was founded on the principles of integrity, trust, and fostering long-term customer relationships through the delivery of excellence in customer service and financial products including state-of-the-art online and mobile platforms. For over 138 years, BSB has served the financial needs of their customers, offering a full range of banking services to Central Kansas and beyond. BSB is a full-service financial provider, offering Consumer banking, Ag solutions, and Commercial banking, including Trust and Wealth Management, Portfolio Management and Employee Benefit Services. BSB is made up of employee owners with the Employee Stock Ownership Program owning more than 12% of the Bank. With over $1.4 billion in assets, and over $600 million in Wealth assets, BSB has locations in Bennington, Minneapolis, Salina, Lucas, Sylvan Grove, Wamego, Wichita, Abilene, Topeka, Eskridge, Osage City, Burlingame, and Hartford. Always committed to local decision-making, excellent customer service and community investment, BSB is your trusted hometown bank. For more information, please visit bsbks.com. Member FDIC.