President & CEO’s Letter
I am pleased to share with you Independent Bank Corporation’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
report for 2020. Independent Bank is currently the third largest bank headquartered in the state of
Michigan. We operate 62 bank branches in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, as well as nine loan production offices
(LPOs) in Michigan and Ohio. Established in 1864, we continue to work towards our mission of making a
positive difference in the lives of those we serve: our customers, communities and shareholders, as well as
our all our key stakeholders, including our associates and strategic partners.
This past year has been an extraordinary period for all of us. The coronavirus pandemic brought on a public
health and an economic crisis. As a result, too many lives have been lost and too many livelihoods have been
negatively impacted. With the pandemic we have also been reminded of the racial, ethnic and social
injustices that still exist within our communities. While we cannot guarantee equal outcomes, we must
continue to do all we can to ensure equal opportunity. At IBC, we continue to strive to be a part of the
solution serving our clients, investing in our communities, and building long term value for all
stakeholders. This report will include our response to the COVID-19. I am very proud of our team and the job
they are doing as we work our way through to the other side of the pandemic.
While this is our first report, the principles behind ESG are not new and are fundamental to our community
banking strategy. As a community bank, natural parts of our culture and keys to our success include being:
- Good corporate citizens that care for our environment and facilitate others to do
the same.
- Great place to work and bank. Excellent neighbors and supporters of our
communities.
- Strong corporate stewards with good governance, enabling effective operations in a
heavily regulated
industry.
Over the last two years we invested over $1.25 million in sponsorships and donations to organizations in our
communities. Our associates were recognized by the American Bankers Association for volunteerism in 2020,
through their outreach programs, mentoring, and other partnerships. This includes the capstone initiative,
our annual Making a Difference Day (MADD).
We are publishing this report in a section on our website, IndependentBank.com, to communicate more broadly
the numerous efforts made by our Company to provide sustainable long-term value to stakeholders. This report
contains highlights of key initiatives and/or progress we have made as it pertains to protecting our
environment, social equality, and sound governance. What you won’t find is lofty goals and promises of
something we hope to do some day. Instead, we will highlight the many good things that we do in these areas
today and
our opportunities for improvement going forward.
President and CEO
The information contained in this report shall not be deemed to be filed or furnished or otherwise
incorporated by reference in future filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities
Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.