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Community West Bank and United Security Bank on Wednesday unveiled plans to join forces by mid–next year, announcing an all-stock transaction valued at about $192 million that would unite two Fresno-based institutions into a single, larger regional player.

The Community West and United Security Bank Mergerr is being guided by legal advisers from Otteson Shapiro LLP and Stuart Moore Staub, according to the companies.

A Stock-for-Stock Union

Under the agreement, Fresno-headquartered Community West Bancshares and United Security Bancshares will combine in a deal priced at $191.9 million, or $10.88 per United Security Bancshares share, calculated from United Security’s Tuesday closing price of just over $24.

United Security Bancshares shareholders are slated to receive roughly 0.45 shares of Community West Bancshares common stock for each share they hold. The transaction still requires approval from regulators and shareholders of both companies.

From Two Banks to One Network

Once the deal closes, United Security Bank, which currently operates branches across five California counties, will merge into Community West Bank, whose footprint spans 12 counties statewide.

Together, the combined institution would oversee approximately $5 billion in total assets, the banks said — a size executives likened to gaining a stronger engine rather than merely adding horsepower.

Ownership of the merged company would tilt toward Community West shareholders, who would control about 70.6% of the outstanding shares, while United Security shareholders would hold the remaining 29.4%.

Executives See Broader Reach

Community West Bank CEO James J. Kim said the transaction would forge “a more robust and more visible banking franchise,” emphasizing deeper expertise, broader resources and an expanded ability to support businesses, families and communities.

United Security Bank CEO Dennis R. Woods struck a similar note, saying the merger enhances the bank’s capacity to serve customers “with greater scale, expanded lending capacity and broader market reach.”

Legal Counsel on Both Sides

Community West Bancshares is represented in the transaction by Christian Otteson of Otteson Shapiro LLP, while Ken Moore of Stuart Moore Staub is advising United Security Bancshares.

If approved, the Community West and United Security Bank Mergerr would mark one of the more significant regional banking combinations in Northern California in recent years, stitching together local roots into a larger financial fabric designed to compete on a broader stage.