The holding company for an Ironton bank and two sister banks has filed an application with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to merge into one financial institution.

Premier Financial Bancorp of Huntington, W.Va., recently made the application for the merger of Ohio River Bank in Ironton, Citizens Deposit Bank in Vanceburg, Ky., and Farmers Deposit in Eminence, Ky.

“It should improve our lending abilities,” Jodi Rowe-Collins, president of Ohio River, said. “We anticipate very little change if any and that would be positive.”

Citizens Deposit Bank would likely be the name of all three institutions.

If the merger is approved as expected later this year, the combined institution would have assets of more than $370 million.