Columbia Financial to merge with Northfield Bancorp in a $597m deal.

Columbia Financial, the bank holding company for Columbia Bank, a community-oriented financial institution primarily serving New Jersey, agreed to merge with Northfield Bancorp, the holding company for Northfield Bank, a community-focused financial institution, in a $597m deal. "We are excited to announce our second-step conversion and simultaneous merger with Northfield. The simultaneous merger allows us to immediately leverage a portion of the capital raised and materially augment financial results. Northfield has built an excellent deposit franchise with a conservative credit culture, which makes it an ideal fit with Columbia and provides great opportunities for future growth," Thomas J. Kemly, Financial President and CEO.