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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549


FORM 10-K


ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004

Commission file number  0-18868


Premier Community Bankshares, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


Virginia

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation or organization)


54-1560968

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

4095 Valley Pike

Winchester, Virginia

(Address of principal executive offices)


22602

(Zip Code)


Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (540) 869-6600



Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:


Title of each class

Name of each exchange

on which registered

None

n/a


Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share

(Title of Class)


Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes   X    No       


Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  [  ]


Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).  Yes  X   No     


State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter.  $76,583,574


Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock, as of March 2, 2005.  4,927,148


DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Proxy Statement for the 2005 Annual Meeting of Shareholders – Part III


 

PART I


Item 1. Business


General


Premier Community Bankshares, Inc. is a bank holding company that was incorporated in June 1989.  We own all of the outstanding stock of The Marathon Bank, which was incorporated in August 1987, and Rockingham Heritage Bank, which was incorporated in June 1989.  We acquired Rockingham Heritage Bank in November 2000.  Our headquarters are in Frederick County, Virginia.  


Premier is a holding company for Marathon and Rockingham Heritage and is not directly engaged in the operation of any other business.  All of our business is conducted through Marathon and Rockingham Heritage.  Our subsidiary banks operate autonomously, with separate local identities, management teams and decision-making processes, and without strict operating control from the holding company.  Each bank has full responsibility for day-to-day operations, with minimal support from the holding company level.  As a result, each bank can tailor its services and products to the needs of its community.  The board of directors of the holding company does monitor the financial and operational performance of both banks.


Marathon and Rockingham Heritage, which are chartered under Virginia law, conduct a general banking business.  Both banks’ deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and both are members of the Federal Reserve System.  


We offer checking accounts, savings and time deposits, and commercial, real estate, personal, home improvement, automobile and other installment and term loans.  We also offer travelers checks, safe deposit, collection, notary public, discount brokerage service, and other customary bank services (other than trust services).  The three principal types of loans that we make are commercial and industrial loans, real estate loans and loans to individuals for household, family, and other consumer costs.  Our banking offices include drive-up facilities.  There are automated teller machines located at each of Marathon’s offices and an additional nine off-premise ATMs operated by Marathon.  Rockingham Heritage has 23 ATMs throughout its market area.


Principal Market Areas


Our business in the area served by Marathon (the counties of Frederick, Clarke, Shenandoah, Warren and the city of Winchester, Virginia) and Rockingham Heritage (Rockingham and Augusta counties, and the cities of Harrisonburg, Waynesboro, and Staunton, Virginia) is highly competitive with respect to both loans and deposits.  In addition, the loan production office in Martinsburg, West Virginia serves the counties of Morgan, Jefferson, and Berkeley, West Virginia.  In our primary service area, there are numerous commercial banks (including large, multi-state banks with multiple offices) offering services ranging from deposits and real estate loans to full service banking.  Certain of the commercial banks in this service area have higher lending limits than us and may provide various services for their customers that we do not offer.


According to a market share report prepared by the FDIC, Marathon’s deposits as a percentage of total deposits in financial institutions in its market areas was 10.9% as of June 30, 2004, the most recent date for which market share information is available.  Rockingham Heritage’s deposits as a percentage of total deposits in financial institutions in its market areas was 6.6% as of June 30, 2004.  Total deposits in the market areas of Marathon and Rockingham as of June 30, 2004, were $2.7 billion and $2.5 billion, respectively.


Expansion into West Virginia


The Corporation intends to organize a third bank in West Virginia, which will be named Premier Bank.  The Corporation plans to locate Premier Bank's headquarters in Martinsburg and its initial branch office in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.  It is expected that Premier Bank will open in the second quarter of 2005. The banking charter has been received from the state of West Virginia, as well as approval for deposit insurance from the FDIC.  Premier Bank was originally expected to open during the third quarter of 2004, but was unable to do so due to unexpected delays in the local government planning process.  Premier Bank will offer a wide variety of deposits and loans, including residential loans, commercial loans and commercial construction and development loans. The Corporation currently operates a loan production office in the Martinsburg area, which was approved by West Virginia’s Division of Banking on October 6, 2003.


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Martinsburg and Shepherdstown are located in Berkeley County and Jefferson County, respectively, in West Virginia’s eastern panhandle.  Martinsburg and Shepherdstown are approximately 80 and 60 miles, respectively, from both Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland.  Many commuters to Washington and Baltimore and their populous suburbs in northern Virginia and Maryland live in Berkeley County and Jefferson County.  There is commuter train service from Martinsburg to Washington and Baltimore.


Since 1990, the projected market area for our new bank has experienced rapid growth.  Berkeley County’s population grew from 59,300 to 75,900 between 1990 and 2000.  In 2000, its average unemployment rate was 3.0% and its per capita income was $23,000.  Major employers in Berkeley County include Berkeley County Schools, General Motors and Quad Graphics, and a number of other companies maintain distribution centers there.  The federal government also has a strong presence in the county, including an Internal Revenue Service center, the VA Medical Center and the West Virginia Air National Guard.  As of June 30, 2004, the most recent date for which market share information is available, Berkeley County had $802 million of total bank deposits.


From 1990 to 2000, Jefferson County’s population grew from 36,000 to 42,000.  In 2002, its per capita income was $26,900 and its unemployment rate was 3.1%.  Major employers in Jefferson County include Penn National Gaming in Charles Town, Jefferson Memorial Hospital and the Jefferson County Board of Education.  As of June 30, 2004, Jefferson County had $577 million of total bank deposits.


Credit Policies


The principal risk associated with each of the categories of loans in our portfolio is the creditworthiness of our borrowers.  Within each category, such risk is increased or decreased, depending on prevailing economic conditions.  In an effort to manage the risk, our policy gives loan amount approval limits to individual loan officers based on their position and experience.  The risk associated with real estate mortgage loans and consumer loans varies, based on employment levels, consumer confidence, fluctuations in the value of real estate and other conditions that affect the ability of borrowers to repay indebtedness.  The risk associated with real estate construction loans varies, based on the supply and demand for the type of real estate under construction.


We have written policies and procedures to help manage credit risk.   Our loan review process includes formulation of portfolio management strategy, guidelines for underwriting standards and risk assessment, procedures for ongoing identification and management of credit deterioration, and regular portfolio reviews to establish loss exposure and to ascertain compliance with our policies.


Marathon uses an in-house management loan committee and a directors’ loan committee to approve loans.

The in-house loan committee, which consists of the president or senior vice president and two vice presidents, meets weekly to review loans which exceed individual loan authorities for loans that are intended to be held in the portfolio.  This committee approves unsecured loans up to $400,000, secured loans with non-negotiable collateral up to $500,000 and secured loans with negotiable collateral up to $1,000,000.  The directors’ loan committee, which is made up of six directors, approves loans up to the legal lending limit.   The directors’ loan committee also reviews lending policies proposed by management.


Rockingham’s loan approval structure is similar to Marathon’s.  Rockingham’s officer loan committee, which consists of the president or chief lending officer and two additional senior lending officers, approves loans in excess of individual loan officers lending authorities.  These individual authorities vary up to $500,000.  Loans in excess of $1,000,000 and up to the bank’s legal lending limit are approved by a directors’ loan committee, which consists of the president and three outside directors.  The directors’ loan committee also reviews loan policies and procedures, delinquent loans and other potential problem loans.


In the experience of both subsidiary banks, residential loan originations come primarily from walk-in customers, real estate brokers and builders.  Commercial real estate loan originations are obtained through broker referrals, direct solicitation of developers and continued business from customers.  All completed loan applications are reviewed by our salaried loan officers.  As part of the application process, information is obtained concerning the income, financial condition, employment and credit history of the applicant.  If commercial real estate is involved, information is also obtained concerning cash flow after debt service.  Loan quality is analyzed based on each subsidiary bank’s experience and guidelines with respect to credit underwriting, as well as the guidelines issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, Federal National Mortgage Association and other purchasers of loans, depending on the type of loan involved.  The non-conforming one-to-four-family adjustable-rate mortgage



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loans that we originate, however, are not readily salable in the secondary market because they do not meet all of the secondary marketing guidelines. Real estate is appraised by independent fee appraisers who have been pre-approved by the bank and/or board of directors.  


In the normal course of business, we make various commitments and incur certain contingent liabilities that are disclosed but not reflected in our annual financial statements, including commitments to extend credit.  At December 31, 2004, commitments to extend credit totaled $76.4 million.


Commercial Real Estate Lending


Commercial real estate loans are secured by various types of commercial real estate in our market area, including multi-family residential buildings, commercial buildings and offices, small shopping centers and churches.  At December 31, 2004, commercial real estate loans aggregated $142.9 million or 29.1% of our gross loans.  


In our underwriting of commercial real estate, we may lend up to 100% of the secured property’s appraised value, although our loan to original appraised value ratio on such properties is 80% or less in most cases.  Commercial real estate lending entails significant additional risk, compared with residential mortgage lending.  Commercial real estate loans typically involve larger loan balances concentrated with single borrowers or groups of related borrowers.  Additionally, the payment experience on loans secured by income producing properties is typically dependent on the successful operation of a business or a real estate project and thus may be subject, to a greater extent, to adverse conditions in the real estate market or in the economy generally.  Our commercial real estate loan underwriting criteria require an examination of debt service coverage ratios, the borrower’s creditworthiness and prior credit history and reputati on, and we generally require personal guarantees or endorsements of borrowers.  We also carefully consider the location of the security property.  


One-to-Four-Family Residential Real Estate Lending


We make loans secured by one-to-four-family residences, all of which are located in our market area.  We evaluate both the borrower’s ability to make principal and interest payments and the value of the property that will secure the loan. We make loans in amounts of up to 100% of the appraised value of the underlying real estate.  Loans are made with a loan to value up to 95% for conventional mortgage loans and up to 100% for loans guaranteed by either the Federal Housing Authority or the Veterans Administration.  For conventional loans in excess of 80% loan to value, private mortgage insurance is secured insuring the mortgage loans to 75% loan to value.  Generally if the loans are not made to credit standards of FHLMC, additional fees and rate are charged.


Although, due to competitive market pressures, we do originate long-term, fixed-rate mortgage loans, we currently underwrite and document all such loans to permit their sale in the secondary mortgage market. Certain loans that may not qualify for sale into the secondary market are structured as balloon notes payable in full within a five-year period and are held in our portfolio.  At December 31, 2004, loans secured by one-to-four family residences aggregated $131.2 million or 26.7% of our gross loans.  


All one-to-four-family real estate mortgage loans being originated by us contain a “due-on-sale” clause providing that we may declare the unpaid principal balance due and payable upon the sale of the mortgage property.  It is our policy to enforce these due-on-sale clauses concerning fixed-rate loans.


We require, in connection with the origination of residential real estate loans, title opinions or title insurance and fire and casualty insurance coverage, as well as flood insurance where appropriate, to protect our interest.  The cost of this insurance coverage is paid by the borrower.


We expect that Premier Bank, once it is organized, will make adjustable rate mortgages, in addition to fixed rate mortgage loans.  One-to-four-family residential adjustable-rate mortgage loans will have interest rates that adjust every one or three years, generally in accordance with the rates on one-year  and three-year U.S. Treasury bills.  We expect that these loans will generally limit interest rate increases for each rate adjustment period and have an established ceiling rate at the time the loans are made.  To compete with other lenders in our market area, we may make one-year loans at interest rates that, for the first year, are below the index rate that would otherwise apply to these loans.  There are unquantifiable risks resulting from potential increased costs to the borrower as a result of repricing.  It is possible, therefore, that during periods of rising interest rates, the risk of defaults on these loans may increase due to the upward adjustment of interest costs to borrowers.


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Construction Lending


We make local construction loans, both residential and commercial, and land development loans.  At December 31, 2004, construction and land development loans outstanding were $101.4 million, or 20.6%, of gross loans.  All of these loans are concentrated in our local market area.  The average life of a construction loan is approximately nine months. While some loan rates are fixed, many reprice monthly to meet the market, based on the prime rate.  Because the interest charged on these loans floats with the market, they help us in managing our interest rate risk.  Construction lending entails significant additional risks, compared with residential mortgage lending.  Construction loans often involve larger loan balances concentrated with single borrowers or groups of related borrowers.  Construction loans involve additional risks attributable to the fact that loan funds are advanced upon the security of the home or land under construction, which is of uncertain value prior to the completion of construction.  Thus, it is more difficult to evaluate accurately the total loan funds required to complete a project and related loan-to-value ratios.  To minimize the risks associated with construction lending, we limit most of our loan amounts to 80.0% of appraised value, in addition to our usual credit analysis of our borrowers.  We also obtain a first lien on the property as security for our construction loans and personal guarantees from the borrower’s principal owners.


Consumer Lending


We offer various secured and unsecured consumer loans, including unsecured personal loans and lines of credit, automobile loans, deposit account loans, installment and demand loans, letters of credit, and home equity loans.  At December 31, 2004, we had consumer loans of $25.5 million or 5.2% of gross loans.  Such loans are generally made to customers with whom we had a pre-existing relationship.  We originate all of our consumer loans in our market area and intend to continue our consumer lending in this geographic area.


Consumer loans may entail greater risk than do residential mortgage loans, particularly in the case of consumer loans which are unsecured, such as lines of credit, or secured by rapidly depreciable assets such as automobiles.  In such cases, any repossessed collateral for a defaulted consumer loan may not provide an adequate source of repayment of the outstanding loan balance as a result of the greater likelihood of damage, loss or depreciation.  The remaining deficiency often does not warrant further substantial collection efforts against the borrower.  In addition, consumer loan collections are dependent on the borrower’s continuing financial stability, and thus are more likely to be adversely affected by job loss, divorce, illness or personal bankruptcy.  Furthermore, the application of various federal and state laws, including federal and state bankruptcy and insolvency laws, may limit the amount which can be recovered on such loans.  Such loans may also give rise to claims and defenses by a consumer loan borrower against an assignee of such loan such as us, and a borrower may be able to assert against such assignee claims and defenses which it has against the seller of the underlying collateral.  We add general provisions to our loan loss allowance at the time that the loans are originated.  Consumer loan delinquencies often increase over time as the loans age.  We have very few unsecured consumer loans.


The underwriting standards that we employ for consumer loans include a determination of the applicant’s payment history on other debts and an assessment of ability to meet existing obligations and payments on the proposed loan.  The stability of the applicant’s monthly income may be determined by verification of gross monthly income for primary employment, and additionally from any verifiable secondary income.  Although creditworthiness of the applicant is of primary consideration, the underwriting process also includes an analysis of the value of the security in relation to the proposed loan amount.


Commercial Loans


Commercial business loans generally have a higher degree of risk than residential mortgage loans, but have commensurately higher yields.  To manage these risks, we generally secure appropriate collateral and monitor the financial condition of our business borrowers.  Residential mortgage loans generally are made on the basis of the borrower’s ability to make repayment from his employment and other income and are secured by real estate whose value tends to be easily ascertainable.  In contrast, commercial business loans typically are made on the basis of the borrower’s ability to make repayment from cash flow from its business and are secured by business assets, such as commercial real estate, accounts receivable, equipment and inventory.  As a result, the availability of funds for the repayment of commercial business loans may be substantially dependent on the success of the business itself.  Further, the collateral for commercial business loans may depreciate over time and cannot be appraised with as much precision as residential real estate.  Our standard operating procedure includes a credit review and monitoring


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process to review the cash flow of commercial borrowers.  At December 31, 2004, commercial loans totaled $63.1 million, or 12.8% of gross loans.


Employees


As of December 31, 2004, we had 243 total employees, 204 of which were full-time employees. None of our employees is covered by any collective bargaining agreement, and relations with employees are considered excellent.


Supervision and Regulation


General.  As a bank holding company, the Corporation is subject to regulation under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”), and the examination and reporting requirements of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”).  Under the BHCA, a bank holding company may not directly or indirectly acquire ownership or control of more than 5% of the voting shares or substantially all of the assets of any bank or merge or consolidate with another bank holding company without the prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board.  The BHCA also generally limits the activities of a bank holding company to that of banking, managing or controlling banks, or any other activity that is determined to be so closely related to banking or to managing or controlling banks that an exception is allowed for those activities.


As state-chartered banks, Marathon and Rockingham Heritage are subject to regulation, supervision and examination by the Virginia State Corporation Commission’s Bureau of Financial Institutions.  They also are subject to regulation, supervision and examination by the Federal Reserve Board.  State and federal law also governs the activities in which Marathon and Rockingham Heritage engage, the investments that they make and the aggregate amount of loans that may be granted to one borrower.  Various consumer and compliance laws and regulations also affect the operations of each of Marathon and Rockingham Heritage.


Premier Bank, which we are currently organizing in West Virginia, will also be a state-chartered bank, but it will not be a member of the Federal Reserve.  As a result, Premier Bank will be subject to regulation, supervision and examination by West Virginia’s Division of Banking and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.


The earnings of the Corporation’s subsidiaries, and therefore the earnings of the Corporation, are affected by general economic conditions, management policies, changes in state and federal legislation and actions of various regulatory authorities, including those referred to above.  The following description summarizes the significant federal and state laws to which the Corporation and Marathon and Rockingham Heritage are subject.  To the extent that statutory or regulatory provisions or proposals are described, the description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the particular statutory or regulatory provisions or proposals.


Payment of Dividends.  

The Corporation is a legal entity separate and distinct from its banking and other subsidiaries.  Virtually all of the Corporation’s revenues will result from dividends paid to the Corporation by Marathon and Rockingham Heritage.  Marathon and Rockingham Heritage are subject to laws and regulations that limit the amount of dividends that they can pay.  In addition, the Corporation and Marathon and Rockingham Heritage are subject to various regulatory restrictions relating to the payment of dividends, including requirements to maintain capital at or above regulatory minimums.  Banking regulators have indicated that banking organizations should generally pay dividends only if the organization’s net income available to common shareholders over the past three years has been sufficient to fully fund the dividends, and the prospective rate of earnings retention appears consistent with the organization’s capital needs, asset quality and overall financial condition.  The Corporation does not expect that any of these laws, regulations or policies will materially affect the ability of Marathon and Rockingham Heritage to pay dividends.


Insurance of Accounts, Assessments and Regulation by the FDIC.  The deposits of Marathon and Rockingham Heritage are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) up to the limits set forth under applicable law.  The deposits of Marathon and Rockingham Heritage are subject to the deposit insurance assessments of the Bank Insurance Fund (“BIF”) of the FDIC.  


The FDIC has implemented a risk-based deposit insurance assessment system under which the assessment rate for an insured institution may vary according to regulatory capital levels of the institution and other factors (including


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supervisory evaluations).  Depository institutions insured by the BIF that are “well capitalized” are required to pay only the statutory minimum assessment of $2,000 annually for deposit insurance, while all other banks are required to pay premiums ranging from .03% to .27% of domestic deposits.  These rate schedules are subject to future adjustments by the FDIC.  In addition, the FDIC has authority to impose special assessments from time to time.  However, because the legislation enacted in 1996 requires that both Savings Association Insurance Fund insured and BIF-insured deposits pay a pro rata portion of the interest due on the obligations issued by the Financing Corporation, the FDIC is assessing BIF-insured deposits an additional 1.30 basis points per $100 of deposits to cover those obligations.


The FDIC is authorized to prohibit any BIF-insured institution from engaging in any activity that the FDIC determines by regulation or order to pose a serious threat to the respective insurance fund.  Also, the FDIC may initiate enforcement actions against banks, after first giving the institution’s primary regulatory authority an opportunity to take such action.  The FDIC may terminate the deposit insurance of any depository institution if it determines, after a hearing, that the institution has engaged or is engaging in unsafe or unsound practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations, or has violated any applicable law, regulation, order or any condition imposed in writing by the FDIC.  It also may suspend deposit insurance temporarily during the hearing process for the permanent termination of insurance, if the institution has no tangible capital.  If deposit insurance is terminated, the deposits at the institution at the time of termination, less subsequent withdrawals, shall continue to be insured for a period from six months to two years, as determined by the FDIC.  Management is not aware of any existing circumstances that could result in termination of any deposit insurance of TMB or RHB.


Capital.  The Federal Reserve Board has issued risk-based and leverage capital guidelines applicable to banking organizations that it supervises.  Under the risk-based capital requirements, the Corporation and Marathon and Rockingham Heritage are each generally required to maintain a minimum ratio of total capital to risk-weighted assets (including certain off-balance sheet activities, such as standby letters of credit) of 8%.  At least half of the total capital must be composed of common equity, retained earnings and qualifying perpetual preferred stock, less certain intangibles (“Tier 1 capital”).  The remainder may consist of certain subordinated debt, certain hybrid capital instruments and other qualifying preferred stock and a limited amount of the loan loss allowance (“Tier 2 capital,” which, together with Tier 1 capital, composes “total capital”).


In addition, each of the federal banking regulatory agencies has established minimum leverage capital requirements for banking organizations.  Under these requirements, banking organizations must maintain a minimum ratio of Tier 1 capital to adjusted average quarterly assets equal to 3% to 5%, subject to federal bank regulatory evaluation of an organization’s overall safety and soundness.


The risk-based capital standards of the Federal Reserve Board explicitly identify concentrations of credit risk and the risk arising from non-traditional activities, as well as an institution’s ability to manage these risks, as important factors to be taken into account by the agency in assessing an institution’s overall capital adequacy.  The capital guidelines also provide that an institution’s exposure to a decline in the economic value of its capital due to changes in interest rates be considered by the agency as a factor in evaluating a banking organization’s capital adequacy.


Premier Bank will be subject to similar guidelines that the FDIC has issued.


Other Safety and Soundness Regulations.  There are a number of obligations and restrictions imposed on bank holding companies and their depository institution subsidiaries by federal law and regulatory policy that are designed to reduce potential loss exposure to the depositors of such depository institutions and to the FDIC insurance funds in the event that the depository institution is insolvent or is in danger of becoming insolvent.  For example, under the requirements of the Federal Reserve Board with respect to bank holding company operations, a bank holding company is required to serve as a source of financial strength to its subsidiary depository institutions and to commit resources to support such institutions in circumstances where it might not do so otherwise.  In addition, the “cross-guarantee” provisions of federal law require insured depository institutions under common control to reimburse the FDIC for any loss suffered or reasonably anticipated by the FDIC as a result of the insolvency of commonly controlled insured depository institutions or for any assistance provided by the FDIC to commonly controlled insured depository institutions in danger of failure.  The FDIC may decline to enforce the cross-guarantee provision if it determines that a waiver is in the best interests of the deposit insurance funds.  The FDIC’s claim for reimbursement under the cross guarantee provisions is superior to claims of shareholders of the insured depository institution or its holding company but is subordinate to claims of depositors, secured creditors and nonaffiliated holders of subordinated debt of the commonly controlled insured depository institutions.




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The federal banking agencies also have broad powers under current federal law to take prompt corrective action to resolve problems of insured depository institutions.  The extent of these powers depends upon whether the institution in question is well capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized or critically undercapitalized, as defined by the law.  As of December 31, 2004, the Corporation and Marathon and Rockingham Heritage were classified as well capitalized.


State banking regulators also have broad enforcement powers over Marathon and Rockingham Heritage, including the power to impose fines and other civil and criminal penalties, and to appoint a conservator.


Community Reinvestment.   The requirements of the Community Reinvestment Act are also applicable to each bank.  The act imposes on financial institutions an affirmative and ongoing obligation to meet the credit needs of their local communities, including low and moderate income neighborhoods, consistent with the safe and sound operation of those institutions.  A financial institution’s efforts in meeting community needs currently are evaluated as part of the examination process pursuant to twelve assessment factors.  These factors are also considered in evaluating mergers, acquisitions and applications to open a branch or facility.  Marathon received an outstanding rating in its most recent CRA examination, and Rockingham Heritage received an outstanding rating in its most recent CRA examination.


Interstate Banking and Branching.  Current federal law authorizes interstate acquisitions of banks and bank holding companies without geographic limitation.  Effective June 1, 1997, a bank headquartered in one state was authorized to merge with a bank headquartered in another state, as long as neither of the states had opted out of such interstate merger authority prior to such date.  After a bank has established branches in a state through an interstate merger transaction, the bank may establish and acquire additional branches at any location in the state where a bank headquartered in that state could have established or acquired branches under applicable federal or state law.


Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999.  The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 (the “Act”) was signed into law on November 12, 1999.  The Act covers a broad range of issues, including a repeal of most of the restrictions on affiliations among depository institutions, securities firms and insurance companies.  Most of the Act’s provisions require the federal bank regulatory agencies and other regulatory bodies to adopt regulations to implement the Act, and for that reason an assessment of the full impact on the Corporation of the Act must await completion of that regulatory process.


The Act repeals sections 20 and 32 of the Glass-Stegall Act, thus permitting unrestricted affiliations between banks and securities firms.  The Act also permits bank holding companies to elect to become financial holding companies.  A financial holding company may engage in or acquire companies that engage in a broad range of financial services, including securities activities such as underwriting, dealing, brokerage, investment and merchant banking and insurance underwriting, sales and brokerage activities.  In order to become a financial holding company, the bank holding company and all of its affiliated depository institutions must be well-capitalized, well-managed, and have at least a satisfactory Community Reinvestment Act rating.


The Act provides that the states continue to have the authority to regulate insurance activities, but prohibits the states in most instances from preventing or significantly interfering with the ability of a bank, directly or through an affiliate, to engage insurance sales, solicitations or cross-marketing activities.  Although the states generally must regulate bank insurance activities in a nondiscriminatory manner, the states may continue to adopt and enforce rules that specifically regulate bank insurance activities in certain areas identified in the Act.  The Act directs the federal bank regulatory agencies to adopt insurance consumer protection regulations that apply to sales practices, solicitations, advertising and disclosures.


The Act adopts a system of functional regulation under which the Federal Reserve Board is confirmed as the umbrella regulator for financial holding companies, but financial holding company affiliates are to be principally regulated by functional regulators such as the FDIC for state nonmember bank affiliates, the Securities and Exchange Commission for securities affiliates and state insurance regulators for insurance affiliates.  The Act repeals the broad exemption of banks from the definitions of “broker” and “dealer” for purposes of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, but identifies a set of specific activities, including traditional bank trust and fiduciary activities, in which a bank may engage without being deemed a “broker”, and a set of activities in which a bank may engage without being deemed a “dealer”.  The Act also makes conforming changes in the definitions of “broker” and “dealer” for purposes of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.





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The Act contains extensive customer privacy protection provisions.  Under these provisions, a financial institution must provide to its customers, at the inception of the customer relationship and annually thereafter, the institution’s policies and procedures regarding the handling of customers’ nonpublic personal financial information.  The Act provides that, except for certain limited exceptions, an institution may not provide such personal information to unaffiliated third parties unless the institution discloses to the customer that such information may be so provided and the customer is given the opportunity to opt out of such disclosure.  An institution may not disclose to a non-affiliated third party, other than to a consumer reporting agency, customer account numbers or other similar account identifiers for marketing purposes.  The Act also provides that the states may adopt customer privacy protections that are more strict than those contained in the Act.  The Act also makes a criminal offense, except in limited circumstances, obtaining or attempting to obtain customer information of a financial nature by fraudulent or deceptive means.

 

Filings with the SEC


The Corporation files annual, quarterly, and other reports under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  These reports are posted and are available at no cost on the Corporation’s website, www.premiercommunitybankshares.com, as soon as reasonably practible after the Corporation files such documents with the SEC.  Premier’s filings are also available through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.


Item 2. Properties


The following table provides certain information with respect to our properties:




Location

Date Facility

Opened

Ownership and

Leasing Arrangements

Marathon:

  

Main Office

4095 Valley Pike

Winchester, Virginia

1988

Owned by Marathon.

Front Royal Branch

300 Warren Avenue, Post Office Plaza

Front Royal, Virginia

1993

Lease expires in 2016, subject to Marathon’s option to renew for two additional five-year terms.

Winchester Branch

1041 Berryville Avenue

Winchester, Virginia

1995

Lease expires in 2009.

Sunnyside Branch

1447 North Frederick Pike

Winchester, Virginia

1997

Lease expires in 2006, subject to Marathon’s option to renew for two additional five-year terms.

Woodstock Branch

1014 South Main Street

Woodstock, Virginia

1997

Lease on real estate expires in 2007, subject to Marathon’s option to renew for three additional five-year terms.  Marathon owns the building.

Old Town Branch

139 North Cameron Street

Winchester, Virginia

2002

Owned by Marathon.

522 South Branch

199 Front Royal Pike

Winchester, Virginia

2003

Owned by Marathon.

Front Royal Branch II

1729 Shenandoah Avenue

Front Royal, Virginia

2003

Owned by Marathon



9






Operations Center

175 Front Royal Pike

Winchester, Virginia


2003


Lease expires in 2013, subject to Marathon’s option to renew for four additional five-year terms.

Loan Production Office

Suite 397-3

Mid-Atlantic Parkway

Martinsburg, West Virginia

2003

Lease expires in 2005. Current plan is to have the third bank established in a temporary facility at that time.

Human Resources Offices

4046-2 Valley Pike

Winchester, Virginia

2004

Lease expires in 2005, subject to Marathon’s option to renew on a month to month basis.

Rockingham Heritage:

  

Main Office

110 University Boulevard

Harrisonburg, Virginia

1991

Owned by Rockingham.

South Main Branch

1980 South Main Street

Harrisonburg, Virginia

1996

Owned by Rockingham.

Elkton Branch

410 West Spotswood Trail

Elkton, Virginia

1998

Owned by Rockingham.

Red Front Supermarket Branch

677 Chicago Avenue

Harrisonburg, Virginia

1993

Lease expires in 2007, with automatic renewal for one additional five-year term.

Weyers Cave Branch

54 Franklin Street

Weyers Cave, Virginia

2000

Lease expires in 2005, subject to Rockingham Heritage’s option to renew for four additional five-year terms.

Waynesboro Branch

2556 Jefferson Highway

Waynesboro, Virginia

2000

Lease expires in 2009, subject to Rockingham Heritage’s option to renew for three additional five-year terms.

Staunton Branch

49 Lee-Jackson Highway

Staunton, Virginia

2001

Lease expires in 2006, subject to Rockingham Heritage’s option to renew for four additional five-year terms.

Operations Center

370 Neff Avenue

Harrisonburg, Virginia

2002

Lease is on a month to month basis, with no current plans to terminate.

Bridgewater Branch

309 N. Main Street

Bridgewater, Virginia

2004

Owned by Rockingham.

Loan Operations Center

370 Neff Avenue

Harrisonburg, Virginia

2004

Lease expires in 2006, subject to month to month renewal by Rockingham.

Loan Production Office

124 Main Street

Broadway, Virginia

2004

Lease is on a month to month basis.  Future plans are to build a branch office in the area and move production office to that site.




10


We believe that all of our properties are maintained in good operating condition and are suitable and adequate for our operational needs.


Item 3.  Legal Proceedings


In the course of normal operations, the Corporation, Marathon and Rockingham Heritage are parties to various legal proceedings.  Based upon information currently available, and after consultations with legal counsel, management believes that such legal proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on the Corporation’s business, financial position, or results of operations.


Item 4.  Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders


No matters were submitted during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year covered by this report to a vote of security holders of the Corporation through a solicitation of proxies or otherwise.


PART II


Item 5.  Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities


Market Prices


The Corporation’s common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Small Cap Market under the symbol “PREM”.  Prior to the common stock’s listing on NASDAQ on October 3, 1996, there were occasional transactions in the stock and management assisted in matching persons interested in buying or selling the stock.   The Corporation does not currently have a stock repurchase plan.


The following table represents the Corporation’s stock prices for 2003 and 2004.   This sales price information reflects inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down, or commission.


 

1st Quarter

2nd Quarter

3rd Quarter

4th Quarter

 

Low

High

Low

High

Low

High

Low

High

2004

16.75

18.30

17.51

18.75

16.95

18.74

17.70

20.48

2003

10.10

12.98

12.00

14.20

13.59

15.10

15.00

18.25



At December 31, 2004, the Corporation had approximately 2,315 stockholders of record.


The Corporation declared a $.21 per share cash dividend to stockholders of record as of December 31, 2004.  Cash dividends of $.18 per share cash declared in 2003 were paid in January, 2004 and cash dividends of $.15 per share, declared in 2002, were paid in January, 2003.


Dividend Policy


Our future dividend policy is subject to the discretion of the board of directors and will depend upon a number of factors, including future consolidated earnings, financial condition, liquidity and capital requirements of both us and Marathon and Rockingham Heritage, applicable governmental regulations and policies and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors.


Our ability to distribute cash dividends will depend primarily on the abilities of our subsidiary banks to pay dividends to us.  As state member banks, both Marathon and Rockingham Heritage are subject to certain restrictions imposed by the reserve and capital requirements of federal and Virginia banking statutes and regulations.  Furthermore, neither we nor the banks may declare or pay a cash dividend on any of our capital stock if we are insolvent or if the payment of the dividend would render us insolvent or unable to pay our obligations as they become due in the ordinary course of business.  For additional information on these limitations, see “Government Supervision and Regulation – Payment of Dividends” in Item 1 above.


Stock Repurchases


The Corporation did not repurchase any shares of its common stock during the fourth quarter of 2004.


11


 

Item 6. Selected Financial Data


The following selected consolidated financial data is based upon the Corporation’s audited financial statements and related notes and should be read in conjunction with such financial statements and notes.


  

Year Ended December 31

 

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

 

(In Thousands Except Per Share Data)

Income Statement Data

     

Interest income

$31,452

$26,512

$23,114

$20,235

$18,487

Interest expense

8,971

8,293

8,468

9,064

8,209

Net interest income

22,481

18,219

14,646

11,171

10,278

Provision for loan losses

1,020

919

1,100

687

483

      

Net interest income after provision

21,461

17,300

13,546

10,484

9,795

Non-interest income

4,439

3,654

2,440

1,904

1,332

Non-interest expense

16,573

13,213

9,527

7,514

7,126

Income before income taxes

9,327

7,741

6,459

4,874

4,001

Income taxes

2,984

2,485

2,095

1,624

1,457

Net income

6,343

5,256

4,364

3,250

2,544

      

Per Share Data

     

Net income-basic

1.30

1.14

0.96

0.72

0.56

Net income-diluted

1.26

1.11

0.94

0.71

0.55

Cash dividends declared

0.21

0.18

0.15

0.12

0.10

Book value per share

9.00

7.96

6.55

5.69

5.13

      

Balance Sheet Data

     

Assets

$576,150

$463,302

$393,755

$299,865

$246,315

Loans, net

486,865

382,459

312,554

229,300

185,706

Securities

27,314

24,051

25,296

21,393

23,063

Deposits

483,933

397,345

345,062

257,637

212,155

Shareholders’ equity

44,262

38,877

29,824

25,745

23,308

Shares outstanding (actual)

4,919,548

4,881,084

4,555,484

4,527,484

4,546,695

      

Performance Ratios

     

Return on average assets

1.20%

1.22%

1.27%

1.22%

1.12%

Return on average equity

15.20%

15.86%

15.63%

13.12%

11.45%

Equity to assets

7.69%

7.68%

8.13%

8.59%

9.46%

Net interest margin

4.65%

4.63%

4.67%

4.52%

4.92%

Efficiency ratio

61.04%

59.90%

55.30%

57.10%

61.17%

Allowance for loan losses to loans

1.02%

1.06%

1.06%

1.06%

1.07%

      

Asset Quality Ratios

     

Net charge-offs to average loans outstanding

0.08%

0.04%

0.08%

0.11%

0.10%

Non-performing loans to period-end loans

0.23%

0.13%

0.20%

0.09%

0.20%

Non-performing assets to total assets

0.22%

0.12%

0.18%

0.09%

0.15%

Allowance for loan losses to non-performing loans

447.05%

825.75%

529.30%

1165.40%

539.10%

      

Capital and Liquidity Ratios

     

Risk-based:

     

Tier 1 capital

11.85%

13.68%

11.51%

14.04%

12.13%

12





Total capital

12.89%

14.80%

12.56%

15.10%

13.16%

Average loans to average deposits

97.98%

93.29%

92.00%

89.30%

86.46%

Average shares outstanding:

     

Basic

4,893,442

4,602,466

4,537,185

4,514,377

4,561,439

Diluted

5,048,797

4,745,089

4,621,088

4,591,734

4,615,023



Item 7.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation

     

General


The following commentary discusses major components of our business and presents an overview of our consolidated financial position at December 31, 2004, and 2003, as well as results of operations for the periods ended December 31, 2004, 2003, and 2002. This discussion should be reviewed in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes and other statistical information presented elsewhere in this prospectus.


Our subsidiary banks operate autonomously, with separate local identities, management teams and decision-making processes, and without strict operating control from the holding company.  The following commentary is being presented on a consolidated basis.


We are not aware of any current recommendations by any regulatory authorities that, if they were implemented, would have a material effect on our liquidity, capital resources or results of operations.  


Overview


Premier Community Bankshares, Incorporated (“Premier” or the “Corporation”) is a Virginia multi-bank holding company headquartered in Winchester, Virginia.  The Corporation owns The Marathon Bank and Rockingham Heritage Bank and its subsidiary, RHB Services, Inc.


The Corporation and its subsidiaries, The Marathon Bank and Rockingham Heritage Bank are engaged in the business of offering banking services to the general public. Premier offers checking accounts, savings and time deposits, and commercial, real estate, personal, home improvement, automobile and other installment and term loans.  The Corporation also offers financial services, travelers checks, safe deposit boxes, collection, notary public and other customary bank services (with the exception of trust services) to its customers.  The three principal types of loans made by Premier are: (1) commercial and industrial loans; (2) real estate loans; and (3) loans to individuals for household, family and other consumer expenditures.


The Corporation intends to organize a third bank in West Virginia, which will be named Premier Bank.  The Corporation plans to locate Premier Bank's headquarters in Martinsburg and its initial branch office in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.  It is expected that Premier Bank will open in the second quarter of 2005. The banking charter has been received from the state of West Virginia, as well as approval for deposit insurance from the FDIC.  Premier Bank was originally expected to open during the third quarter of 2004, but was unable to do so due to unexpected delays in the local government planning process.  Premier Bank will offer a wide variety of deposits and loans, including residential loans, commercial loans and commercial construction and development loans. The Corporation currently operates a loan production office in the Martinsburg area, which was approved by West Virginia’s Division of Banking on October 6, 2003.


Net interest income is our primary source of revenue.  We define revenue as net interest income plus non-interest income.  As discussed further in the interest rate sensitivity section, we manage our balance sheet and interest rate risk to both maximize and stabilize net interest income.  We do this by monitoring the spread between the interest rates we earn on interest earning assets such as loans, and the interest rates we pay on interest bearing liabilities such as deposit accounts.  We attempt to minimize our exposure to interest rate risk, but are unable to eliminate it.  In addition to management of interest rate risk, we analyze our loan portfolio for credit risk.  Risk of loan defaults and foreclosures are unavoidable in the banking industry, and we try to limit our exposure to this risk by carefully underwriting and monitoring our extension of credit.  In addition to net interest income, non-interest income is an i ncreasingly important source of income for our Corporation.  Non-interest income is derived chiefly from service charges on deposit accounts, (such as charges for non-sufficient funds and ATM fees,) as well as commissions and fees from bank services, such as mortgage originations and debit and credit card processing.





13









Caution About Forward Looking Statements


We make forward looking statements in this annual report that are subject to risks and uncertainties.  These forward looking statements include statements regarding our profitability, liquidity, allowance for loan losses, interest rate sensitivity, market risk, growth strategy, and financial and other goals.  The words “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “anticipates,” “forecasts,” “intends,” or other similar words or terms are intended to identify forward looking statements.


These forward looking statements are subject to significant uncertainties because they are based upon or are affected by factors including, but not limited to:


·

the ability to successfully manage our growth or implement our growth strategies if we are unable to identify attractive markets, locations or opportunities to expand in the future;

·

maintaining capital levels adequate to support our growth;

·

maintaining cost controls and asset qualities as we open or acquire new branches;

·

reliance on our management team, including our ability to attract and retain key personnel;

·

the successful management of interest rate risk;

·

changes in general economic and business conditions in our market area;

·

changes in interest rates and interest rate policies;

·

risks inherent in making lo