On Dec. 20, one of Bowling Green’s most successful businesses merged with another Ohio company.

Columbus, Ohio-based Huntington Financial bought Bowling Green’s Sky Financial Group.

Tim Dirrim, a spokesman for Sky, said the two banks are expected to complete their merge sometime during the third quarter of this year. Sky Financial will take Huntington’s name in the fall.

According to CNNmoney.com, this merge makes Huntington Bank the 24th largest domestically controlled U.S. bank.

Sharon Speyer, regional president of Sky Financial, said that is was too soon to predict how this merge will affect the Bowling Green community or any community for that matter, who currently has both banks in use. There will be a need for consolidation but it has yet to be determined which branches will be affected by the merge.

According to a Sky Financial release, the merger was unanimously approved by both companies’ board of directors and will result with a strong Midwest presence of Huntington Financial Group.

Some University students, like Brittany Laughlin, junior, said the merge makes them think they are more likely to use Sky.

“I would now be more likely to bank with Sky because they are merging with a more reputable and better established company,” Laughlin said.

Others who already use Sky Financial, seem content to keep their accounts there.

Kristen Boeshart, a senior, said, the merge between the two banks does not worry her because it does not directly affect her or her bank account.

Gaylyn Finn, the treasurer and assistant vice president of finance for Bowling Green State University, said that the University currently uses Sky Bank.

Every few years, the University does proposals with several banks and the banks compete for its business.

During the last proposal, Sky Bank beat out the other competitors for the University’s business. The University will continue to use Sky Bank but migrate some of their business over to Huntington. There will be a new request for proposal in about six months and the banks will then compete for their business again.

The only difference will be that in the next proposal, Sky Bank and Huntington will be one in the same.