First Place Bank to Acquire Three AmTrust Bank Branches in Lake County, Ohio

WARREN, Ohio, June 24, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Place Bank, a wholly-owned
subsidiary of First Place Financial Corp. (Nasdaq:FPFC), announced today that it
signed a purchase and assumption agreement with AmTrust Bank ("AmTrust") to
acquire three AmTrust branches in Lake County, Ohio. The transaction will
include the assumption of approximately $225 million in deposits in exchange for
certain fixed assets of the offices, a pool of mortgage loans currently
estimated to be approximately $160 million by closing and cash, net of a 3%
premium paid on deposits. The acquisition is anticipated to be accretive to
diluted earnings per share by approximately $0.11 in the first year of operation
exclusive of transaction costs of $0.02 per diluted share. The three branches
include:

* 8810 Mentor Avenue Mentor
* 29950 Lakeshore Blvd. Willowick
* 29169 Euclid Avenue Wickliffe
The transaction is expected to close third quarter of 2009, pending regulatory
approval.

"This purchase fits with our strategy of increasing our presence in the
Cleveland market. We've been helping Lake County residents with mortgage lending
for years, and we're pleased that we will now be able to deliver our brand of
community banking through these newly acquired retail offices," stated Steven R.
Lewis, First Place Financial Corp.'s President and Chief Executive Officer.
Lewis continued, "Further it is important to note that we expect to retain the
existing staff positions. The customers in these branches can expect to receive
the same high level of service from the individuals that they have grown to
respect and trust."

About First Place Financial Corp.

First Place Financial Corp. is a $3.4 billion financial services holding company
based in Warren, Ohio. First Place Financial Corp. operates 44 retail locations,
2 business financial service centers and 17 loan production offices through its
principal subsidiary, First Place Bank.

Additional affiliates of First Place Financial Corp. include First Place
Holdings, Inc., the holding company for the Company's nonbank affiliates
including First Place Insurance Agency, Ltd., Coldwell Banker First Place Real
Estate, Ltd., TitleWorks Agency, LLC and APB Financial Group, Ltd. Information
about First Place Financial Corp. may be found on the Company's Web site:
www.firstplacebank.com.

About AmTrust Bank

AmTrust was founded in 1889 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. AmTrust has
grown from a local savings and loan with one office to a leader in retail
banking, with branch offices in Florida, Ohio and Arizona. AmTrust proudly
offers our customers customized checking, investment, and small business
services and is among the top 15 home loan originators in the country. For more
information, visit www.amtrust.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

When used in this press release, or future press releases or other public or
shareholder communications, in filings by the Company with the Securities and
Exchange Commission or in oral statements made with the approval of an
authorized executive officer, the words or phrases such as "will likely result,"
"expect," "will continue," "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "believe,"
"should," "may," "will," "plan," or variations of such terms or similar
expressions are indented to identify "forward-looking statements" within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties
including changes in economic conditions in the market areas the Company
conducts business, which could materially impact credit quality trends, changes
in laws, regulations or policies of regulatory agencies, fluctuations in
interest rates, demand for loans in the market areas the Company conducts
business, and competition, that could cause actual results to differ materially
from historical earnings and those presently anticipated or projected. The
Company wishes to caution readers not to place undue reliance on any such
forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company
undertakes no obligation to publicly release the result of any revisions that
may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances
after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or
unanticipated events.

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CONTACT: First Place Financial Corp.
Steven R. Lewis, President and CEO
(330) 373-1221