New England banks merge

BOSTON (AP) Directors of Bank of New England Corp. and theConifer Group Inc. approved a merger into the largest bank in NewEngland, with assets of $24 billion, Bank of New England announced.

Bank of New England will be the parent company, and the combinedbanks will have 481 offices in Massachusetts, Connecticut, RhodeIsland and Maine.

The merger put Bank of New England ahead of Bank of Boston inassets, the Bank of New England said.

Conifer Group President Kenneth McIlraith will become vicechairman and director of the Boston bank and in charge of communitybanking in Massachusetts. Conifer Chairman William D. Ireland willbe vice chairman and director of Bank of New England.