management now exceed $300,000,000. Likewise, brokerage income derived from our partnership with PrimeVest rose nearly 17%.

     
     Efforts continued throughout the year to bring together Gonder Insurance and the Bank in order to gain the convenience of offering the combined services of banking and insurance. Investments in technology and staff have positioned Gonder to add significantly to the fee income of First United.

     The year also saw the opening of OakFirst Loan Center, a consumer finance company. During the past few years, we have recognized there was an under-served group within several of our markets. Through creation of OakFirst, we now are able to meet the needs of these customers, and do so at a profit to the Company. OakFirst opened for business last spring in Martinsburg, West Virginia, and has exceeded financial expectations in the first