Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:BFST) today announced the acquisition of American Planning Corporation (American Planning), a financial consulting firm serving community banks since 1972. CEO T. Jefferson Fair and his team will join Smith Shellnut Wilson, LLC (SSW), a b1BANK subsidiary, expanding SSW’s advisory platform to serve SSW and b1 Financial Services Group clients nationwide.

American Planning brings more than five decades of experience advising community banks through outsourced CFO services, financial modeling, strategic planning, capital planning, asset/liability management, stock valuations, and regulatory consulting.

The acquisition expands SSW’s platform beyond investment management and asset/liability management into a comprehensive suite of strategic advisory services. Financial institutions will benefit from deeper expertise in financial performance, regulatory strategy, capital planning and long-term growth—all through a single trusted partner.