Heritage Bank Honored With Top Places to Work Awards

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Mar 15, 2012, 05:11 ET

OLYMPIA, Wash., March 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Heritage Financial Corporation ("Company") (Nasdaq: HFWA), parent company of Heritage Bank and Central Valley Bank, today announced that Heritage Bank was honored with two awards, the Top Place to Work Award - Large Company and the Appreciation Award at the Business Examiner's Top Places to Work event held March 13, 2012.

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The award recipients were named in large, medium, and small company categories, as well as a category for nonprofit organizations. Honors were also awarded in specific workplace categories for businesses that have outstanding environments in five specific areas: solidarity, gratification, equity, appreciation and integrity. A judging panel reviewed the results from a comprehensive survey that was completed anonymously by the nominated company's employees and selected each category winner based on how each company placed in the overall survey results.

Heritage Bank was named the Top Place To Work - Large Company, which is awarded to a company with 100 or more employees who rose to the top in each of the five survey evaluation categories. The Appreciation Award was based on the company's ability to provide an environment where employees are consulted on relevant decisions, employees are supported with professional development opportunities, and personal lives are respected.

Jeff Deuel, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer commented, "I was honored to accept the Business Examiner's 2012 Top Places to Work and Appreciation Awards on behalf of the employees of Heritage Bank. Winning the overall award was particularly poignant considering our significant growth in the past two years both organically and through two acquisitions. It is also notable coming on the heels of winning the 2011 Gold Award for Best Places to Work by the Puget Sound Business Journal."

About Heritage Financial

Heritage Financial Corporation is a bank holding company headquartered in Olympia, Washington. The Company operates two community banks, Heritage Bank and Central Valley Bank. Heritage Bank serves western Washington and the greater Portland, Oregon area through its twenty-seven full-service banking offices and its Online Banking Website www.HeritageBankNW.com. Central Valley Bank serves Yakima and Kittitas counties in central Washington through its six full-service banking offices and its Online Banking Website www.CVBankWA.com. The Company's stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "HFWA". Additional information about Heritage Financial Corporation is available on its Internet Website www.HF-WA.com.

SOURCE Heritage Financial Corporation