A clean balance sheet containing no foreclosed properties and a $19 million boost in deposits helped Essex Savings Bank increase its assets by $12.4 million in the first nine months of its fiscal year, the bank said in a statement.

The bank’s nine-month results were announced at its recent annual meeting.

"Despite a challenging market we have maintained our balance sheet with assets under management of $2.1 billion and were able to obtain over $260 million in new business clients over the last six months," said John W. Rafal, president of Essex Financial Services.

"We continue to outperform our peers, and I believe we are in the best possible position for the challenges and opportunities of the current economic environment," according to a statement from Gregory R. Shook, bank president and CEO.

Incumbents Kenneth Gibble, Jayne G. Mather and Granville R. Morris were re-elected to the bank’s board of directors for a three-year term, and incumbents David W. Dangremond, Suzanne D. Kitchings, Kevin C. Mazer, Granville R. Morris, Doug Paul and David Tiffany have been re-elected as bank trustees for a five-year term.