Great Southern opens easternmost office

Springfield-based Great Southern Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq: GSBC) has launched its easternmost office.

The Great Southern Bank operator on Friday announced the opening of a loan production office in Charlotte, North Carolina, according to a news release.

"Great Southern is pleased to open an LPO in Charlotte and to serve commercial lending needs in this dynamic market," President and CEO Joe Turner said in the release.

The company additionally operates loan production offices in Atlanta; Chicago; Dallas; Denver; Omaha, Nebraska; Phoenix; and Tulsa, Oklahoma. It has 93 full-service branches in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Arkansas and Nebraska. The opening of the Phoenix office came earlier this year, according to past reporting.

Great Southern hired Charlotte banking veteran Charles “Chip” Brinkman as market manager for the new office, according to the release.

"We are excited Chip has joined our team. His familiarity with the market and his lending experience will be a tremendous asset as we build relationships with area clients," Turner said in the release.

Kelly Polonus, vice president and chief communications and marketing officer for Great Southern, said there currently are no plans to convert the Charlotte office into a full-service branch.

During the first quarter, Great Southern reported $17 million in net income, a roughly 10% drop from $18.9 million a year earlier.

GSBC shares were trading at $59.61 as of 10:02 a.m., compared with a 52-week range of $49.53 to $62.70 per share.