New SWMO banking institution to debut this fall

A new southwest Missouri banking institution, with several Springfield-area banking veterans on board, is set to open this fall with regulatory approvals in tow.

Officials with Carthage-based Four States Bank announced in a news release this morning that the institution received regulatory approvals from the Missouri Division of Finance and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. It will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Four States Bancshares Inc., which has been cleared for approval to act as a bank holding company by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

The bank is projected to open in early September.

"We are honored to have a distinguished board of directors whose guidance and expertise will be instrumental in shaping the vision and mission of Four States Bank," said Jeff Williams, president and CEO, in the release. "Their collective knowledge and dedication are a testament to the fact that 4SB is the first new bank charter approved in the state of Missouri in nearly 16 years and will ensure that we stay true to our commitment to serve the community."

Executives at Four States Bank include:
• Board Chair Gary E. Metzger, a banking veteran of 45 years who oversaw Liberty Bank in Springfield leading up to its 2015 acquisition by Simmons Bank.
• Board director and President Williams, who has more than 30 years of southwest Missouri banking experience, most recently serving as Joplin region president for Liberty Bank and Guaranty Bank.
• Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer and board director Carter M. Peters, who previously served as CFO at Guaranty Bank.
• Chief Credit Officer Cheryl Holyfield.
• Chief Information Officer Nick Lofaro, who previously held the same title at Guaranty Bank.

Other board directors named in the release are Logan Aguirre, J. Ryan Hamilton, Garry L. Robinson, Jerry D. Ross, Patrick Scott, Steven D. Simon, Stephanie Stenger and Brian A. Williams.

Four States Bank will operate its Carthage headquarters at 213 Lyon St., the former home of a Guaranty Bank operations center, per Google Maps. The bank's first branch is slated to open in September at 1232 S. Range Line Road in Joplin, and an application for a branch at 1496 S. Garrison Ave. in Carthage is pending, according to the release.

Williams said via email that Four States Bancshares Inc. has raised more than $25 million in capital, the majority of which will be invested in the bank ahead of the planned opening this fall.

"Four States Bank will have a strong team of experienced bankers," Williams said in the email, noting additional staff announcements would be released in the near future. "We anticipate doing deposit and loan business with the individuals and companies that we have built relationships with in the past, along with referrals from our board members, investors and customers."