Old Missouri National Bank to open July 26

by Melissa Wilson

SBJ Staff

While the name implies it's been around for years, Old Missouri National Bank, 1535 W. Sunshine, is opening its doors to customers for the first time July 26.

The only nationally chartered Springfield bank to open in the last 10 years, Old Missouri is located in a former Mercantile Bank building near Elfindale and will provide personalized service in an underserved area of town, according to Jamie Holstein, the bank's president and chief executive officer.

Old Missouri's charter was officially approved by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) May 17, a date that stands out in the minds of Holstein and Executive Vice President Mark A. Harrington.

"We expected all along to get the charter approved, but you're kind of on pins and needles until you actually get that letter in the mail," Harrington said.

Harrington said any uncertainty about the future of Old Missouri was quelled after they got the approval on the charter in May. Then the challenges of starting a bank became physical.

"Then the real work began," Harrington said, referring to the remodeling work on the building that began after the charter was approved.

"... it certainly did," Holstein agreed. "The pressures became totally different