Springfield First opens its permanent location

After nearly a year of operations from a temporary location, Springfield First Community Bank moved into its permanent facility Tuesday morning.

The bank, which opened for business in October 2008, began operations in its 16,000-square-foot branch at 2006 S. Glenstone Ave. SFC had been operating from two modular units at that location for the last year.

The full-service bank building, designed and built by Springfield firms H Design Group LLC and Eoff and Associates Inc., respectively, features a two-story main lobby surrounded by perimeter offices and a café area, along with a drive-through. The design utilizes stone, brick, glass, metal panels and perimeter sun-shading devices, along with energy-efficient building systems and recycled building materials.

As Springfield Business Journal first reported in May 2008, the bank is the product of three veteran Springfield bankers who left jobs at BancorpSouth in early 2008. The three - President and CEO Brian Straughan, Executive Vice President Jan Baumgartner and Chief Financial Officer Kirk Bossert - had been executives at The Signature Bank when it merged with Tupelo, Miss.-based BancorpSouth in 2007.

The bank had raised $22 million in startup capital from 71 area investors when its state charter was approved in September 2008; Straughan said the bank now has $150 million in assets, along with a staff of 24 bringing a combined 437 years of industry experience.