Commerce Street Capital, LLC (CSC), a Dallas-based investment banking firm, advised BEO Bancorp (OTCBB: BEOB) and its subsidiary, Bank of Eastern Oregon, on its planned acquisition of Bank Reale (OTCBB: BKRL). BEO Bancorp is headquartered in Heppner, Oregon and Bank Reale is headquartered in Pasco, Washington. After the acquisition, BEO Bancorp will have 120 employees and total assets of nearly $350 million. This announcement was made today by Dory Wiley, President and CEO of CSC.

CSC Managing Director Brian Johnson was the lead financial advisor for BEO Bancorp on the transaction. CSC’s team worked closely with the leadership of BEO Bancorp in their negotiations with Bank Reale.

Brian Johnson said, “This is an important transaction for the agricultural economy in the Columbia Basin region.  It provides an opportunity for Bank Reale to expand the services and products it offers to customers, while also deepening BEO Bancorp’s roots in the heart of this region by extending its reach across the Columbia River and into Washington.”

BEO Bancorp is the holding company for Bank of Eastern Oregon, which operates 12 branches and five loan production offices in eleven eastern Oregon counties. With total assets of $307.4 million, total deposits of $265.2 million and total loans of $256.5 million, BEO Bancorp is the highest capitalized bank in eastern Oregon. The bank was founded by farmers and ranchers, and views agricultural lending as key to its success.

Bank Reale is a full-service community bank that provides loan and deposit services to its customers, who are predominantly small and mid-sized businesses and middle-income individuals in southeastern Washington. Prior to this transaction, Bank Reale had total assets of $39.4 million, total deposits of $36.6 million and total loans of $28.3 million. After the acquisition,  Bank Reale will continue to operate in Pasco, Washington under the new name of Bank of Eastern Washington.

CSC’s Financial Institutions Group practice centers exclusively on serving the needs of the financial services sector. The group aims to provide sound, comprehensive advice, expert structuring and optimum execution to banks, bank holding companies and allied businesses. CSC is the market leader for bank transactions in the Southwest and is recognized for providing clients with unbiased analyses and the independent opinions required to fulfill their fiduciary obligations.

                                                            #   #   #

About Commerce Street Capital

Commerce Street Capital, LLC (“CSC”) is a private investment banking firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Led by veterans of the banking industry, CSC specializes in investment banking services (mergers and acquisitions, valuations and regulatory issue advising) and bank development (on-site consulting, sales and management of bank capital raises, market assessments and the bank regulatory application process). The firm provides tailored solutions for all or part of a financial institution's business lifecycle. For more information, visit www.commercestreetcapital.com or call 214-545-6800. CSC is a member of FINRA/SIPC.

This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation or offer by Commerce Street Capital, LLC, to buy or sell any securities, futures, options, foreign exchange or other financial instrument or to provide any investment advice or service. The testimonials stated within this press release may not be representative of the experience of other clients. The testimonials stated within this press release are not indicative of future performance or success. The testimonials stated within this press release are not paid testimonials.    

Commerce Street Capital, LLC (CSC), a Dallas-based investment banking firm, served as financial advisor to The Landrum Company, Inc. on its recent placement of more than $30,000,750.00 in common stock. The Landrum Company is headquartered in Columbia, Mo. and is the holding company for Landmark Bank, which has more than $2 billion in assets. This announcement was made today by Dory Wiley, President and CEO of CSC.

CSC’s Bank Capital Group Managing Director Charlie Ingram was the lead financial advisor to The Landrum Company and was assisted by Senior Vice President Chris Meadows and Vice President Chris Moulton. CSC’s team worked closely with the leadership of The Landrum Company in the transaction. Meadows worked on-site in Missouri and Moulton worked on-site in various communities throughout Texas and Oklahoma during the entire process.

“The Landrum Company has been a successful, rapidly growing bank system serving many communities throughout Missouri, Texas and Oklahoma. We are proud to help them take their next steps to better serve their growing communities,” said Ingram. “The company's strategic growth plans included strong internal growth and supporting acquisitions, and this new capital will allow the holding company  to continue to grow its branch network and variety of services offered to its banking customers.”

The Landrum Company currently operates 40 full-service banking offices throughout Central Missouri, Southern Missouri and Texoma (North Texas and Southern Oklahoma). The bank traces its history back almost 150 years and is the successor of Exchange National Bank, chartered in 1865, making it one of the oldest federally chartered banks west of the Mississippi River. The Landrum Company also offers mortgage banking, investment management and trust services. 

CSC’s Bank Capital Group practice has more than 20 years of experience raising capital for community banks regardless of market direction or circumstances, in major metropolitan areas and rural communities across the country. CSC brings management teams, acquisition and organizer groups access to market assessment; charter application development; development and execution of a capital strategy; project consulting; full-time, on-site project management; and secure, real-time, dedicated on-line process management systems.

                                                            #   #   #

About Commerce Street Capital

Commerce Street Capital, LLC (“CSC”) is a private investment banking firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Led by veterans of the banking industry, CSC specializes in investment banking services (mergers and acquisitions, valuations and regulatory issue advising) and bank development (on-site consulting, sales and management of bank capital raises, market assessments and the bank regulatory application process). The firm provides tailored solutions for all or part of a financial institution's business lifecycle. For more information, visit www.commercestreetcapital.com or call 214-545-6800. CSC is a member of FINRA/SIPC.

This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation or offer by Commerce Street Capital, LLC, to buy or sell any securities, futures, options, foreign exchange or other financial instrument or to provide any investment advice or service. The testimonials stated within this press release may not be representative of the experience of other clients. The testimonials stated within this press release are not indicative of future performance or success. The testimonials stated within this press release are not paid testimonials.     

DALLAS, June 17, 2014 – Commerce Street Capital, LLC (CSC), a Dallas-based investment banking firm, recently advised State Bank & Trust Co. on its acquisition by Meridian Bank Texas. State Bank & Trust is headquartered in Carrollton, Texas and Meridian Bank is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. This announcement was made today by Dory Wiley, President and CEO of CSC.                                                          

CSC Managing Director Brian Johnson was the lead financial advisor for State Bank and was assisted by Associate Preston Simons. CSC’s team worked closely with the State Bank’s leadership in the negotiations with Meridian Bank.

“This deal will allow Meridian Bank to expand its operation into Dallas,” said Johnson. “While Meridian Bank is a relatively new to the Fort Worth banking community, State Bank & Trust has deep roots in DFW and a similar culture that will allow Meridian to seamlessly expand to better serve customers in North Texas.”

Prior to this transaction, State Bank & Trust was a $185 million community bank with branches in downtown Dallas and Denton, Texas. State Bank & Trust has been owned by the prominent Bright family of Dallas since 1990. SB&T Holding, Inc. is the bank holding company and parent of State Bank & Trust. 

Meridian has $260 million in assets and has served the Tarrant and Denton counties of Texas since the 1980s. Meridian Bank is a subsidiary of Marquette Financial Companies, a $1.2 billion privately held financial services company established more than 50 years ago. The combined banking operation will have more than 60 employees operating in five locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with total assets of nearly $450 million. 

CSC’s Financial Institutions Group practice centers exclusively on serving the needs of the financial services sector. The group aims to provide sound, comprehensive advice, expert structuring and optimum execution to banks, bank holding companies and allied businesses. CSC is recognized as a leader in the industry for its valuation practice and the unbiased analyses and independent opinions it provides to clients to help them fulfill their fiduciary obligations.

#   #   #

About Commerce Street Capital

Commerce Street Capital, LLC (“CSC”) is a private investment banking firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Led by veterans of the banking industry, CSC specializes in investment banking services (mergers and acquisitions, valuations and regulatory issue advising) and bank development (on-site consulting, sales and management of bank capital raises, market assessments and the bank regulatory application process). The firm provides tailored solutions for all or part of a financial institution's business lifecycle. For more information, visit www.commercestreetcapital.com or call 214-545-6800. CSC is a member of FINRA/SIPC.

This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation or offer by Commerce Street Capital, LLC, to buy or sell any securities, futures, options, foreign exchange or other financial instrument or to provide any investment advice or service. The testimonials stated within this press release may not be representative of the experience of other clients. The testimonials stated within this press release are not indicative of future performance or success. The testimonials stated within this press release are not paid testimonials.    

Commerce Street Capital, LLC (CSC), a Dallas-based investment banking firm, advised WNB Bancshares, Inc. on its acquisition by Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. Western National Bank is headquartered in Odessa, Texas and Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. This announcement was made today by Dory Wiley, President and CEO of CSC.

CSC Managing Director C. K. Lee was the lead financial advisor for Western National Bank and was assisted by Managing Director Brian Johnson and Associate Preston Simons. CSC’s team worked closely with the WNB Bancshares leadership in the negotiations with Cullen/Frost Bankers.

C. K. Lee said, “This is an important transaction for the oil-and-gas producing Permian Basin region.  It provides an opportunity for WNB Bancshares to expand the services and products it offers to customers during a period of strong growth in the energy industry. The transaction also deepens Cullen/Frost Bankers’ roots in the heart of oil-and-gas producing West Texas.”

Prior to the transaction, WNB Bancshares was a full-service bank with total assets of $1.4 billion, total deposits of $1.2 billion and total loans of $656 million, as of June 30, 2013. Approximately two-thirds of WNB Bancshares’ loans come from the energy sector. The Permian Basin region in which WNB Bancshares operates, accounts for 57 percent of the oil produced in Texas and 14 percent of the oil produced in the United States.

With $24.7 billion in assets, Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. operates more than 100 branches throughout Texas. After the merger, Cullen/Frost will remain the sixth largest bank in Texas.

CSC’s Financial Institutions Group practice centers exclusively on serving the needs of the financial services sector. The group aims to provide sound, comprehensive advice, expert structuring and optimum execution to banks, bank holding companies and allied businesses. CSC is the market leader for bank transactions in the Southwest and is recognized for providing clients with unbiased analyses and the independent opinions required to fulfill their fiduciary obligations. 

Commerce Street Capital’s (“CSC”) Hatch Cummings Smith, Jr. was named the Intermediary Dealmaker of the Year at the 2014 Mergers & Acquisition Awards in Dallas.  Smith, a vice president in the firm’s Financial Institutions Group, was recognized for his work on the acquisition of Park Cities Bank (NTBS/PCB), by Olney Bancshares of Texas, Inc. Commerce Street Capital was also a finalist in this year’s Small Deal category for the three-year restructuring process that preceded the sale, including reorganization and a court-supervised auction under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, of the same deal.

“It is an honor to be recognized for the hard work we put into this deal,” said Smith, who was the lead advisor on the sale. “We spent more than three years working on this deal and I’m glad that not only did we find a successful resolution, but others noticed the hard work it took to get us to that resolution.”

Smith, who joined CSC in 2008, spent 85 percent of his time in 2013 working on a resolution and serving as a strategic advisor for Park Cities Bank and its parent, North Texas Bancshares, Inc (NTBS/PCB). Some of CSC’s distinguished partners, who worked with Smith on the deal, claim that it was one of the most difficult deals in the firm’s history. 

The 2014 Mergers & Acquisition Awards were presented by D CEO and the Association for Corporate Growth to honor a variety of North Texas mergers and acquisition deals and dealmakers in six different categories.

To view the complete list of this year’s 2014 M&A Award Winners CLICK HERE.

About Commerce Street Capital

Commerce Street Capital, LLC (“CSC”) is a private investment banking firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Led by veterans of the banking industry, CSC specializes in investment banking services (mergers and acquisitions, valuations and regulatory issue advising) and bank development (on-site consulting, sales and management of bank capital raises, market assessments and the bank regulatory application process). The firm provides tailored solutions for all or part of a financial institution's business lifecycle. For more information, visit www.commercestreetcapital.com or call 214-545-6800. CSC is a member of FINRA/SIPC.

This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation or offer by Commerce Street Capital, LLC, to buy or sell any securities, futures, options, foreign exchange or other financial instrument or to provide any investment advice or service. The testimonials stated within this press release may not be representative of the experience of other clients. The testimonials stated within this press release are not indicative of future performance or success. The testimonials stated within this press release are not paid testimonials.