BancorpSouth Opens Chattanooga Banking Office

TUPELO, Miss., Sept. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- BancorpSouth Bank, subsidiary of BancorpSouth Inc. (NYSE: BXS) has opened a loan production office in Chattanooga, Tennessee, expanding the Bank's presence into Southeast Tennessee.

BancorpSouth's loan production office is located in downtown Chattanooga at 631 Broad Street and features a team of local lending and support professionals.  The office is part of BancorpSouth's Tennessee Metro Division. The BancorpSouth team includes Sam Jones, Market President; Jim Farrar, First Vice President and Commercial Lender; Ryan Marshall, Assistant Vice President and Commercial Lender; and Sherry Skiles, Loan Administrative Assistant.

Sam Jones is a 36-year banking veteran in the Chattanooga market having served with local and regional banks.  Jones has a BA from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga and is a graduate of the LSU Graduate School of Banking and Commercial Lending School at the University of Virginia.  His responsibilities include commercial lending, senior credit administration, loan operations, and other related responsibilities.

Jim Farrar is a 33-year banking veteran having served with major national financial services companies locally in Chattanooga, and Nashville, as well as in other major U.S. markets.  He graduated with a BBA from the University of Tennessee and has several RMA certifications.  Farrar is experienced in loan underwriting, commercial real estate, residential construction lending and problem loan work out. 

Ryan Marshall is a 10-year banking veteran with market experience in Chattanooga and Atlanta. He holds a BBA from Georgia Southern University.  Marshall's professional experience includes serving as a commercial relationship manager and a financial center (retail) manager.

Sherry Skiles is an experienced loan professional supporting the commercial loan team.

Chattanooga is the fourth largest city in Tennessee with an economy that includes a diversified and growing mix of manufacturing and service industries with major investments by high profile international companies such as Volkswagen and numerous successful national and local manufacturers.  From 2008 to date, nearly $2 billion in business investments have been announced.  Chattanooga continues to receive widespread recognition for its progressive business climate and for its quality of life.

BancorpSouth Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dan Rollins said, "Chattanooga's business climate, together with our experienced team of outstanding lenders and support staff, presents BancorpSouth with outstanding opportunities to grow our Bank while providing the Southeast Tennessee area with a broad range of commercial and consumer services."

Chris Bagley, BancorpSouth President and Chief Operating officer, added, "Sam Jones' Chattanooga team, in the short time the office has been open, is already working with commercial clients, funding new business, and building a strong client pipeline."

BancorpSouth currently operates 28 full-service Tennessee banking locations, serving 19 Tennessee communities with over $900 million in net loans and more than $1 billion in total deposits.

BancorpSouth, Inc. is a financial holding company headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi, with approximately $13.0 billion in assets.  BancorpSouth Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BancorpSouth, Inc., operates approximately 300 commercial banking, mortgage, and insurance locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas, including an insurance location in Illinois.

SOURCE BancorpSouth, Inc.