Simmons First National Corp.

Company Website:
http://www.simmonsfirst.com/

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Simmons First National Corp. of Pine Bluff is a financial holding company whose eight banks conduct financial operations from more than 80 offices in more than 40 communities in Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas.

The company is led by J. Thomas "Tommy" May, chairman and CEO. May was a protege of former CEO Louis Ramsay, who began taking May under his wing in 1976. May became president in 1987. At the time, the company had asset of $527 million.

Since then, the corporation has grown to about $3 billion in assets. Under May's leadership, the bank gained national recognition as a major provider of credit card services. Soon, Simmons was a successful statewide network of community-oriented banks and a respected, publicly traded institution.

May has been corporate chairman and lead bank chairman and CEO since 1996. Like other Arkansas banks, Simmons has made FDIC-assisted acquisitions to grow the company beyond Arkansas’ borders, most recently in Kansas.

May has been a vocal critic of the government’s move to restructure the student loan business, which effectively removed community banks from the business.

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Steven Wade, C. Adam Mitchell Promoted at Simmons First

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Two executives at Simmons First National Bank of Pine Bluff were promoted at the $2 billion-asset lender. read more >

Incoming CEO George Makris Jr. Plans to Tap Simmons First's Big, New Markets

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George Makris Jr., who has spent his career in his family's Anheuser-Busch beer distributorship, is now CEO-elect of Simmons First National Corp. of Pine Bluff. read more >

Simmons First National, CEO Stay Put in Pine Bluff

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George Makris Jr. is a product of Pine Bluff, leaving his hometown only for college (a bachelor's in business administration from Rhodes College at Memphis in 1978 and an MBA from the University of Arkansas in 1980) and for a four-year stint in Little Rock so that the youngest of his three sons could play tennis for Little Rock Central High. read more >

Arkansas Bank Assets Grow by 4.75 Percent

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Assets held by banks headquartered in Arkansas grew by 4.75 percent to $61.3 billion during 2012 even as the number of individual charters remained almost stable. read more >

Bank Reporter War Stories (Gwen Moritz Editor's Note)

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In journalism, you have to train yourself to take no quarter when reporting on the newsmakers. However, you may need some quarters for the weekend laundry. read more >

Correction: Simmons First 1Q Profit Down 8 Percent to $5.9M

1 month ago –

Simmons First National Corp. of Pine Bluff reports first-quarter net income of $5.9 million, down 8 percent from the same quarter last year. read more >

Simmons First Announces New Foundation Led by Tommy May

1 month ago –

Simmons First National Corp. shareholders speeded through routine business at the annual meeting Tuesday night to concentrate on the upcoming changing of the guard. read more >

Movers & Shakers: Robert Johnson Joins Staff at Garver

2 months ago –

Robert Johnson has joined the energy group staff of Garver LLC in North Little Rock as a senior project manager. Johnson has 30 years of experience in engineering and was employed with Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. from 1983 to 2013. read more >

Simmons Declares Quarterly Dividend

3 months ago –

Simmons First National Corp. of Pine Bluff declared a quarterly cash dividend of 21 cents per share. The payout represents a 1-cent per share dividend increase, 5 percent more than the dividend paid during the previous quarter. read more >

Bank of the Ozarks, Home Bancshares, Simmons Rake In Nice Profits for 2012

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Arkansas' largest publicly traded banks have announced their profits for 2012, and they were impressive. read more >

Simmons First, P.A.M. Transportation Declare Dividends to Pay Before Year's End

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Simmons First National Corp. of Pine Bluff and P.A.M. Transportation Services Inc. of Tontitown both declare dividends and say they will pay them before the end of the year. read more >

3 of 4 Arkansas Bank Stocks Climb in Value During 2012

7 months ago –

First Federal, Home BancShares and Bank of the Ozarks enjoy stock gains during 2012 while Simmons First declines 10 percent. read more >

Harding University Promotes 4 (Movers & Shakers, Oct. 29, 2012)

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New hires, promotions and awards for the week of Oct. 29, 2012. read more >

Simmons First 3Q Earnings at $6.7 Million, Down 6.8 Percent

7 months ago –

Simmons First National Corp. of Pine Bluff says third-quarter net income fell about 6.8 percent from the same quarter last year to $6.7 million. read more >

Statewide Bank Deposits Grow by 2.7%, Arvest Widens Market Lead

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Arvest Bank of Fayetteville grew its in-state deposits by 15.5 percent to $6.45 billion. read more >

Acxiom, First Federal Bancshares Lead Arkansas Stocks in 3Q

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Shares of Acxiom Corp. of Little Rock and First Federal Bancshares of Arkansas of Harrison were the top performers among the state's publicly traded companies in the third quarter, according to stock prices at market close on Friday. read more >

Merger Moves Raymond James Up Brokers List

8 months ago –

The brokerage list, as well as the list of registered investment advisers that Arkansas Business calls "money managers," is perpetually dominated by Stephens Inc. of Little Rock. read more >

Joe Clement Of Simmons First Trust Shares Thoughts On Trust Services Industry (Exec Q&A)

8 months ago –

The president of Simmons First Trust shares his thoughts about the present and future of the trust services industry. read more >

Simmons First National Acquires Truman Bank of St. Louis

8 months ago –

The FDIC-assisted deal is the third by the Pine Bluff bank holding company since it raised stock to make acquisitions in November 2009. read more >

The Lesson From Simmons (Editorial)

9 months ago –

The announcement by Simmons First National about its succession plan presents an excellent opportunity for readers to consider the succession plan at their own companies. read more >