Tyronza Bancshares Acquisition Tops $8.4M

The purchase of Tyronza Bancshares Inc. by Big Creek Bancshares Inc. represents a nearly $8.5 million transaction. The acquisition of the parent company of Marked Tree’s First Delta Bank, first announced in April, is an all-cash deal.

Founded as Tyronza Bank in 1951, the $59.6 million-asset lender was renamed First Delta in 1990 and moved its headquarters from Tyronza 6 miles northwest to Marked Tree in 2001.

Six of the largest Tyronza shareholders and their respective paydays are:

• George and Sue Beley of Tyronza, 18% worth more than $1.5 million;
• Charles Luter of Paragould, 17.65% worth nearly $1.5 million;
• Xiao Ka Huang of Lynnwood, Wash-ington, 8.07% worth $683,000;
• Lewis Wood of Oxford, Mississippi, 7.2% worth $609,000;
• Herrick Norcross III of Tyronza, 6.71% worth nearly $568,000; and
• Olive Vaughn of Marked Tree, 5.85% worth $495,000.

First Delta, which operates full-service branches in Trumann and Tyronza, is the last independent bank based in Poinsett County.

It holds a 16.08% piece of the county’s $327 million in deposits. That $52.6 million is the third-largest stake among a competitive field of seven banks.

The two biggest shares of the Poinsett County deposits are held by Southern Bancorp Bank of Arkadelphia, 26.55% totaling nearly $86.9 million; and First National Bank of Wynne, 18.9% totaling more than $61.8 million.

Big Creek is the parent company of Forrest City’s Armor Bank. The $94.7 million-asset lender operates two branches in Little Rock along with its hometown.

Plans call for First Delta to operate as a separate bank until the first quarter of 2020, when its two offices will become branches of Armor Bank.

First Delta Bank, Marked Tree
Total Assets: $59.6 million
Net Income: $64,000  Staff: 16
Two full-service locations: Trumann and Tyronza
(As of March 31, 2019)

Source: Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Dollars in thousands except where noted.