Partners Bank of Helena-West Helena is converting its loan production office in west Little Rock into a full-service branch.
The $413 million-asset lender set up its LPO on the fourth floor of Kirkpatrick Plaza at 10800 Financial Centre Parkway in October.
In addition to the Suite 465 space, the bank intends to establish a ground floor presence and reopen the long dormant drive-through on the west side of the five-story building.
The drive-through was last operated by Little Rock’s One Bank & Trust
But the first bank to operate on the property was One Bank’s predecessor and the office building’s original namesake back in 1985: Little Rock’s First American National Bank.
Partners represents bank franchise No. 31 for the capital city’s $15.6 billion-deposit market.
Supported by a staff of 73, Partners recorded a $982,000 profit in the first quarter.
That’s a nearly 75% increase over net income of $539,000 a year ago.
The bank’s historic high point for annual profit: $3.8 million in 2021.
Encore Update
Little Rock’s Encore Bank has nailed down the location for its full-service office in Greenville, South Carolina.
The $3.8 billion-asset lender is setting up shop in 3,500 SF at 18 S. Markley St., next door to Fluor Field at the West End: home of the Greenville Drive minor league baseball team.
The Suite A space should be operational before year’s end at the latest.
“I suspect it will be less than six months and more like three to four months,” said Chris Roberts, Encore chairman and CEO.
Encore is also changing two LPOs in Colorado and one in Nashville, Tennessee, into full-service branches.
Work on the Nashville office should be done by July 1, followed by Boulder on Sept. 15 and Denver on Dec. 15.
After opening full-service locations in Charlotte and Winston-Salem during the first quarter, the bank continues ramping up business in its third North Carolina market.
“All of the locations, except for Raleigh, have been identified,” Roberts said. “There’s no timetable for Raleigh.”
The Raleigh office is the only remaining LPO awaiting an upgrade to full-service capabilities in Encore’s eight-state footprint.
Net income during the first quarter topped $2 million, Encore’s most profitable three months to date.
A year ago, the bank tallied a quarterly loss of $216,000.
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