it makes
JULY 2015
MEMBER FDIC
CENTS
The Past and Future of HeritageBank
eheritagebank.com
A New Start
Our Company
De Novo
Team Members
Share sentiments about HeritageBank
Heritage
Investment Center
HeritageBank Joins Renasant Continuing to grow and improve
OUR COMPANY
Our company’s humble beginnings date back 60 years ago to 1955 when a small group of Albanians invested a mere $1,800 to open the doors of a financial institution in Albany, Georgia.
The mission was simple: serve the financial needs of the workers at the Marine Corps Logistics Base that was being built in Albany at the time.
their strength is built on a strong, local team of bankers as well as the communities they serve. They are a one hundred year old company with southern roots and a solid heritage.
Little did the founders of AGE Federal Credit Union realize the impact their decision would have on the local community. Nor did Albany realize how quickly this new company would grow to serve them and residents in the surrounding areas.
Just as our commitment to community led us to grow from AGE Federal Credit Union to HeritageBank, this partnership will create one of the strongest community banks in the South. Once again new growth will allow us to better support our foundation and better serve those who’ve been there from Day One—you, our loyal customer.
When I joined AGE in 2001, we had grown to a little over $300 million in total assets with 6 branches in Albany, Leesburg and Sylvester. At that time, we had a big vision: To maintain the heritage that AGE Credit Union had worked so hard to build AND to assemble a premier team of commercial bankers who could offer a full array of business banking products and services that would allow us to become a premier community bank. We changed our name from AGE to HeritageBank of the South and incorporated the tag line “Our Roots Run Deep” because it captured our feelings about our legacy, and we wanted to remind our customers that our growth was thanks to their support. Over the next few years, we began branching into new markets. And, we grew to become one of the top ten community banks in the state with $1.7 billion in assets, 36 branch locations within Georgia, Florida and Alabama and one of the fastest growing mortgage divisions in the country. We are proud of our accolades including being recognized as one of Georgia’s top 100 companies by the Georgia Trend Magazine the past few years. I will tell you, we are humbled by our success and thankful to the community that nurtured our growth and helped us become a symbol of strength in the South. Our strength is built on the communities we serve and we will continue to serve our communities into the next chapter of our history. As our customers and communities are aware, HeritageBank of the South is in the midst of a new transition; combining our strength and our communities with Renasant Bank Corp. Like us, Renasant believes
“Len” Dorminey, President
BILLY REILLY | “My fellow team
members are the best thing about working for HBOS. Some of them have become good friends. I have also enjoyed the journey that I traveled in becoming the Bank Security Officer.”
SUSIE JONES | “Having worked here for more than 21 years, HeritageBank is a part of my family. I have made lifetime friends! I have many memories and have learned so much about the financial industry.”
STACEY DEMARINO | “My favorite
part of working for HBOS is my wonderful customers that I’ve gotten to know over the years. They know they can come to me with whatever they may need and they often stop by just to say hello. The most significant change I’ve seen has been our growth – going from a credit union to a bank and the many acquisitions over the years. While everyone resists change, it usually ends up being a good thing. While this most recent change is scary for us all, I believe it will be a good thing and I’m looking forward to everything that lies ahead and to helping my customers through it all.”
JOEY SHIVER | “My favorite part of
working at HBOS has been the family that I have become a part of. I have met so many people that work here that have become lifelong friends and am so fortunate to have worked for such a good group of people. This company really means more to me than I could ever put into words. I started working here at the ripe age of 21 and had no clue what I really wanted to do with my career. With the guidance of Carol Slappey, Robin Glass, Rick Stone, Mitchell Smith, Mark Imes and countless others over the past 17 years, this turned out to be my career. I have had the opportunity to work in so many areas of the bank on the retail and commercial side. The opportunities I have been afforded with this company have far exceeded the expectations I had for any job. I have always from the bottom of my heart been able to share my story and love for this company because of how well I have been treated.”
EVELYN ROSS | “Throughout the years of working at HBOS, the company has truly become a legacy in our community, and for me personally, a part of my “heritage”. I will always cherish the learning opportunities gained, as well as the growth opportunities
ALBANY TEAM MEM
THOUGHTS ABOU
Back row: (left to right) Bill Reilly, Susi Front Row: (left to right) Evelyn Ross, Sherry Harbuck, C
MBERS SHARE THEIR
UT HERITAGEBANK
ie Jones, Stacey DeMarino, Joey Shiver Carol Slappey, Robin Glass, Sean Hunter, Brenda Melson
that brought about my professional development, in making me the person that I am today.”
SHERRY HARBUCK | “Meeting my customers’ needs and seeing their dreams come true is my favorite part of working at HBOS. I feel blessed to have worked with so many great people over the years and am thankful for each opportunity given.”
CAROL SLAPPEY | “This company has been my home for close to 22 years and I’ve had the opportunity to watch our team’s families grow and see their children’s accomplishments. They have become my family. The most significant change I’ve seen over the years was the conversion of AGE, a small credit union, to a commercial bank.”
ROBIN GLASS | “HeritageBank is like family to me. I have spent 20 of the best years of my life working with friends and family. My favorite part of working here has been watching our bank evolve into the organization that it is today and know that I was a part of the success of the organization. I feel like a proud parent watching my baby mature into a young adult. I am very proud of what our bank has accomplished and I have always taken pride in telling people where I work.”
SEAN HUNTER | “I have dear friends from here that have become family. We have worked together, married together and buried together, raised each other’s kids and now grandkids together, we have laughed together and cried together. This company has provided outstanding means for me to enjoy my family. The opportunities that were offered here have been amazing. If you work hard and desire something bad enough, you can achieve it.”
BRENDA MELSON | “HBOS has been
the livelihood of support for me and my family for the past 21 years. It has provided me the resources I need to survive. My favorite part of working here has been the bonding with coworkers that has grown into a family oriented workplace. We all genuinely care for each other and the well-being of each other’s families.”
OCALA |
REIDSVILLE |
BEVERLY SMITH
ANGIE DUCKWORTH
“I joined HeritageBank of the South on June 30, 2006. I started out as a Teller/CSR in a store front in Ocala. There were only six of us in the building and we had just enough space. HeritageBank opened the Heathbrook and Ocala Boulevard branches shortly after. I moved to the Boulevard main office in 2008 where I started as Operations Manager, Head Teller and CSR. I then became Assistant Branch Manager and am currently the Branch Manager.
Prior to working at HeritageBank, Angie began her career at The Tattnall Bank, which had been serving the city of Reidsville for 109 years before being acquired by HeritageBank. The Tattnall Bank lived through the great depression, a fire that left only the walls standing in 1951, and the terribly hot and dry year in 1977 that, coupled with extremely high interest rates, left many farms and businesses in jeopardy, of which a number failed. On October 22, 2000, The Tattnall Bank celebrated its centennial anniversary and this day will be forever known by the City of Reidsville as The Tattnall Bank Day. HeritageBank acquired The Tattnall Bank in December 2009 and began serving the Reidsville community.
Over the years I have seen tremendous growth in the Florida market, and we are still growing. It was a challenge at times because no one had ever heard of HBOS, but we kept getting ourselves out in the community and HBOS began to get noticed. I am happy to see how much we have grown just in the last year due to the merger with Alarion Bank. This has been great for the Florida area, and it added on five branches giving us a total of eight branches in Florida. I am happy to be a part of this company because it is a great place to work. On my first day I was treated as family and I still enjoy being a part of this GREAT organization. When the CEO makes you feel like they have known you forever, that is a big plus in my book. That was a big selling point for me to come to work at HBOS. When you enjoy coming to work every day and giving quality customer service, it really makes for a great day. I am an optimist. Change can be a good thing but you have to be willing to give it a try, and because of that, I look forward to the upcoming merger with Renasant Bank and I believe we will continue on our path of growth and prosperity.”
“I worked at The Tattnall Bank for 13 years. I worked as a teller during an internship there while in college and was hired full time right after I graduated in 1998. I became Assistant Vice President in 2005 and Human Resources Manager shortly after that. I was hired with HBOS as Assistant Branch Manager in 2009 and became Branch Manager in 2013, which began my lending career. We have been able to offer many advanced products and services such as mobile banking, mobile check deposit and remote deposit. Also, our customers that have student accounts have access to their accounts with us having a presence in many college towns. The employees of HBOS are wonderful and certainly made the transition from The Tattnall Bank to HeritageBank easier. I have learned a lot over the years thanks to our knowledgeable staff and I look forward to what lies ahead!”
SERVICE YEARS OF REIDSVILLE TEAM MEMBERS: Mark Thompson: 4 years HBOS | AnMarie Nelson: 3 years Tattnall; 8 1/2 years total Jennifer Sikes: 3 years Tattnall; 8 1/2 years Total | Teena Lynn: 32 years Tattnall; 37 years Total | Travis Powell: 12 years Tattnall; 17 years total | Lynette Clark: 4 years Tattnall; 9 years total | Barbara Williams: 10 years Tattnall; 15 years total (46 years career) | Angie Duckworth: 14 years Tattnall; 19 years total Pictured: Angie and Mark
STATESBORO |
ALBANY |
KATE MINCEY
HEATHER NICHOLS
Shortly after moving to the Reidsville community, HeritageBank of the South was given the opportunity to share its style of community banking with others in the eastern part of the state. In February of 2010, HeritageBank announce its agreement with Park Avenue Bank to purchase five locations including two in Statesboro, one in Baxley and one in Hazlehurst. This was an exciting time for the Bank as well as the new team members who came to us from PAB.
“When I joined Heritage in July of 2007, I was ecstatic to be a member of a full-fledged marketing team. At that time, we had six branches in the Albany area and the Ocala branch was under construction. Then, it seemed like only a minute before we’d made our first branch purchase in Lake City. So, the growth had begun, but it was still too early to see all the opportunities waiting for us.
Kate Mincey, Branch Manager at the Statesboro Northside office, was among the additions. “I was with PAB for a long time; 9 years! The transition went well and the conversion team from HBOS was great. We also gained 5 more employees from another community bank here in town, which helped to complete our team. We have a great group now! I would have to say that is my favorite part; it makes it easy and enjoyable to come to work every day. HBOS has grown tremendously in the Statesboro community the last 4 ½ years. Our team members are involved in a number of civic groups and various boards here in Statesboro—we also have a presence in most community events. Of course, I anticipate change as with any merger. But, I am excited about the change. We’ll get to meet new people and become a stronger organization for our community. Pictured: Kate on left and her sister, Shirley Mincey, who also works at the Stateboro branch.
Not long after we met Judi Leavins and the great team in Lake City, we were introduced to Angie Duckworth in Reidsville. A year later, we met our new team members in Statesboro, Baxley, Hazlehurst and Adel. All of a sudden we went from being a blip on the map to a community bank serving the states of Georgia and Florida. And, the growth continued. As we grew to serve new markets, the role of the marketing department became greater, too. We introduced the e-newsletter in February of 2009, which has featured more than six dozen of our most motivating customers and nearly as many of our team members. We’ve written blurbs that inform, articles that inspire and stories that tug at the readers’ heart strings. I still go back occasionally to read some of my first entries and remind myself of how far we’ve come as an organization and how much I’ve grown as a marketer. I am proud of our HeritageBank team and it has been my privilege to be a part of our success. If our past is an indication of our future, we can be assured there are more opportunities on the horizon. For this reason, I am looking forward to our transition to Renasant Bank and my role with their outstanding marketing team. Here’s to the next eight years!”
HEATH FOUNTAIN, CHEIF FINANCIAL OFFICER, ALBANY, GA “An organization is a reflection of its people. The way our team interacted and worked together crafted a great culture. While I am sad to see this phase come to an end, I am excited about all the opportunities that have been created and the doors that have been opened for our team. I have no doubt that our team members will continue to embrace the “HeritageBank” culture at Renasant Bank or wherever their career paths take them. I can’t wait to see all the success stories.”
HERITAGEBANK MORTGAGE We love the story of HeritageBank of the South, but we can’t build a complete timeline without including HeritageBank Mortgage. In 2012, encouraged by an improving real estate market and solid financial backing, HeritageBank of the South opened an expanded mortgage division to be led by Stephen Cannon and Brent Harrell. Both Albany, Georgia natives, they were hand-picked by the Board of Directors to create a HeritageBank presence in the thriving Atlanta market. Cannon and Harrell established headquarters in the Atlanta neighborhood of Buckhead, and carefully chose their management, sales, and operations teams to support the Bank’s vision of becoming a leader in the mortgage industry. As the vision has grown, so too has the Mortgage Division’s ability to serve customers in markets across Florida, Georgia, Alabama and even Colorado where the company has several mortgage lending offices. Today, the Mortgage Division has more than 200 team members across 26 branches and remains committed to providing the competitive rates, quick turn times, and quality service that helped them earn a significant presence in their markets.
STEPHEN CANNON
BRENT HARRELL
DE NOVO: A NEW START
Q: What are some of the benefits of starting from scratch? Hughes: In a De Novo you can create the type of bank environment that fits your market. You can make a name for yourself, so the buzz around the bank can start. In a De Novo you can lead with technology and be on the cutting edge instead of having to convert people form outdated banking processes – a good example of the technology would be would be mobile banking. Another benefit is that you can choose the right locations for your local branches. Q: How has HBOS grown in your community? What have you (HBOS) done to make your community better?
HUGHES PINSON PICTURED RIGHT
Hughes Pinson, Macon Regional President, and Ed Hutchinson, South Georgia Regional President, share their de novo stories. Q: How is a de novo different from most market entries? Ed: The biggest difference is that you are starting with no established base of customers and limited facilities to serve the customer base that you are reaching out to. Therefore, you need bankers with a loyal following and customers with faith in their banker to help establish that base. We have been blessed with both great bankers and loyal customers. Here in Valdosta we are very grateful to those customers who have stepped out and expressed their faith in us.
Ed: We feel it is the quality of our customer base not just the quantity that makes it special. We have the best bankers and staff of any local institution. We got off to a great start, and have added some great people to our team as we have grown. With the coming merger with Renasant Bank, we see this as the next step in our evolution to becoming a major force in financial services not only in Valdosta, but our region and state. Hughes: HBOS has been a driving force behind the revitalization effort in downtown Macon over the past 3 years. That area is growing and thriving now. It is a feel good situation. All of Macon is watching... The bank has greatly benefited in marketing, referrals and credibility. Everybody wins – Macon and HBOS.
Q: Why did you choose HBOS? Hughes: Jimmy Wilson (Lee County Market President) called me. We had worked together previously and he told me HBOS was interested in the Macon Market. I met with David, Len, Mitchell and Carol to learn about the bank. After several meetings in a quick time frame, I realized the bank was perfect for the Macon market. The bank had a strong liquidity ratio, plenty of loan capabilities and the local decision making – these three items would give me the tools to be successful. Q: Why did HBOS choose your market? Ed: Valdosta is a regional hub for our part of South Georgia and North Florida with a good economy, strong, progressive institutions both public and private, and is strategically located along the I-75 corridor on the doorstep of Florida, another great market for HBOS. I think that this, combined with the opportunity to partner with some of the most experienced bankers in the market, made it a “no brainier”.
PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT: ED HUTCHINSON, DAVID DURLAND, TERRY BENNETT
HERITAGE
INVESTMENT CENTER Making smart investments is something HeritageBank has always strived to do. So, when Robert “Bucky” Leach joined the team in October of 2001, it was a perfect match. Bucky spearheaded the Bank’s investment services, which we know today as the Heritage Investment Center. While Bucky’s knowledge and industry savvy are some of his strongest attributes, it is his enthusiasm about what he does that has helped him become such a sought after advisor. No matter where you are in your financial journey—a high school senior or retired business owner—Bucky thrives on helping others secure their future. And, his genuine concern for his customers became contagious. In 2011, Ray McKinney in Statesboro, Jose Torres in Ocala and Bo Hatcher in Lee County joined Bucky’s elite team of advisors supported by Pam Martin and Connie Boss who’d been assisting Bucky since 2006. Finally, Kelly Concilio added to the balance by joining the group in 2013 as a Registered Agent. With his team in place, Heritage Investment Center has won numerous accolades including Bucky’s most recent title of one of LPL Financial’s 2015 Program Manager of the Year. Now, Bucky’s team is growing again. Heritage Investment Center is merging with Renasant’s Wealth Management Division led by Rocky Miskelly. And, we can’t wait to see what Rocky, Bucky and the rest of the crew can do together to spread their enthusiasm and educate customers on the importance of financial planning.
PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT: LEN DORMINEY, BUCKY LEACH, DAVID DURLAND
HERITAGEBANK JOINS RENASANT
CONTINUING TO GROW AND IMPROVE HISTORY OF STRENGTH Founded in 1904 in Tupelo, Mississppi, Renasant Bank is one of the South’s oldest financial institutions. During the past ten years, Renasant has expanded into markets to include Memphis, TN (2004), Birmingham, Huntsville, and Decatur, AL (2005), Nashville, TN (2007), Northern Georgia (2010), Tuscaloosa and Montgomery, AL (2011), Starkville, MS (2011), East Tennesseee (2012), Jackson, MS (2013), South Georgia and North Florida (July 1, 2015).
REMAINING STRONG THROUGHOUT CRISES AND CALM While making solid loans, safeguarding deposits and providing personalized service might just be traditional banking to some, it is how Renasant has remained strong throughout both crisis and calm. This dedication to traditional community banking has also allowed Renasant to consistently pay dividends to its shareholders.
PROVIDING EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE With services including traditional banking, asset-based lending, wealth management, insurance, mortgage lending, trust services and many more, Renasant’s mission is to understand its clients’ needs and meet them.
Because of the quality of its employees and size of the company, Renasant is well positioned to deliver all the products of a mega-bank but still have the personal touch of a community bank. At its core, Renasant is a bank that knows its clients by name and meets their needs through understanding.
LOOKING FORWARD Building relationships, helping individuals, families and businesses reach their financial dreams, and supporting the communitites Renasant serves has always been the company’s calling. Renasant has remained strong by holding to this calling and its time-tested conservative business model.
If you should have any questions about this merger, please visit www.renesantbank.com or call your local branch.