Mercantile gets approval for merger

September 8, 2008

The Herald-Whig Staff

Mercantile Bancorp Inc. has announced it has received regulatory approval to combine Perry State Bank with HNB National Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of HNB Financial Services, Inc.

 

Perry State Bank’s five facilities are now HNB National Bank locations. New signage will be installed in the coming weeks.

 

Mercantile last year announced its intent to seek approval to consolidate Perry State Bank under the HNB National Bank name. The combined operations will account for more than $350 million in assets, with 10 full-service locations serving the Missouri communities of Hannibal, Palmyra, Monroe City, Perry, Bowling Green, Troy and Wentzville.

 

Ronald B. Verdier remains president and CEO of HNB National Bank and Glen A. Bailey, formerly president of Perry State, is now HNB National Bank’s regional president.

 

“We have been anticipating and carefully planning for this unification to ensure the transition is as seamless as possible,” said Ted T. Awerkamp, president and CEO of Mercantile Bancorp. “Both of these banks perform and serve their communities well, and as one bank will become the preeminent banking franchise in northeast Missouri.”

 

Awerkamp noted the holding company expects the consolidation to generate operational efficiencies and regulatory and compliance expense savings.

 

Mercantile Bancorp, Inc. is a Quincy-based bank holding company with majority-owned subsidiaries consisting of three banks in Illinois, one bank in Missouri and one bank in each of Kansas and Florida. The company operates a loan production office in Indiana.

 

In addition, the company has minority investments in nine community banks in Missouri, Georgia, Florida, Colorado, California and Tennessee.

 

On the Net: www.mercbanx.com