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BancorpSouth, Inc., subsidiary BancorpSouth Bank announced it is expanding its presence in Texas with the opening of a loan production office in Longview. BancorpSouth has filed application to open in a temporary location and will apply for full-service banking status for a permanent location in the future.

BancorpSouth Chairman Aubrey B. Patterson said, "We have been looking for opportunities to expand our presence in the vibrant Texas market and are pleased to announce the opening of our loan production office in Longview. We are equally pleased to have veteran Longview bankers Lester Lucy and Jennifer Clower joining our bank. We expect our style of banking to be quite compatible with their banking clients in Longview."

Gordon Lewis, BancorpSouth Regional President for Texas and Louisiana, said, "We already have successful banking operations in East Texas including Nacogdoches, Marshall and Texarkana as well as Alto, Garrison, Harleton, Hooks, Maud, New Boston and Redwater. With more than $550 million in deposits in our existing Texas markets, it is appropriate and exciting to expand into the growing Longview market."

Veteran banker Lester Lucy will be President of BancorpSouth in Longview. A Longview native, he received his Masters degree from Texas A&M University and has been in banking for 22 years, the past 17 in Longview. Jennifer Clower has been named vice president of BancorpSouth in Longview. A graduate of University of North Texas, Clower has 15 years banking experience with the past 13 in Longview.

"We look forward to providing our long-standing tradition of local leadership and decision-making to our Longview clients while continuing the close ties to our community which Lester and Jennifer have established," added Jim Kelley, BancorpSouth President.

Initially BancorpSouth in Longview will specialize in commercial and real estate lending, including real estate development and construction lending as well as private banking services.

BancorpSouth, Inc. is a financial holding company headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi with approximately $10.7 billion in assets and 3,800 employees. BancorpSouth operates approximately 250 commercial banking, insurance, trust and broker/dealer locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas.

SOURCE: BancorpSouth, Inc.