Shareholders of Premier Bancorp, Inc. met in Brentwood, a suburb of Nashville, on December 20, 2004 and approved the merger of Premier with and into BancorpSouth, Inc.
BancorpSouth and Premier announced their intention to merge on September 17, 2004. Regulatory approvals have been received and the merger is scheduled to be complete on December 31, 2004. The new combined company will operate as BancorpSouth.
Premier is the holding company for Premier Bank of Brentwood, a $156.8 million asset commercial bank established in 1997. Premier operates two banking locations in Brentwood.
BancorpSouth and Business Holding Corporation also announced their intention to merge on September 17, 2004. As is the case with the Premier merger, regulatory approvals have been received and the merger is scheduled to be complete on December 31, 2004. The new combined company will operate as BancorpSouth, giving BancorpSouth a banking presence in the Baton Rouge metropolitan market.
Business Holding Corporation is the holding company for The Business Bank of Baton Rouge, a $172 million asset commercial bank founded in 1998. Locally owned and managed, The Business Bank provides commercial banking services in East Baton Rouge Parish and contiguous communities.
Headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi, BancorpSouth is a financial holding company with $10.6 billion in assets operating 247 banking and mortgage locations and approximately 230 automated teller machines in Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas communities. The Company also provides investment services through its subsidiary, BancorpSouth Investment Services, Inc., and insurance services through BancorpSouth Insurance Services, Inc. BancorpSouth's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "BXS."
SOURCE: BancorpSouth, Inc.
CONTACT: Financial Contacts: BancorpSouth: Nash Allen or Gary Bonds,
+1-662-680-2330; The Business Bank: Larry Denison, +1-225-768-1100; Premier
Bank of Brentwood: Jim Harris, +1-615-376-0001; Media Contacts: BancorpSouth:
Randy Burchfield, +1-662-620-4302; The Business Bank: Larry Denison,
+1-225-768-1100; or Premier Bank of Brentwood: Jim Harris, +1-615-376-0001
Web site: http://www.bancorpsouth.com/