PINE BLUFF, Ark. (March 10, 2017) – Simmons Bank announced today that it has purchased the building that housed Acxiom Corp. in the River Market District of downtown Little Rock.
Simmons, which was founded in Pine Bluff in 1903, has experienced rapid growth in recent years and now has banking operations in Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri and Kansas with a workforce of more than 1,900.
George Makris, Jr., Simmons First National Corporation’s chairman and chief executive officer, called the building purchase the next logical step in the company’s growth. Since 2013, Simmons has acquired both Metropolitan National Bank and Delta Trust and Bank, adding substantial transactional volume and associates in the Little Rock metropolitan area.
"During our expansion in Little Rock we have maintained many of the locations we acquired through mergers, dispersing associates throughout the city,” said Makris. “This new primary location will allow us to consolidate offices in order to gain logistical and systemic efficiencies. Additionally, it will provide room for continued growth. The building's proximity to our corporate headquarters in Pine Bluff and access to transportation hubs will make travel easier for our associates to and from all of our locations. The use of the excellent training facilities and the media production studio will enhance our communication efforts throughout our growing footprint."
The building not only includes its own 500-spot parking deck but also a gymnasium, an outdoor basketball court, dining facilities and a park with walking trails.
“We’re only as good as the people we employ,” Makris said. “This state-of-the-art facility will help us attract talented people from across the country. From this location, Simmons associates will be able to walk or bike to work, walk to restaurants and entertainment venues and conveniently access an airport with commercial service. Our goal is to be one of the best places to work in the country. Today’s announcement shows that we’re serious about achieving that goal.”
With the banking and financial services sectors relying more than ever on technological innovations, Makris lauded a location that’s just a few blocks from the new Little Rock Technology Park.
“We believe this location in Little Rock will provide our associates a more convenient and state-of-the-art facility to call home, and will accommodate our continued growth in central Arkansas.”
The consolidation of offices is expected to take place over the course of the next year. Simmons will remodel and refit the building and begin moving associates from various central Arkansas offices to the new location.
# # #
About Simmons Bank
Simmons Bank (Member FDIC) is an Arkansas state-chartered bank that started as a community bank in 1903. Through the decades, Simmons has developed a full suite of financial products and services designed to meet the needs of individual consumers and business customers alike. Simmons has grown steadily to approximately $8.4 billion in assets as of December 31, 2016, with nearly 180 branch and ATM locations throughout Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee. It is the subsidiary bank for Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ: SFNC), a publicly-traded bank holding company headquartered in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. For more information, visit www.simmonsbank.com.