The annual Walk MS event took place in Piedmont Park on Saturday, April 14. Georgia Commerce Bank organized a group and raised nearly $900 to help with research, public awareness and support for individuals with multiple sclerosis. In the United States, 400,000 people and their families are affected by MS. In Georgia alone, more than 8,500 people have this disease, which can severely disable the central nervous system.

Thanks to our team members who participated; the event was a great success and we look forward supporting this fantastic organization at next year’s walk!

Sarah Gaither joins the bank as Branch Manager and Vice President at the Marietta office. Prior to joining Georgia Commerce Bank, she most recently served as Assistant Branch Manager at another local bank. Gaither has an undergraduate degree from Georgia College & State University, where she majored in business administration.

Karen Hatcher, who previously served as the Branch Manager at the Marietta office, will transition into a new role as the bank’s Compliance Assistant. In this role, Hatcher will assist with loan compliance, HMDA reporting, CRA, training and retail staff communication.

Andy Odom has joined the Operations Center as a Banking Officer/Internet Banking and IT Specialist. In this position, Odom will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the network and telecommunications systems of the bank, working with vendors to procure the best products, and working with other employees to train and educate users. He will also direct and coordinate the development and production activities of electronic services.

2011 was a year of significant growth for Georgia Commerce Bank. We celebrated the opening of our new 5,000-square-foot facility in the heart of Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood, as well as the acquisition of two new banks from the FDIC: Patriot Bank of Georgia and CreekSide Bank. This acquisition gives us new locations in Acworth, Cumming and Woodstock. We continue to hire new employees at the branches to support our steady growth and commitment to excellence in customer service.

Out of the top 25 community banks ranked in the state by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Georgia Commerce Bank had the fourth-highest percentage increase in deposits in 2011.

We would like to thank our clients and staff for making 2011 such a remarkable year. We are honored to be your community bank and look forward to continued success with our customers in 2012.

Georgia Commerce Bank is Growing

Georgia Commerce Bank acquires two banks, expands to three new locations

Last fall, Georgia Commerce Bank acquired the banking operations of two metro area banks through a Purchase and Assumptions Agreement with the FDIC. Georgia Commerce Bank acquired CreekSide Bank and Patriot Bank of Georgia, giving the bank three new locations in Acworth, Cherokee and Cumming. With the opening of its Buckhead branch in early 2011, the bank now has six locations in metro Atlanta.

With this expansion, the bank welcomes an experienced team of banking professionals:

Heather Wade has been the branch manager of the Acworth office since 2008. Heather oversees all day-to-day operations of the Acworth facility, including meeting with current and potential customers, opening accounts, overseeing tellers and working with the Acworth community to meet its commercial banking needs.

Carrie Garmon is the branch manager of the Cumming office, bringing with her more than 23 years of banking experience. The Cumming branch currently has a mortgage originator and three loan officers on staff, and continues to grow to meet the community’s needs, particularly with the expansion of medical offices in the area and the nearby Northside Hospital-Forsyth.

Carin Hopton is the Woodstock branch manager. She has been with the branch since 2007 and has 21 years of banking experience. In addition to overseeing daily operations, Carin partners with lending officers to meet customer loan needs and secures new business opportunities.

Year End 2011 Financials

As of December 31, 2011

Georgia Commerce Bank is pleased to announce that 2011 was a high water mark for our company from both an earnings and growth perspective. Net income after tax of $3.8 million and total assets of $628 million increased 79% and 59% respectively from 2010 year-end results.

Our capital ratios continue to exceed regulatory guidelines for “well capitalized banks” and our strong liquidity position is a direct result of the significant growth we have experienced in low cost core deposits. With loans at an all time high of $421 million at year end, along with an overall cost of funds of 1.04%, we generated a net interest margin of 4.74%, which ranks Georgia Commerce near the top of all banks in the Atlanta metropolitan market.

In addition, asset quality issues continue to be moderate despite the extremely challenging economic environment in the southeast and Atlanta in particular.

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Download 2011 Year End Financial Report [PDF]

Customer Profile: Remington Medical, Inc.

“As an international manufacturer of Remington-branded and OEM medical products, we need a bank who delivers on service. We began our company in 1997 with just eight employees specializing in molded plastic parts, needles and cables. Today, we have 212 employees and more than 2,000 customers. Georgia Commerce Bank truly understands our business and responds to our evolving needs quickly, allowing us to keep growing. When you are competing on a global scale, you need a bank that can support your business. We have found that partnership with Georgia Commerce Bank.”

— Fred L. Aycock, CEO, Remington Medical, Inc.

For more information, visit remmed.com.

The toys we collected will be part of BCM’s Joyous Toys Store, open Monday, Dec. 12 through Friday, Dec. 16 at Peachtree Presbyterian Church. BCM’s toy shop functions as a store, so parents can come in and pick the perfect gift sure to bring a smile to their child’s face. The food will be distributed at BCM’s food pantry.

Buckhead Christian Ministry serves thousands of families in need this time of year and we know the difference one special toy on Christmas morning can make in a child’s life. Thank you to everyone who took the time to donate this year and for making this year’s toy and food drive such a success!

From left to right: LeeHester Rhodes (senior vice president and Buckhead branch manager), Marvin Cosgray (managing director of private banking), Helen Cunningham (executive director of Buckhead Christian Ministry), Judy Lerch (head teller), Alison Spurlock (relationship account manager/teller)

“The acquisition of these two established community banks allows Georgia Commerce Bank to expand our branch network and better serve the communities in the northern metropolitan area of Atlanta,” said Mark Tipton, CEO of Georgia Commerce Bank. “We welcome our new customers and assure them that they will continue to receive the highest level of customer service for their personal and commercial banking needs.”

All of the branches of CreekSide and Patriot Bank will reopen at their regularly scheduled time after the Labor Day holiday on Tuesday, September 6th as branches of Georgia Commerce Bank. Customers will have access to their accounts as usual over the holiday weekend by writing checks, through on-line banking, and ATM’s and debit card transactions. All depositors of both banks will automatically become depositors of Georgia Commerce and deposits will continue to be insured by the FDIC as before. “We want to assure the customers of these banks that their deposits are safe, sound and readily accessible,” Tipton added. “Georgia Commerce Bank is one of the strongest banks in Georgia, with a sound balance sheet and very strong capital ratios.”

If customers should have any questions regarding their accounts or loans, please contact your branch directly at the same telephone number as before: Acworth (770) 975-4400, Cumming (770) 887-9220 and Woodstock (678) 388-5400 or visit www.gacommercebank.com.

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Download 2011 Second Quarter Financial Report [PDF]

Jennifer Waterman joins the Commercial Lending Division at the Cumberland office as vice president and underwriter. In this position, she will support loan officers in credit underwriting, asset monitoring and portfolio management to ensure the bank maintains a loan portfolio at the highest standards possible. Previously, Waterman served as assistant vice president and commercial portfolio specialist at First Citizen Bank & Trust. She has a bachelor’s degree in business from Kennesaw State University, where she majored in finance.

Patsy Hill joins the Loan Operations Department at the Cumberland office as a vice president and loan operations specialist. She will assist with the loan accounting and servicing activities involved in the loan operations department. Hill has more than 17 years of banking experience.

Ann Brown joins the Commercial Lending Division at the Cumberland office as a vice president and commercial lender. In this position, Brown will be responsible for accommodating the overall banking needs of commercial customers and principals, including business and personal financial needs. She will also focus on new business development. Brown earned an undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University, majoring in French and minoring in economics. She received her Master of Business Administration with a concentration in finance from Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University. Following school, she began a 12-year career in banking. Over the past 3 years, she was an in-house accountant for Hemming Enterprises and Stonemont Financial Group.

James Creek joins the bank as assistant vice president and assistant branch manager of the Cumberland branch. His primary focus will include developing new business, servicing accounts, customer relations, and management of the branch and branch staff. Creek graduated from University of West Georgia with a business degree, majoring in real estate, and minoring in marketing. Additionally, Creek holds his series 6 and 63 license. Prior to joining GCB, Creek worked as a licensed personal banker at Wells Fargo.

David Kinney has been promoted to assistant vice president and commercial lender of the Commercial Lending Division at the Cumberland office. His position entails negotiating and establishing commercial loans for corporations, partnerships, sole proprietorships, and nonprofit community organizations as well as developing cross-sell opportunities to principals of the businesses from a personal financial needs standpoint. Kinney graduated from University of Colorado at Boulder with a bachelor’s degree in finance.

Seth Gray, vice president, has been promoted to oversee the Commercial Lending Division at the new Buckhead office. Gray holds a finance degree from Tulane University in New Orleans.

“As Georgia Commerce Bank continues to grow at all three of our branches, we are adding a talented group of people to our team,” said Mark Tipton, CEO of Georgia Commerce Bank. “We are pleased to welcome these new additions and congratulate those who have been promoted to new positions within our organization.”

Mansfield graduated from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia and received his Master of Business Administration with honors from Oglethorpe University. He currently serves on the boards for both Wilderness Works, an inner-city camp for kids, and Breakthru House (part of Action Ministries), which provides treatment for women with addictions. He is the incoming president of the Kiwanis Club of Buckhead and graduated from the Buckhead Business Association’s Leadership Buckhead program.

Watson attended Tennessee Tech University, holds a Georgia real estate license, and is a lifetime member of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.

“At Georgia Commerce Bank, we know how important it is for our clients to have an excellent private banking team on their side,” said Marvin Cosgray, managing director of private banking. “Tripper and Jacki both have many years of experience in the private banking industry and are committed to helping their clients meet their personal and financial goals.”

“We were happy to be a part of the program, but we were also very happy to pay it off,” said Mark Tipton, the chairman and chief executive at Georgia Commerce Bank in Atlanta.

The $395.4 million-asset bank became the first in the state to redeem its preferred shares, paying $9.1 million in mid-February after raising $21 million. The program helped loans at the bank grow by 13%, or $50 million, since February 2009.

To read the full article, visit US Banker’s website.