2015
COMPANY
REPORT
to our shareholders
Q&A with George A. Makris, Jr. A VISIT WITH THE CHAIRMAN
The year 2015 was a momentous one in the life of Simmons First National Corp. We completed the integration
of Liberty Bancshares of Missouri, Community First Bancshares of Tennessee and Trust Company of the Ozarks
of Missouri. We now have a strong regional footprint across Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee. We’re
providing the best of both to our customers – the type of service expected from a community bank along with
the range of products expected from a regional bank.
During 2015, we reorganized into three regions – Arkansas, Missouri/Kansas and Tennessee. Our regional
chairmen are Freddie Black for Arkansas, Gary Metzger for Missouri/Kansas and Tony Gregory for Tennessee.
Meanwhile, Barry Ledbetter, who had been the chairman for the Central/Northeast Arkansas region, assumed
the duties of chief banking officer. Barry has been with Simmons for more than three decades.
Adam Mitchell assumed the duties of chief retail officer, and Matt Reddin assumed the duties of chief lending
officer. These are new positions for Simmons. Adam is working to ensure the efficient delivery of products and
services through our retail branch network, while Matt is developing community bank lending teams.
Joining our team in 2015 was Chris Dunn as executive vice president for regulatory affairs and risk strategy.
Chris came to us following a 34-year career with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and he’ll play
a key role in the years ahead as Simmons continues to grow. We now have assets of almost $8 billion and will
face new levels of regulatory oversight. Chris and his team are making sure we’re prepared.
Also joining Simmons in 2015 was Jena Compton as executive vice president and chief people officer.
Jena brought vast experience in the areas of human resources, leadership development and organizational
effectiveness. She’s assembling a team that’s making us one of the best places to work in the region. Jena and
her team are improving our corporate culture and developing our talent.
We remain deeply involved in the communities we serve through sponsorships, charitable contributions and
volunteerism. In addition to making charitable contributions throughout the four-state area, the bank also
makes a significant contribution each year to the Simmons First Foundation. Members of our Simmons family
volunteer on a regular basis, and we’ve seen an increased emphasis on associate contributions to United Way.
Our stock price at the end of 2015 was $51.36 per share, up from $40.65 per share at the end of 2014. The
stock price appreciation, coupled with quarterly dividends, resulted in a total shareholder return of 29 percent
for the year. This compared very favorably to the industry as the SNL Mid Cap U.S. Bank Index increased about
George Makris has been the chairman and
chief executive officer of Simmons First
National Corp. for less than three years, but
it has been the most active period in the
company’s illustrious history.
In 2013, while Makris was CEO-elect,
Simmons acquired Metropolitan National
Bank of Little Rock, allowing the company
entry into new markets.
That gain was followed by additional
acquisitions in Arkansas, Missouri
and Tennessee.
Makris, a Pine Bluff native, became a
Simmons director in 1997. He recently sat
down with Rex Nelson, Simmons’ director
of corporate communications, to discuss
how Makris entered the business, the future
of the company and more.
C H A I R M A N + C H I E F E X E C U T I V E O F F I C E R G E O R G E A . M A K R I S , J R .
Q / You came to banking in a bit of a nontraditional way as a director. Talk a little bit about that background.
A / I was invited to go on the Worthen National Bank board in Pine Bluff when I was 29 years old — almost three decades ago — by a good
friend of mine, James Stobaugh. I got great experience. I was lucky enough to serve as the chairman of the commercial and industrial
loan committee while I was on that board. A number of banking names who are well-known in the state of Arkansas were in Pine Bluff,
so I got a lot of good experience understanding banking from the 30,000-foot level. I was also on that board when Worthen was sold
to Boatman’s, then to NationsBank, and finally to Bank of America. After the Bank of America acquisition, I was invited to join the
8 percent.
Simmons board.
We’re a growing, dynamic company filled with talented associates who are dedicated to providing
our customers with the best possible service. All of us thank you for your support of Simmons.
One of the things we talk about constantly at Simmons is how to handle mergers and keep our community-banking philosophy.
Our objective is to do it right. As we continue adding bank partners and expanding our footprint, what’s most important is
maintaining that community-banking feel, which means local decision making and quality customer service.
It’s obvious with my background, I’m not a banker. I’ve never made a loan, and I’ve never been to banking school. I’ve been employed
by a bank now for just a little over three years. What I do think I understand about the banking business is that it’s a people business.
It’s also a service business. Many years ago when you couldn’t cross county lines, banking was done on a ‘they’ll-come-to-see-me’
basis. Well, now that we can be competitive anywhere we choose to go, we need to be more aggressive in making sure we get in
front of our potential customers and offer them our full line of products and services. I do know that my background has prepared
GEORGE A. MAKRIS, JR.
me for that.
2
3
Q&A with George A. Makris, Jr.
CONTINUED
A VISIT WITH THE CHAIRMAN
“Our objective is to do it right. As we continue adding bank partners and expanding
our footprint, what’s most important is maintaining that community-banking feel,
which means local decision making and quality customer service.”
Q / You mentioned you weren’t a banker. Your
family business is a wholesale distribution
business. That’s all about market share.
Banking is a lot about market share, isn’t it?
A / Market share is tremendously important. It doesn’t matter
what business you are in. My father-in-law, Don Kirkpatrick,
was a successful institutional food distributor. Our family
the value so that we could use it as a currency in mergers
and acquisitions. When Metropolitan National Bank became
available, that was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us. The
synergies we got from the merger with Metropolitan were more
valuable to us than they would have been to anyone else. The
market recognized that and, all of a sudden, the valuation of
our stock became competitive with other acquirers.
was also in the institutional food business, and that’s pure
The market turned upward, but there were banks that could
competition. You have to have the innovation and the
no longer earn enough to pay their shareholders the usual
motivation and be competitive in order to be successful.
dividends and retain enough capital to grow their business.
I see banking the same way.
Q / There’s been tremendous growth at
Simmons. Talk a little bit about what has
happened within this company.
A / I was lucky to step into a situation where there were
no fires to put out. Tommy May and his leadership as
chairman got us to a point where we were one of the
most stable banks in the country. We maintained our
value during the Great Recession, when many in the
banking business lost up to 75 percent of their value.
A lot of that had to do with the conservative principles
Tommy put into place at the right time.
They were at a crossroads. We want to approach mergers and
acquisitions by partnering with institutions which have good
management teams and excellent asset quality. With Delta
Trust in Arkansas, Liberty Bank in Missouri and First State Bank
in Tennessee, that’s exactly what we got. We haven’t moved
a single associate to Missouri. The former Liberty staff is still
in place. In Tennessee, we moved one associate. What’s really
important to us is the people associated with the mergers.
Corporate Headquarters, Pine Bluff, AR
We’re not interested in tremendous cost-cutting measures.
Where cost savings are available, we’re certainly going to be
interested in that. But that’s not why we acquire banks.
We’re interested in partnering with good banks that will
continue to grow. I think that is an important distinction to
make between us and some of our competitors.
Q / I realize you have to be flexible in banking
Q / Pretend I’m a young, talented banker looking
and things can change, but where do you see
for a long, successful career. Why would
Simmons five years from now and 10 years
Simmons be a good place to work?
from now?
A / I can see our company being in six or seven states. I can see
us being between $15 billion and $20 billion in size. And I
can see us with great market share in the markets we serve,
not only because we have great associates, but because
we have a unique ability to offer a full line of products and
services to customers. We’re still building out some of the
financial service businesses in which we’re relatively new.
For example, we’ve been in the trust business for a long
time, but we’re geographically confined as to where we
offer those services. Our goal is to offer all of our products
and services to all the markets we serve.
A / I go back to our community-banking philosophy. We want
decisions to be made at the local level. Too many times,
young folks in organizations get buried and don’t get a
chance to be out front representing their institution. That’s
not the case with Simmons. We expect all of our markets to
grow, and as a result, we expect those who prepare properly
will have a tremendous career opportunity here at Simmons.
As we started coming out of the recession, we found
ourselves facing circumstances we needed to address.
Q / Do you see future acquisitions for Simmons?
We had excess capital, and it was hard to earn a return on
capital that was acceptable in the market. We had a lot
of liquidity, and our loan-to-deposit ratio was in the low
60s. That gave us a lot of capacity to fill. We had been
successful with some FDIC acquisitions that were the
only mergers and acquisitions going on during the 2008
to 2011 time frame. However, as we started coming out
of the recession, more traditional opportunities became
available. Unfortunately for us, our stock price didn’t have
A / I do. We continue getting calls every week from banks
and from investment bankers who understand their
clients’ needs. At any one time, we might have five to
15 active conversations going on. Most of those will
never go to the next level. But our name is out there in
the market as a desirable partner in the mergers and
acquisitions business.
4
5
financial highlights
[STRONG REGULATORY CAPITAL]
Regulatory Minimum
Regulatory “Well-Capitalized”
Simmons First National Corp.
11.20%
14.21%
4.00%
5.00%
4.50%
6.50%
LEVERAGE RATIO
COMMON EQUITY TIER 1 CAPITAL RATIO
16.02%
16.72%
6.00%
8.00%
8.00%
10.00%
TIER 1 CAPITAL RATIO
TOTAL RISK-BASED CAPITAL RATIO
[STRONG ASSET QUALITY]
Consistently Outperforming Our Peers
Nonperforming Loans
as a % of Loans1
Net Charge-Offs as a %
of Average Loans3
Net Credit Card
Charge-Offs as a % of
Credit Cards Portfolio
SFNC
ALL U.S. BANKS
.68%2
.16%2
1.28%
1. 7 1%2
.43%2
2.91%4
S
R
A
L
L
O
D
F
O
S
N
O
I
L
L
I
B
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
S
R
A
L
L
O
D
F
O
S
N
O
I
L
L
I
M
1,600
1,400
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
S
R
A
L
L
O
D
F
O
S
N
O
I
L
L
I
M
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
[TOTAL ASSET GROWTH]
$7,559,658,000
$4,383,100,000
$4,643,354,000
$3,320,129,000
$3,527,489,000
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
[MARKET CAPITALIZATION]
$1,555,100,268
$733,833,637
$602,805,410
$468,002,899
$419,524,850
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
[CORE EARNINGS GROWTH1]
$89,622,000
Core Earnings
Per Share: $3.18
$24,988,000
Core Earnings
Per Share: $1.45
$26,870,000
Core Earnings
Per Share: $1.59
$27,612,000
Core Earnings
Per Share: $1.69
$38,707,000
Core Earnings
Per Share: $2.29
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
1 Includes troubled-debt restructures
2 Legacy loans; excluding all acquired loans
3 Excluding credit cards
4 Most recently published industry average
1 “Core earnings” and “diluted core earnings per share” are financial measures that exclude nonrecurring items such as branch right sizing and
merger-related costs. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures provide a meaningful base for period-to-period and company-to-company
comparisons that will assist investors and analysts in evaluating the core operating results of the company and predicting future performance.
6
7
financial highlights
[CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS]
December 31, 2015 and 2014
(In thousands)
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents
Investment securities
2015
$252,262
2014
$335,909
1,540,887
1,082,870
Mortgage loans held for sale and assets held in trading accounts
34,687
28,252
Legacy loans
Allowance for loan losses
Loans acquired, not covered by FDIC
Loans acquired, covered by FDIC
NET LOANS
FDIC indemnification asset
Premises and equipment
Premises held for sale
Foreclosed assets, not covered by FDIC loss share
Foreclosed assets, covered by FDIC loss share
Goodwill and other intangible assets
Other assets
TOTAL ASSETS
3,246,454
2,053,721
(31,351)
1,672,901
—
(29,028)
575,980
106,933
$4,888,004
$2,707,606
—
193,618
923
44,820
—
380,923
223,534
22,663
122,246
6,846
44,856
11,793
130,621
149,692
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Non-interest bearing transaction accounts
1,280,234
889,260
Interest bearing transaction accounts and saving deposits
3,485,845
2,006,271
Time deposits
TOTAL DEPOSITS
Other borrowings
Subordinated debentures
Accrued interest and other liabilities
TOTAL LIABILITIES
Total stockholders’ equity
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
1,320,017
965,187
$6,086,096
162,289
$3,860,718
114,682
60,570
173,848
$6,482,803
1,076,855
$7,559,658
20,620
153,015
$4,149,035
494,319
$4,643,354
[CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME]
December 31, 2015 and 2014
(In thousands, except per share & other data)
Interest income
Interest expense
NET INTEREST INCOME
Provision for loan losses
NET INTEREST INCOME AFTER
PROVISION FOR LOAN LOSSES
NON-INTEREST INCOME
Trust income
Service charges on deposit accounts
Other service charges and fees
Mortgage banking income
Investment banking income
Credit and debit card fees
Bank owned life insurance income
Net gain (loss) on assets covered by
FDIC loss share agreements
CORE EARNINGS1
2014
$185,035
2015
$300,948
22,353
13,971
$278,595
9,022
$171,064
7,245
GAAP EARNINGS
2015
$300,948
22,353
$278,595
9,022
2014
$185,035
13,971
$171,064
7,245
$269,573
$163,819
$269,573
$163,819
9,261
30,985
9,921
11,452
2,590
26,660
2,680
7,111
25,650
3,574
5,342
1,070
22,866
1,843
9,261
30,985
9,921
11,452
2,590
26,660
2,680
7,111
25,650
3,574
5,342
1,070
22,866
1,843
(7,336)
(20,316)
(14,812)
(20,316)
Other income
15,344
6,272
17,089
15,052
TOTAL NON-INTEREST INCOME
$101,557
$53,412
$95,826
$62,192
NON-INTEREST EXPENSE
Salaries and employee benefits
Occupancy expense, net
Furniture and equipment expense
Deposit insurance
Merger related costs
Other operating expenses
TOTAL NON-INTEREST EXPENSE
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES
Provision for income taxes
CORE EARNINGS1
Preferred stock dividends
CORE EARNINGS AVAILABLE TO
COMMON SHAREHOLDERS1
NET INCOME AVAILABLE TO
COMMON SHAREHOLDERS
136,967
16,594
14,290
4,861
4,201
—
62,475
$239,388
$131,742
41,863
$89,879
257
$89,622
88,325
12,307
9,314
4,507
3,354
—
44,167
139,408
16,858
14,352
4,861
4,201
13,760
64,695
89,210
12,833
9,325
4,507
3,354
7,470
49,022
$161,974
$258,135
$175,721
$55,257
16,550
$38,707
—
$38,707
$107,264
32,900
$50,290
14,602
257
—
$74,107
$35,688
DILUTED CORE EARNINGS PER SHARE1
$3.18
$2.29
DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE
$2.63
$2.11
1 “Core earnings” and “diluted core earnings per share” are financial measures that exclude nonrecurring items such as items related to branch right sizing
and merger related costs. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures provide a meaningful base for period-to-period and company-to-company
comparisons, which will assist investors and analysts in evaluating the core operating results of the Company and predicting future performance.
$7,559,658
$4,643,354
Other real estate and foreclosure expense
8
9
financial highlights
[SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA]
Years Ended December 31
(In thousands, except per share & other data)
FINANCIAL
STATEMENT DATA
Total assets
$7,559,658
2015
Total loans
Total deposits
Total equity
Core earnings available
to common shareholders1
4,919,355
6,086,096
1,076,855
89,622
2014
2013
2012
2011
$4,643,354
$4,383,100
$3,527,489
$3,320,129
2,736,634
2,404,935
1,922,119
1,737,844
3,860,718
3,697,567
2,874,163
2,650,397
494,319
403,832
406,062
407,911
38,707
27,612
26,870
24,988
ANNUALIZED CORE
PERFORMANCE RATIOS1
Return on average assets
Return on average
common equity
Return on average
tangible common equity
Net interest margin
Efficiency ratio
2015
1.25%
9.55%
2014
0.86%
8.79%
15.05%
11.89%
4.55%
59.08%
4.47%
69.88%
2013
0.77%
6.33%
7.54%
4.21%
2012
0.81%
6.57%
7.81%
3.93%
2011
0.76%
6.15%
7.43%
3.85%
71.28%
70.17%
67.86%
PER SHARE DATA
Diluted earnings
Diluted core earnings1
Book value
Tangible book
Dividends
CAPITAL RATIOS
AT PERIOD END
Common stockholders’
equity to total assets
Tangible common equity
to tangible assets
Common equity Tier 1
risk-based ratio
Tier 1 leverage ratio
Tier 1 risk-based ratio
Total risk-based
capital ratio
Dividend payout
$2.63
3.18
34.55
21.97
0.92
$2.11
2.29
27.38
20.15
0.88
$1.42
1.69
24.89
19.13
0.84
$1.64
1.59
24.55
20.66
0.80
$1.47
1.45
23.70
20.09
0.76
13.84%
10.65%
9.21%
11.51%
12.29%
9.26%
8.06%
7.24%
9.87%
10.61%
14.21%
11.20%
16.02%
16.72%
—
8.77%
13.43%
14.50%
34.98%
41.71%
—
9.22%
13.02%
14.10%
59.15%
—
10.81%
19.08%
20.34%
48.78%
—
11.86%
21.58%
22.83%
51.70%
ASSET QUALITY
RATIOS2
Nonperforming assets/
total assets
Nonperforming loans/
total loans
Allowance/
nonperforming loans
Allowance/total loans
Net charge-offs/
average loans3
Net credit card charge-
offs/credit card loans
OTHER DATA
Number of
financial centers
Number of full-time
equivalent employees
0.85%
0.58%
1.25%
0.63%
1.69%
0.53%
1.29%
0.74%
1.18%
1.02%
165.83%
223.31%
297.89%
231.62%
186.14%
0.97%
0.16%
1.28%
149
1,946
1.41%
0.20%
1.57%
0.15%
1.71%
0.26%
1.91%
0.30%
1.27%
1.33%
1.50%
2.06%
109
131
92
84
1,338
1,343
1,068
1,083
1 “Core earnings” and “diluted core earnings per share” are financial measures that exclude nonrecurring items such as branch right sizing and merger-
related costs. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures provide a meaningful base for period-to-period and company-to-company comparisons
that will assist investors and analysts in evaluating the core operating results of the company and predicting future performance.
1 Based on core earnings; core earnings exclude nonrecurring items (non-GAAP)
2 Excludes all acquired loans, including those covered by FDIC loss share agreements, and excludes acquired foreclosed assets covered by FDIC loss share
agreements, except for their inclusion in total assets
3 Excludes credit cards
10
11
dividend history & total shareholder return
Simmons First National Corporation
board of directors
[CONSISTENT DIVIDEND HISTORY]
$1.00
$.80
$.60
$.40
$.20
E
R
A
H
S
R
E
P
D
N
E
D
I
V
I
D
2015 Annual Dividend Yield: 1.8%
(Based on 12/31/15 stock price)
$0.92
$0.88
$0.84
$0.80
$0.76
$0.76 $0.76 $0.76
$0.73
$0.68
$0.61
$0.57
$0.53
$0.48
$0.44
$0.40
$0.36
$0.32
$0.28
‘97 ‘98 ‘99 ‘00 ‘01 ‘02 ‘03 ‘04 ‘05 ‘06 ‘07 ‘08 ‘09 ‘10 ‘11 ‘12 ‘13 ‘14 ‘15
107 CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF PAYING DIVIDENDS TO OUR SHAREHOLDERS
[From Left to Right]
JOE D. PORTER
President, Akin Porter Produce, Inc.
MARK C. DORAMUS
Chief Financial Officer, Stephens, Inc.
EUGENE HUNT
Attorney, Hunt Law Firm
JAY D. BURCHFIELD
Retired Financial Services Executive
EDWARD DRILLING
President, AT&T Arkansas
HARRY L. RYBURN, D.D.S.
Retired Orthodontist
W. SCOTT McGEORGE
President, Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel Company
GEORGE A. MAKRIS, JR.
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer,
Simmons First National Corporation
ROBERT L. SHOPTAW
Chairman of the Board,
Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield
STEVEN A. COSSÉ
Retired President & Chief Executive Officer,
Murphy Oil Corporation
WILLIAM E. CLARK, II
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer,
Clark Contractors, LLC
CHRISTOPHER R. KIRKLAND
Principal, Anchor Investments, LLC
[NOT PICTURED]
DAVID L. BARTLETT
Retired President, Simmons First National Corporation
Retired Chief Banking Officer, Simmons First National Bank
[
1–YEAR1 TOTAL
SHAREHOLDER RETURN3
3-YEAR2 TOTAL
SHAREHOLDER RETURN3
1-Year Total Shareholder Return(1)
3-Year Total Shareholder Return(1)
]
[
]
(Dividends + Stock Appreciation)
(Dividends + Stock Appreciation)
SFNC
SNL U.S. Bank Index (4) +1.7%
+28.9%
50
40
30
20
10
0
-10
%
n
r
u
t
e
R
l
a
t
o
T
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
%
n
r
u
t
e
R
l
a
t
o
T
SFNC
+117.6%
SNL U.S. Bank Index (4) +56.1%
-20
Dec-14
Mar-15
Jun-15
Sep-15
Dec-15
-20
Dec-12
Dec-13
Dec-14
Dec-15
SFNC SNL U.S. BANK
SFNC SNL U.S. BANK
1 Period from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015
2 Period from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2015
3 Total shareholder return includes dividends plus stock price appreciation
4 The SNL U.S. Bank Index includes all U.S. banks traded on the major U.S.
Source: SNL Financial
stock exchanges (NYSE, NYSE MKT an NASDAQ)
Shareholders may obtain a copy of the company’s annual report as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Form 10-K) by writing to
Patrick A. Burrow, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Simmons First National Corporation; PO Box 7009; Pine Bluff, Arkansas 71611-7009,
or on the company’s website at simmonsfirst.com. Simmons First National Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
12
13
Simmons First National Bank
board of directors
[From Left to Right]
W. SCOTT McGEORGE
President, Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel Company
JOHN LYTLE, M.D.
Orthopedic Surgeon, South Arkansas Orthopedic Center
H. FORD TROTTER, III
General Manager, Trotter Auto Group
MET L. JONES, II
General Manager, Dickey Machine Works
BEVERLY MORROW
Vice President, TLM Management
DEAN CHAMBLISS
Owner, H&D Farms
JANE W. ROGERS
Community Volunteer
HARRY L. RYBURN, D.D.S.
Retired Orthodontist
MARTY D. CASTEEL
Senior Executive Vice President, Simmons First National Corporation
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Simmons First National Bank
CLIFTON ROAF, D.D.S.
Retired Dentist
MARK SHELTON, III
President, M.A. Shelton Farming Company, Inc.
ADAM B. ROBINSON, JR.
President, Ralph Robinson & Son, Inc.
MARY PRINGOS
President, Phillips Planting Company, Inc.
ROBERT L. SHOPTAW
Chairman of the Board, Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield
[NOT PICTURED]
H. GLENN RAMBIN
President, R&R Farms
JOHNNY McGRAW
Owner, McGraw Farms
GEORGE O’CONNOR
Owner & President, O’Connor Distributing
STEVEN A. COSSÉ
Retired President & Chief Executive Officer, Murphy Oil Corporation
DAVID L. BARTLETT
Retired President, Simmons First National Corporation
Retired Chief Banking Officer, Simmons First National Bank
N. CRAIG HUNT
Retired President & Chief Credit Officer,
Simmons First National Bank
14
15
[IN MEMORY]
MONTY M. SCOTT 1949-2015
We are saddened by the loss of our longtime friend Monty M. Scott. His genuine interest and wise counsel will be missed.
a closer look at Arkansas
Freddie Black logged some serious miles
during the final half of 2015.
Greg Martin succeeded Stobaugh. Martin has been in banking in
“Mike has had a wonderful career in banking, and we are
business we didn’t have. We’re working hard to expand our
northwest Arkansas since 2002. In 2012, the Northwest Arkansas
fortunate he has spent most of it with Simmons,” Black said.
wealth management and insurance services. That’s something
Black became Simmons Bank’s regional chairman for the state of
Business Journal named him to its list of most influential leaders
in the region younger than 40. He’s a graduate of the Leadership
Arkansas late in the summer after having served as the south
Fayetteville program.
West began his banking career with American State Bank in
1994. West was also an executive with General Pallets Inc. in
Fort Smith from 2010–2012 between stints in the banking
to offer our customers, and it’s a goal of mine to get everybody
on board in our footprint selling those products. There’s no
competition selling those products in rural markets.”
Arkansas chairman. Arkansas transitioned from three regional
chairmen to one state chairman. Black, a Simmons employee
since 1984, was a logical choice to fill the new position.
“I’ve traveled to almost every bank in
the state since August,” said Black,
who lives at Lake Village in the state’s far
southeast corner. “I’ve enjoyed every minute
of it and look forward to the opportunity to
improve, be more efficient and grow our bank.”
In addition to traveling across the state, Black had to replace
veteran executives in two key markets. James Stobaugh
announced his retirement as the northwest Arkansas community
president. Stobaugh will continue in an advisory role through
2016. Stobaugh began his banking career in 1968 and worked for
Worthen National Bank in Pine Bluff before transferring to
Fayetteville in 1992. Stobaugh came out of retirement to work for
Metropolitan National Bank and served as community president
when the company merged with Simmons.
“James was valuable as we moved through the transition, and I’m
glad he stayed with us,” Black said. “We’re glad he will continue to
advise us.”
“Greg has become a star in banking, and he will now help us
industry.
Simmons has grown rapidly in Arkansas, but Black is looking
grow Simmons’ northwest Arkansas market share,” Black said.
“His name kept coming up as the best [in northwest Arkansas].
Greg is known for his community involvement and is just the
kind of banker we want here at Simmons.”
A few miles south down Interstate 49 in Fort Smith, Rodney
West replaced Mike Flynn, who retired at the end of the year.
Flynn worked in banking for four decades, starting at American
State Bank in Charleston, N.C. in 1975. A decade later, he became
the bank president. When American State Bank merged with
Simmons in 1988, Flynn became the community president.
“Rodney has great credit and business-development skills,”
for more areas where the company can expand.
Black said. “He has made some new employee moves that will
“There’s a lot of Arkansas we aren’t in,” he said. “There’s a lot of
make his team stronger and make customers want to move to
opportunity to expand in eastern Arkansas. We also don’t have
our bank.”
banks south of Hot Springs or west of El Dorado. There’s
Chris White became the central Arkansas community president
certainly a void in our state that would help fill in our footprint.”
in September when Adam Mitchell was promoted to chief retail
Black started with Simmons in 1984 when Simmons acquired
officer for the company.
First State Bank & Trust in Lake Village where Black was
working for his uncle. A lot has changed since then, but the
banking philosophy hasn’t. That’s why Black is still an employee
and excited about the future.
“It has been a great company to work for,” Black said. “It’s a
good organization that has changed a lot. But its core values
and commitment to customer service and people have stayed
the same. It’s why I’ve never had the desire to work elsewhere.”
“Chris has been with us his entire career,” Black said. “I’m really
excited about this opportunity for Chris. Twenty-five percent of
our assets are in central Arkansas, so it’s a big market for us.”
Other major changes were Franklin Bass being promoted to
community president at Hot Springs and Jason Culpepper
becoming the community president at Conway.
The job has become much more challenging than it would have
been in the past with recent mergers with Metropolitan and
Delta Trust & Bank. Black said he’s encouraged by the progress
Simmons has made in Arkansas.
“We’ve integrated Delta and Metropolitan, and that has given
us some great locations in northwest and central Arkansas,”
Black said. “That has helped us become a dominant player in
the Little Rock market. Delta has given us some other lines of
FREDDIE BLACK
Arkansas Regional Chairman
16
17
As he reflects on an eventful year, he knows the company
“Andrea has added to her team,” Metzger said. “We’re looking to add again this year. We’re looking
made the right decision.
to add a third location in Wichita. Basically, we’ve gotten to a point where we’re out of space.”
“I’m as strong today as I was in December 2013, when I
In 2016, the Missouri/Kansas region will use technology to drive business.
a closer look at Missouri and Kansas
Gary Metzger is a former college
baseball player who’s known for
his sports analogies.
As he sits in his Springfield, Mo., office and brags on
Simmons Bank associates, he sounds like a coach who has
seen his team overcome adversity to win a close game. The
year 2015 was challenging as Liberty Bancshares merged
with Simmons.
first sat down with everybody,” said Metzger, a 41-year
banking veteran. “Our philosophies are still running true. The
empowerment is still running true. Everything that [Simmons
chairman and CEO George Makris] said about Simmons’
philosophy is coming true. I’ve yet to find anything to the
contrary in a meeting, conversation or memo. I’m just as
“I’ve been in banking for a long time,” said Metzger, the
bullish today as when we were going into the transaction.”
Missouri/Kansas regional chairman for Simmons. “I’ve
been with bigger organizations, and I’ve been with smaller
organizations. But the group of people I’ve been fortunate
enough to be associated with at Liberty Bank is by far the
strongest group of bankers, as well as individuals. These
are all good people. There’s an old saying, ‘When the whip
snaps, the thoroughbred responds and the mule kicks.’ We
have a lot of thoroughbreds here.”
The change was a big one for some employees who had
been with the bank for most of their careers. Metzger, the
former Liberty chief executive officer, was pleased with the
overall attitude.
Metzger is also happy with what St. Louis community
president Travis Liebig has accomplished with his team
and branches. The group created a buzz in the market by
attracting some large commercial accounts that could lead
to more business.
“He grew that market by more than $100 million,” Metzger
said. “That’s a very good market for us, and we’re now
gaining the recognition. What you have to realize about St.
Louis is that it’s very parochial. Even when you look at the
expanse of 3 million people there, St. Louis is still, in some
ways, a small town. It’s a matter of who knows who. It’s still a
people business. We have a very strong team that has been
“With all conversions, someone is going to drop a glass,
working hard. In 2016, they will duplicate or exceed what
and it’s going to break,” Metzger said. “We swept it up
they were able to do in 2015.”
and moved forward. Learning new systems is always
challenging, but we’re excited from the standpoint of
bringing additional financial strength, more funding
sources and a much stronger product grouping than
what we had before.”
Simmons’ performance in the Wichita market, led by
community president Andrea Scarpelli, also pleased Metzger.
In southwest Missouri, Simmons did well in 2015 and continues
carrying Liberty’s reputation of successful small-business lending.
“On the retail side, we’re now taking it to the next phase,” Metzger said. “We have the technology,
we might as well take advantage of it. Our cash-management system is as good, or better, than any
of our competitors. You don’t ever have to leave your desk. That’s the next step we’re working very
hard on. I think you’ll see some significant deposit growth this coming year in the St. Louis and
Wichita markets.”
In southwest Missouri, Simmons did well in 2015 and continues carrying Liberty’s reputation
of successful small-business lending.
“It’s competitive, but we feel good about southwest Missouri,” Metzger said. “We
have the conversion behind us. We’re out there again developing new business.
With the level of sophistication that Simmons has brought to the market and
with the additional funding sources, we feel very bullish. You’ll never see things in
southwest Missouri like you will see in some areas. The highs are never as high, and
the lows are never as low.”
Another development in southwest Missouri was Simmons’ merger with Trust
Company of the Ozarks.
“That is huge,” Metzger said. “I don’t think people fully understand that or really
appreciate it. If you’re a relationship bank, you can’t build your business on being
transactional. The only way you’re going to differentiate yourself is if you come with
a complete package.”
Metzger also lauds southwest Missouri community president Garry Robinson, who
has been instrumental in the transition and looks to continue adding to Simmons’
market share in the area in 2016.
The Kansas City market also made gains in 2015, and Metzger is looking forward to
a successful 2016 in that metropolitan area.
G A RY M E T ZG E R
Kansas/Missouri
Regional Chairman
18
19
a closer look at Tennessee
In September, former First State Bank locations in Tennessee officially became part of the
Simmons Bank family. The merger wasn’t without growing pains, but a group of determined,
resilient associates pleased Tony Gregory.
“We have some great people,” said Gregory,
First State had several suitors. The company’s
experience, will serve on an advisory basis
the Tennessee regional chairman for Simmons.
board decided that Simmons’ size and
until Dec. 31, 2016.
“Some stepped up into management roles. It
community-feel would be a good fit.
was just a blessing to be around them and see
them succeed. Some have been relocated to
different parts of the state, and they’re doing
exceptionally well.”
“John started with the company right out
“Being part of an almost $8 billion company
of college when it was a $19 million bank,”
puts us in a unique position,” Gregory
Gregory said. “We were able to grow the
said. “Our footprint is bigger than that of a
footprint in Tennessee. It had grown to $2
community bank, but not as big as a mega
billion when it was acquired by Simmons.
First State built a strong reputation and
bank. We’re in a sweet spot to pursue business
John knows bankers and customers across
customer base while expanding from west
that larger banks might not pursue, while
the state, and I’m fortunate to have him as
Tennessee to other parts of the state. During
smaller banks don’t have the capacity. That has
an adviser until the end of this year. He has
the merger, associates assured customers that
been a huge plus as we march across the state
been a good captain. He will be a friend and
the service they had come to expect would
and increase our footprint.”
adviser beyond 2016.”
continue with Simmons.
“Our core customers are doing business with
of banking experience. Gregory, who lives in
has spent much of his time filling positions
the same banker at the same desk in the same
Jackson, Tenn., joined First State as executive
and promoting associates due to vacancies
office,” Gregory said.
vice president in 1998. He became the bank’s
and opportunities created by the merger.
Gregory came to Simmons with three decades
Since becoming regional chairman, Gregory
It took associates working together to ensure
that customer service didn’t dip during the
president and CEO in 1999, and helped
establish a presence for the west Tennessee
bank in Nashville and other parts of middle
conversion.
Tennessee.
“We’re glad to have the conversion behind us,”
Gregory said. “It’s definitely becoming easier
When Community First Bancshares Inc.
consolidated First State Bank and three
for us every day.”
other bank charters into one entity in 2003,
Gregory became the chief banking officer. His
role included management of the retail and
commercial functions of the bank. From 2000–
2015, Gregory helped establish new banking
operations in 15 communities. He also helped
grow the bank from $500 million to $2 billion
in assets prior to its merger with Simmons.
Gregory officially assumed his position Jan.
1, 2016. John Clark, the former First State
Bank chief executive officer, was the regional
chairman until his retirement was announced in
November. Clark, who has 40 years of banking
TONY GREGORY
Tennessee Regional Chairman
Blake Mansfield moved from west Tennessee
to Maryville in east Tennessee to help grow
operations in that area of the state.
Andy Culbreath, the community president at
Jackson, moved to Nashville to help manage
the commercial lending operation.
“He has done a fantastic job and is in the
process of adding to his team,” Gregory said
of Culbreath.
Because of an unexpected retirement, Sam
Lewallen, who had been the community
president in Martin, Tenn., became the
manager of an additional market. Andy
Page also expanded his responsibilities as a
community president in west Tennessee.
“We have some really resilient people who
have excelled,” Gregory said.
Simmons Bank Jackson/Oil Well Road
The merger also created opportunities
While there were many changes in
“I was born and raised in middle Tennessee
for Debra Wiley, who became a regional
Tennessee, some procedures stayed the
and went to college in east Tennessee at the
operations manager, and for former First
same. In fact, Simmons adopted several
University of Tennessee, and I’m now in my
State community president Andrea Hughes,
First State procedures and systems.
18th year in western Tennessee,” Gregory
who is now a regional sales manager.
There were promotions for Chet Alexander,
The saddest news was the loss of longtime
vice president for consumer lending and
employee Frank Christie, who had become
credit administration; Cindy Ford, vice
the community executive in Jackson during
president of consumer lending; John
the summer after working as a commercial
Faulkner, senior manager of credit analysis
lender in Humboldt. Christie died of a heart
and Victor Castro, senior vice president of
attack in December.
treasury management.
“He was a great guy and a fantastic worker,”
With the merger completed, Gregory shifted
Gregory said. “It was very untimely. It
his focus to growth.
said. “I’ve gotten to know a lot of people
and bankers all over the state. Our goal is to
continue recruiting the best bankers in each
market and looking for potential partners
for the future. We’re part of a growing
company. Our market represents 20 percent
of the company, and we want to make sure
no matter how large Simmons grows, we
keep that ratio. We aren’t here to stay the
same size. We’re here to grow.
affected the entire state. Everybody
liked him.”
20
21
Simmons Country focus: Union City
Union City, Tenn., residents have long known how nice their town is.
Now visitors from across the country are discovering Union City.
Thanks to Discovery Park of America, the brainchild of the late Union City
native Robert Kirkland, the area received a tourism boost and even drew
“Today” show host Al Roker on his quest to visit 50 states in a week.
The attraction combines science, pop culture, history
Rippy, who enjoyed a successful career in the insurance
and other subjects for an educational center that has
industry, had pushed for economic development and
drawn school groups and tourists from a four-state
tourism in the area for years. There was a proposed
area. Discovery Park officials hoped to draw 150,000
shopping area and water park that didn’t materialize,
visitors the first two years. They surpassed those
but Kirkland had an idea six years ago that would be a
expectations, drawing more than 580,000 visitors in
gift for area youth while providing an economic boon.
26 months, Discovery Park’s Chief Executive Officer
Jim Rippy said.
The foundation spent almost $100 million on the project
that includes a state-of-the-art exhibition center with a
Rippy is a childhood friend of Kirkland, who built the
tower. The rest of the campus includes locomotives, a
Kirkland’s Inc. chain of home stores with his cousin,
historic church and other pioneer buildings.
Carl. For a time, Kirkland lived in Nashville following
his graduation from the University of Tennessee but
settled in Union City to raise his children.
“He could have lived anywhere in the world, but he
wanted to raise his kids here,” Rippy said. “He lived
right next door to me. A couple of times, he looked
around and thought about moving but said, ‘I can’t
find anywhere better, so I’m going to stay here.’”
“Getting half a million visitors in two years to an area our
size is a wonderful thing,” said Union City Mayor Terry
Hailey, who serves on the Discovery Park board.
The 2013 opening came at a good time for Union City
since the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. plant, which
had employed almost 1,800 people at one time, had
closed in 2011. The number of jobs and the revenue that
Discovery Park produced helped the area’s economy,
Kirkland’s presence was a boost to the area long
which depends heavily on the agricultural industry.
before Discovery Park. Along with his wife, Jenny,
the couple started a foundation after Kirkland made
a series of investments that grew his holdings. The
couple began the Promethean Foundation, which
funds preschool scholarships for at-risk children,
and contributed to other charitable causes in
west Tennessee.
“[Kirkland] had a theory,” Rippy said. “He said, ‘I
can’t change the world by donating money to an
international organization. But I can change things
in Union City and Obion County.’ He did that and felt
strongly that he couldn’t make a difference worldwide,
but he could make a difference in his home area.”
“We’ve been able to recover,” Hailey said. “Our sales-tax
revenue never decreased. Our unemployment rate was
18 percent, the highest in the state, but we have gotten
it down to 8.4 percent now. If you want to find a job in
Obion County, you can.”
Before visitors began flocking to Union City,
longtime residents, such as Union City School District
Superintendent Gary Houston, stayed in the area
because of an emphasis on academic achievement and
safety, which is ideal for raising children.
“We have a vascular surgeon on our school board,”
Houston said. “He lived in Memphis and could have
“I wanted to work for a
bank that was involved
in the community and
would grow and
offer opportunities.
Simmons Bank offers
great opportunities.”
–Brian Kissell
stayed there, but he moved back to Union City because he wanted his children to
grow up in Union City like he did.”
The school district has almost 1,600 students attending three campuses.
Part of the appeal for parents is the district’s commitment to preparing students for
college. Union City ranks first in ACT college admission scores in west Tennessee and
in the top 10 statewide. A magnet school within the high school offers an advanced
placement program that encourages students to excel. For those who take the AP
tests to opt out of college courses, the district reimburses students the fee if they
earn a passing score. The district gives students monetary awards for higher scores.
“The biggest part of the money comes from the Union City Schools Foundation,”
Houston said. “We began this program 10 years ago to teach advanced classes in math
and language starting in fourth grade.”
Union City students excel in the classroom and in extracurricular activities. The varsity
football team won state titles in the 2013–2014 before a 38-game winning streak ended
in the 2015 state playoffs. The boys’ basketball program has won five state titles, including
two in the past decade. The girls’ basketball program also added a recent state title.
Hailey, who has served as the Union City mayor since 1988, also points to amenities such
as a turf management department that manages several ballfields and a fully stocked fish
pond in the center of town.
One doesn’t have to look far to see the impact of Simmons Bank on the area. The company
is one of the original sponsors of Discovery Park and has signage around the children’s
exhibits as well as an ATM inside the park. The bank is active in area school districts,
sponsoring extracurricular and academic programs.
“We came back to Union City because we wanted to raise a family here,” Simmons Bank’s
Union City community executive Brian Kissell said. “I wanted to work for a bank that was
involved in the community and would grow and offer opportunities. Simmons Bank offers
great opportunities.”
Rippy also had opportunities to leave his hometown, but he couldn’t find a better place to live or
raise a family. Now, his job is to bring visitors to the region to share Kirkland’s vision.
“I’m glad I stayed,” Rippy said. “I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s a great place to live, and with Discovery
Park, it’s a great place to visit.”
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23
Photo used with permission.
©2016 Discovery Park of America
the Simmons First Foundation gives back
SIMMONS BANK HAS A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
CITY OF PINE BLUFF THAT SPANS MORE THAN A CENTURY.
Pine Bluff is the hometown for many of its employees, including
In addition to Pringos and May, other task force members are
the Simmons First National Corp. chairman and chief executive
Irene Holcomb, George Stepps, Byron Tate, Laurence Alexander,
officer, George A. Makris, Jr. It’s that dedication to the city that
Rev. Glenn Barnes, Chuck Morgan, Lou Ann Nisbett and
spurred the bank, through a donation to the Simmons First
Catherine Smart.
Foundation, to create the Go Forward Pine Bluff initiative to
expand the city’s tax base.
Task force members determined those who serve on four pillar-
steering committees. The task force will also approve plans and
“We want our hometown to be successful,” Makris said.
ensure there’s no overlap in plans. Carla Martin will chair the
“Simmons expressed an interest in funding programs to spur
pillar groups. The four pillar groups and their chairmen are:
redevelopment in Pine Bluff. We’re hopeful that the Go Forward
Pine Bluff process will help pinpoint how to direct our efforts
• Economic development – Nick Makris
most effectively. We believe that the Simmons First Foundation
• Education – Scott Pittillo
is the appropriate vehicle for this project. If successful, Simmons
can use the foundation to replicate the program in other
• Infrastructure and government – Rosalind Mouser
“The planning group will measure our success in four ways,”
May said. “The first will be our ability to recruit a fully inclusive
planning team that has the capacity and the desire to spend
many hours during 2016 making recommendations that likely
will result in significant change. Second will be our ability to
embrace the successes that came from the 20/20 effort and
then focus our full attention on the difficult tasks that must be
done to attract and retain jobs and families in Pine Bluff. Third
will be our ability to pass the torch from the planning group to
the appropriate organizations that will implement the plan in
2017 and 2018. Finally will be our ability to identify resources
that will fund the execution of the plan.”
J. THOMAS MAY
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Simmons First Foundation
The foundation has now funded 16 grants for a total of $296,808
in full grants and two mini-grants of $2,000. During the most
The project is one of the largest the foundation has funded
recent cycle, the foundation approved programs for:
communities we serve in our banking footprint.”
• Quality of life – Kaleybra Morehead
since its inception in 2013.
• Purchasing equipment designed
The initiative started with Simmons making a donation.
“We’re reminded that with change, there will be some pain,” May
“It’s good to see the effort and the outreach of what the
for handicapped children
That evolved into an effort that includes steering committees
said. “But as a great philosopher once said, ‘No pain, no gain.’ It
that focus on economic development, infrastructure and
really isn’t a question of can we do it. It’s a question of will we
government, education and quality of life.
do it. We believe the inclusive planning process will produce a
Simmons First Foundation is doing,” Alexander, University of
Arkansas at Pine Bluff chancellor, said. “It’s also good to see all
aspects of the community coming together around this project.
• A program that was developed to
assist children with dyslexia
“The bank made an offer to the city to do some things, and it
appeared to be the chicken and the egg on who was going to
plan of action that will have to be studied and evaluated by our
Pine Bluff needs it and can certainly benefit… I’m excited to be a
• An initiative to help foster children identify
citizens. They, in turn, will decide whether the effort, costs and
part of it because I think it can be a game changer.”
and mitigate learning deficiencies
do something first,” foundation board member Mary Pringos
said. “It seemed like there was really no resolution, so maybe
our future.”
the pain that goes with the change will truly be an investment in
this is the best way to start. If you just throw money out there
Makris announced the grassroots effort in November. The
without knowing where it needs to go, you may or may not have
steering committee and task force chairs spent the final part
a good effect.”
of the year gathering volunteers for the planning phase of the
Simmons First Foundation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Tommy May is helping steer the redevelopment initiative.
initiative. Execution of the plan’s objectives will begin in January
2017 with a planned completion date of Dec. 31, 2018.
In addition to the Go Forward Pine Bluff effort, the foundation
• Several programs for underprivileged youth
continued to make a difference through grants to entities that
are improving health care and education for children. The
foundation recently approved grants for programs in El Dorado,
Pine Bluff, Little Rock, and Russellville for a total of $99,178.
24
25
the Ryburn legacy
EXCELLING IN ONE CAREER WASN’T ENOUGH
FOR DR. HARRY RYBURN OF PINE BLUFF.
He wrapped up a 41-year orthodontics
“[Ryburn] has had an influence on every major
Already with three children, Ryburn and his
well enough to know that the team could
Church in Pine Bluff. Through it all, his
practice in 2005, but continued to serve
decision that has impacted the bank since
wife, Ann, returned to Pine Bluff to open an
overcome any shortcomings I might have
family remained his priority.
as the lead director on the Simmons Bank
1976,” said Marty Casteel, Simmons Bank’s
orthodontics practice.
had. After several long conversations with
board. As he celebrates his 80th birthday,
chief executive officer. “There have been a
he retires from the board in 2016, capping a
heck of a lot of decisions to make during that
successful 40-year stint.
time. He was a trusted adviser to Tommy May
“Dr. Ryburn, like his predecessors, truly was
a believer that our board was responsible for
and other CEOs, and he has been the most
active outside director we’ve had.”
“The first month, I would have treated a
baboon if it had walked in,” Ryburn said.
“You build a practice one patient at a time.
Gradually, it grew. I didn’t want it to be too
Dr. Ryburn, primarily to understand what he
thought was important, I decided to give it a
try. I still remember the best piece of advice
I was given: ‘Don’t mess it up.’”
“I always put my family first in everything
I did,” Ryburn said. “I kept my faith
at the top of all of it. My practice and
banking coalesced. I felt comfortable in
banking, and I could be helpful in banking.
big where I couldn’t provide personal care.
When Ryburn joined the Simmons board
Otherwise, I wouldn’t have stayed.”
providing a good return to our shareholders
Ryburn’s family moved from south of
The right reason [to practice] is to care for
in 1976, the company’s assets were $188
while always focusing on safety and
Woodlawn to Pine Bluff when he was in the
the patient and not just grow your bank
million. By the end of 2015, the company’s
soundness, serving the customer, serving our
third grade. Ryburn’s parents worked multiple
account. If you do the first, the second will
assets had grown to almost $8 billion.
community and rewarding our associates,”
jobs to support a large family. He learned at
take care of itself.”
Simmons notched record core earnings of
said Tommy May, who Ryburn helped hire
a young age that if he wanted something, he
as Simmons’ chairman and chief executive
was going to have to work for it.
After some tough negotiations, Ryburn
secured a loan from Simmons to buy a
$25.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2015.
That was up 127.6 percent from the same
period in 2014.
“When I grew up, I was never unhappy with
home and equipment for his practice. His
what I had,” Ryburn said. “I thought things
relationship with Simmons was born, but
“As Dr. Ryburn moves toward retirement
were great. I knew that I didn’t have what
little did he know that he would go from
from the board, his legacy at the bank is
some of the other fellows had, and that was
customer to a vital part of the company.
complete,” May said. “I know he moves
officer in 1987. “To him, it was always about
finding the right balance for the stakeholders.
Dr. Ryburn, even before he retired as an
orthodontist, lived and breathed Simmons
Bank. It was a part of his DNA, and it still
is today.”
OK. I knew that one day I would be able to
do what I wanted to do. I was determined to
In late 1975, Ryburn received a call asking if
he wanted to be a Simmons director. After
meeting with bank executives, he accepted
the position.
into retirement with mixed emotions, but
he also does so with great pride because
he has been a major part of building this
organization.”
Ryburn most likely would have continued
serving on the board had he not met the
mandatory retirement age of 80. He plans
to spend his time reading and traveling
with his wife. He can enjoy himself knowing
that Simmons is a larger, stronger company
than it was 40 years ago.
“It’s not in my nature to take credit for
much,” Ryburn said. “I’m just glad I was
able to do what I was able to do for
Simmons. I believe the shareholders
of Simmons have benefited long term
because of what we have done. When you
grow the way we’re growing, and you do
D R . H A R RY RY B U R N
Lead Director, SFNC Board
Ryburn, who began serving as the lead
get there. It wasn’t about money, really. It was
director and chairman of the executive
about achieving.”
committee in 2004, helped drive Simmons
to prominence with two key hires.
Ryburn attended nearby Arkansas A&M (now
the University of Arkansas at Monticello)
May, who is now the Simmons First
with the dream of becoming a dentist
Foundation chairman and chief executive
after befriending Pine Bluff dentist Maurice
officer, built a solid foundation for the
Willis. Ryburn pruned bushes and did other
company before he retired after 25 years at
landscaping work on campus for 40 cents an
the bank.
hour to pay for his cafeteria plan.
In 2013, Ryburn and the other board
Upon graduation from A&M, he enrolled in
members turned to George A. Makris, Jr.,
dental school at Washington University in St.
a veteran director on the Simmons board,
Louis. Ryburn graduated cum laude in 1960
to lead Simmons First National Corp. as
and then joined the Air Force, earning the rank
chairman and orchestrate an expansion.
of captain. He did dental work on the base.
Under Makris’ leadership, Simmons acquired
He went back to St. Louis after leaving the
banks in Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee.
Air Force to get an orthodontics degree from
Washington University and graduated in 1964.
Ryburn plans to continue “going down to
it right, you’re able to present better and
more products to customers. You’re also
able to recognize and measure risk better.”
Ryburn became known for his preparation,
often sitting at his kitchen table reading
the bank.”
thick reports a page at a time. He
His appearances will be welcomed by
scrutinized every decision. His wife confirms
everyone at Simmons.
that he “didn’t get much sleep” when he
was thinking about who would replace May.
“While he will retire from the board, I along
with others will continue to count on Dr.
“Dr. Ryburn approached me about the
Ryburn for counsel and support,”
possibility long before the decision had
Makris said.
to be made by the board,” Makris said. “It
was such a unique idea that, other than
Dr. Ryburn, I’m not sure anyone had given
it a thought. Needless to say, it was quite
an honor to be considered. I knew the
board and the management at Simmons
Not only has Ryburn enjoyed professional
success, he has also spent many hours
volunteering with organizations such as
United Way, Little League baseball, Babe
Ruth baseball and First United Methodist
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27
Wealth Management becomes a focal point
Simmons Bank had a major goal of developing its
in a beautiful facility before, but moving into the National
Wealth Management services capabilities in 2015. The
Avenue location in Springfield integrates them with our team
company made strides with first-year Executive Vice
on the former Liberty Bank campus. We’re truly fulfilling the
President of Financial Services Philip Tappan guiding
term “cross sell” — a multidisciplinary delivery of financial
the effort.
Tappan said there was “a tremendous amount of integration
as we tried to build a strong platform for expansion of wealth
management services for the future. We had to plow a lot of
services with brokerage, trust, investment management and
banking at the National Avenue facility. The only thing we
don’t have there is a strong insurance presence, and we’re
working on that.”
ground and lay a lot of footings.”
Emily Kembell moved from Trust Company of the Ozarks
Simmons couldn’t have found a better executive to lead the
to Simmons.
expansion effort. Tappan served as the president and chief
“She’s an active speaker and has done seminars and
executive officer of Quality Foods Inc. from 1985 to 2003 and
education for the entire industry in Missouri,” Tappan said.
is also the managing partner of Tappan Land & Water, which
“Now is the time to let customers know those services
owns and manages Arkansas properties. He also has a majority
are available.”
interest in the Purple Cow restaurants, which has several
locations in central Arkansas.
Tappan gained banking experience while serving on the Delta
Trust & Bank board for 10 years. When Delta merged with
Simmons, he spent a short time on the Simmons board before
moving into the executive vice president position.
Now that the mergers have taken place, Tappan said the
focus in 2016 is on growing his division.
“It’s a lot of organizational development,” he said. “We’re
putting in an infrastructure, and at the same time, hiring
people and moving the people we have into positions to
create what I call centers of excellence for these lines of
Tappan spent much of his time working on mergers in 2015.
business. We’ll do some more acquisitions, but it’s incumbent
First, there was the First State Bank merger in Tennessee, which
included Wealth Management services components.
“It gave us a footing for our investment advisory business in
Tennessee,” Tappan said. “We also added financial advisers
in Arkansas.”
With the merger in Tennessee, Simmons now has insurance
operations in multiple markets.
upon us to grow a significant share organically. It’s a big
responsibility. The great thing is we have a really good team
to build from. They truly buy into the wealth management
concept, a unified list of services under the flag of wealth
management. It’s exciting.”
In Arkansas, the Delta acquisition helped expand the menu
of services, but it still has room to grow in 2016. Tappan said
75 percent of Simmons’ Arkansas markets include trust and
investment services while only 10 percent offer insurance.
He wants Simmons
to be as versatile
as possible in every
market it serves.
“It puts us in a unique selling position to have such an
array of financial services in an institution,” Tappan said.
“It’s costly to build out these infrastructures. So many
banks are being squeezed… I’m real proud that our
leadership has the foresight to continue to invest in these
businesses. As I said, it puts us in a unique position and
one of tremendous opportunity.”
Tappan has lofty expectations.
“The bulk of my career was spent helping my father-in-
law build a food distribution business, and then ultimately
take over the business with my own team to build a large
food company,” he said. “We’re doing the same kind
of thing at Simmons. We’ve moved into Tennessee and
Missouri, a lot of the same markets. That company is still
successful and follows that same footprint. It has shown
it can work. In 2016, we’re trying to get those talented
individuals we have at Simmons and get them on the
right track with growth and development, quickly pushing
us to greater profitability.”
PHILIP TAPPAN
Executive Vice President of Financial Services
Simmons Wealth Management
The other major development was adding Trust Company of
Only the Little Rock market offers private banking.
the Ozarks in Springfield, Mo.
“We spent the third and fourth quarters preparing for
community bank — northwest Arkansas, northeast Arkansas
integration,” Tappan said. “Trust Company of the Ozarks was
and central Arkansas,” Tappan said.
“Our goal is to round out those services in every major
Trust
Investments
Insurance
Private Bank
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29
expanding our footprint
OVER
1,900
ASSOCIATES
4
STATES
OVER
100 COMMUNITIES
149 FINANCIAL
CENTERS
30
31
simmonsfirst.com
Corporate Headquarters
501 Main Street
Pine Bluff, AR 71601
870.541.1000
Little Rock Corporate Office
425 W. Capitol Avenue, Suite 1400
Little Rock, AR 72201
501.558.3100