About Southern Bank

Southern Bank has served the financial needs of America's Heartland for over 120 years, making us the oldest financial institution headquartered in southeast Missouri. We were originally chartered in 1887 as a mutual institution that was owned by its depositors through the hard work and efforts of a group of local businessmen. Our original founders deposited $100,000 in the Poplar Bluff Loan and Building in order to provide financing to help people buy homes. The name was chosen to symbolize our original purpose--providing loans so people could have the funding to build their home.

Our Company's assets grew slowly from $100,000 to $950,000 when the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation insured our deposits on December 3, 1951. After this we started an impressive period of growth where assets increased to $23 million on December 31, 1969. The next phase of our growth was partially due to our expansion into neighboring communities. On April 11, 1969 we opened our first branch in Dexter, Missouri, followed by Poplar Bluff, Kennett and Doniphan. At the end of 1979, our assets had grown to $107 million. In 1982 we acquired an office in Van Buren, Missouri. During this period the institution changed its name to Southern Missouri Savings and Loan.

On April 13, 1994, we completed a conversion from the mutual form of ownership to being a publicly traded stock company. Our stock trades on the NASDAQ under the symbol "SMBC." At January 1, 2000 the Bank's assets were $221 million. As we grew, we continued to be a provider of home financing, but also focused on small business lending, commercial deposit products and consumer lending and popular checking accounts. Reflecting this business model, we became Southern Missouri Bank. During 2000, we added two branches in Qulin and Kennett, Missouri. In 2001, we opened a third location in Poplar Buff along with a new location in Doniphan, Missouri. In 2006, we added an office in Sikeston, Missouri, and added another in Matthews, Missouri, in 2008. In 2009, the bank added four branches in northeast Arkansas, located in Jonesboro, Paragould, Leachville and Brookland. The branches marked a significant increase in the bank's market area. Following the acquisition, the Bank's assets totaled $511 million.

Not only have the Company's assets and profits grown, the Company's staffing has also grown over the years. In 1925 we doubled our staff to 2 employees and added our third employee in 1955. We now have 142 full and part-time employees.