A decade-old bank that has grown to nearly $1 billion in assets in metro Nashville is expanding into Chattanooga.
Reliant Bank is opening a loan production office in Chattanooga’s tallest office building and has hired the former market president of FSG, Terry Todd, to head the new Chattanooga banking office. Pending regulatory approval, Reliant Bank plans to open a full-service commercial bank office in Chattanooga by the end of 2017 or by early 2018.
Terry Todd“Outside of Nashville, I think Chattanooga is one of the best banking markets in the state and I think we are taking advantage of a good opportunity with Terry to start building a franchise in Chattanooga,” said DeVan Ard, a former market president of AmSouth Bank in Chattanooga who helped start Reliant Bank in Brentwood, Tenn., in January 2006. “Terry will be responsible for Reliant Bank’s expansion into Chattanooga, including opening our new office in the city and hiring new lenders to expand our loan, deposit and treasury management opportunities.”
Reliant Bank, based in Brentwood merged with Commerce Union Bank in Gallatin, Tenn., in 2015 and the bank now operates seven bank offices and a loan production office in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Ron DeBerry, who remains as CEO of the parent company Commerce Union Bancshares, also once headed a former Chattanooga bank. DeBerry was president of Commerce Union Bank in Chattanooga from 1986 to 1992, before he moved back to Middle Tennessee and helped start another bank known as Commerce Union in August 2006.
“We’re a good solid community bank that is focused on small businesses,” DeBerry said. “Banking, we believe, is still focused around people and that’s why we decided to come to Chattanooga because we believe that Terry can put together a great team to serve this market.”