Bank OZK (formerly Bank of the Ozarks) is a regional bank headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. Bank OZK conducts banking operations in 265 offices in six states including Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, and Tennessee and had $40.8 billion in total assets as of December 31, 2025.

A Bank OZK branch in Blairsville, Georgia

History

The Bank of the Ozarks began as a community bank in Jasper, Arkansas in 1903, expanding to a second location in Ozark, Arkansas in 1937.

In 1979, when the bank had two branches and $28 million in assets, George Gleason, a 25-year-old lawyer at the Rose Law Firm, bought the bank and changed its name to Bank of the Ozarks.

In 1994, the bank had five locations but began expanding. The headquarters was moved to Little Rock in 1995.

In December 2008, the bank moved into a 92,000-square-foot four-story headquarters; in 2018 it began construction on a new 180,000 square foot headquarters at a $98 million cost.

In 2018, the name of the bank was changed to Bank OZK to reflect its expansion from the Ozarks.

Acquisitions

#YearCompanyPriceDescription of AssetsRef(s).
1January 2003River Valley Bank (RVB) of Russellville, Arkansas$53 million in assets
2March 2010Unity National Bank of CartersvilleFailed bank; $290 million in assets; the bank's first purchase in Georgia
3July 2010Woodlands Bank in Bluffton, South CarolinaFailed bank; $376 million in assets and $355 million in deposits
4September 2010Horizon Bank of Bradenton, FloridaFailed bank; $170 million in assets and $150 million in deposits
5December 2010Chestatee State Bank of Dawsonville, GeorgiaFailed bank
6January 2011Oglethorpe Bank of BrunswickFailed bank with $210 million in assets, purchased at a $38 million discount
7April 2011First Choice Community Bank of DallasFailed bank.
8April 2011Park Avenue Bank of ValdostaFailed bank.
9December 2012Genala Bank$27.3 million$170 million of total assets, $45 million of loans and $142 million of deposits, one branch in Geneva, Alabama
102013First National Bank of Shelby in Shelby, North Carolina$64 million15 locations and $700 million in deposits in North Carolina
112013Bancshares Inc. of Houston$23 million$301 million in assets, $269 million in deposits and 8 branches in Texas
122014Summit Bancorp of Arkadelphia$216 million$1.2 billion in assets and 24 locations
132014Intervest Bancshares of Pinellas County, Florida$228.5 million$1.6 billion in assets and $1.3 billion in deposits in Florida
142015Bank of the Carolinas of Mocksville, North Carolina$64.7 millionAdditional assets in North Carolina
15July 2016Community & Southern Bank$799.6 million$4.4 billion of total assets, $3.0 billion of loans and $3.7 billion of deposits
16July 2016C1 Financial$402.5 million$1.7 billion of total assets, $1.4 billion of loans and $1.3 billion of deposits, 32 branches in Florida.

Awards and recognition

Named one of the Top 25 Best U.S. Banks in Bank Director's 2025 Ranking Banking Study.

Forbes 2025 America's Best Banks 2019 - 2025.

External links

  • Business data for Bank OZK: