Conway, Ark.-based Home BancShares is entering Tennessee by acquiring Knoxville-based Mountain Commerce Bancorp for $150 million. .Home BancShares is the parent company of the $22.5 billion Centennial Bank, while Mountain Commerce Bancorp is the holding company for $1.8 billion Mountain Commerce Bank. Following the acquisition, Home BancShares is expected to grow to include $25 billion in assets, $17 billion in loans and $19.2 billion in deposits. The merger is expected to close in the first half of 2026, pending regulatory and shareholder approvals. The deal is expected to give Home BancShares a foothold in multiple Tennessee markets, including Knoxville, Nashville and Johnson City. “Mountain Commerce is proud to join forces with one of the top-performing banks in the country,” said Mountain Commerce CEO and Founder Bill Edwards III. “This partnership provides resources, through Home BancShares’ strong balance sheet and capital position, to allow our talented team of bankers to flourish. There is a lot more work to be done in Tennessee to take advantage of the market opportunity and we are eager and ready to grow.” Home BancShares expects the acquisition will be immediately “triple accretive,” boosting earnings per share, book value and tangible book value starting next year. Minneapolis-based Piper Sandler advised Mountain Commerce, and Nashville-based Bass, Berry & Sims was its legal counsel. Inverness, Ill.-based Hovde Group advised Home BancShares, with Little Rock, Ark.-based DD&F Consulting Group and Arkansas-based Mitchell Williams serving in financial and legal roles.
