The story of Arvest is one of commitment started by our founders, an intense dedication to focusing on the customer. This philosophy has remained the same during our growth from a small bank to a group of community banks able to provide a complete range of financial services. The Arvest story begins in Northwest Arkansas with The Bank of Bentonville, which had $3.5 million in deposits when purchased in 1961; followed in 1963 with the acquisition of an even smaller bank in the nearby town of Pea Ridge. In 1975, another bank was purchased in the neighboring town of Rogers, and for almost a decade afterwards these banks, each locally managed, were the entire banking network now known as Arvest. In 1984, the company entered an expansion phase by purchasing First National Bank of Siloam Springs. In 1986, it purchased McIlroy Bank & Trust in Fayetteville. During the next two decades, the bank expanded its presence within its home state and in neighboring states through acquisitions in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. By 2006, the bank was operating more than 200 branches. It had also adopted the name Arvest Bank for all its community banks and grown assets to more than $7 billion. Since that time, the bank further expanded, including the Springfield, Mo., and Greater Kansas City markets. Most recently, Arvest acquired Bear State Bank, which introduced the bank to new communities in northeast and southwest Arkansas, southern Missouri and southeast Oklahoma.
Today, Arvest has more than 230 branches that are part of 14 locally managed banks in more than 130 communities. Total assets now exceed $26 billion. From a small bank in a small town to a regional bank in towns both small and large, Arvest has and will continue to remain true to the principles and practices that have made it successful in order to guide its future. We will always be active and involved members of the communities we serve and we will always work to put the needs of our customers first as we continue to fulfill our mission - People helping people find financial solutions for life. The story of Arvest is one of commitment started by our founders, an intense dedication to focusing on the customer above all else. This philosophy has remained the same during our growth from a small bank to a network of community banks able to provide a complete range of financial services. Staying true to these principles has been the common thread throughout our history. We will always be active and involved members of the communities we serve and we will work to put the needs of our customers first as we continue to fulfill our mission – “People helping people find financial solutions for life.”
