GCBS Greene County Bancshares (MM)

Larry Lovelace, President of Middle Tennessee Bank & Trust, the new banking operations of Greene County Bank for the greater Nashville area, today announced that the bank will open its third branch in Middle Tennessee. Located across from the post office at 1915 Glen Echo Road in the Green Hills area of Nashville, the branch is set to open on November 14. Commenting on the announcement, Lovelace said, "This new location marks the third step in our journey to build a strong and visible presence in the Middle Tennessee area. Since forming Middle Tennessee Bank & Trust last year, we have established ourselves in Donelson and then in Cool Springs. These first branches have experienced substantial growth in a short time, which is a tribute to the experienced, hometown bankers who have come on board with Middle Tennessee Bank & Trust. They have brought a real understanding of these communities to our organization and, in turn, have allowed us to meet the high expectations of a market that increasingly demands more attentive, personalized banking relationships. "With today's announcement, we proudly move forward with our long-term strategy for building our presence in Middle Tennessee," Lovelace continued. "We are especially pleased that this next step is in Green Hills - an area with tremendous demographics that match well with the services we offer and the community bank philosophy that guides our growth. Our bankers have considerable experience in this market as well as in the adjacent Belle Meade area, which also is part of our future plans. Consistent with our approach to community banking, we are glad to have them positioned in the communities we serve rather than centralizing our lending staff in a downtown headquarters." Rob Carpenter and Alan Williamson, both Senior Vice Presidents, will head the branch lending center. A banker since 1992 as well as a former branch manager, Carpenter was previously with Regions Bank in Green Hills, where he was Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending. Williamson, a Nashville native, has more than 25 years of banking experience, having worked at Nashville City Bank, NationsBank, and most recently Regions Bank, where he was Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending in Belle Meade. Both men joined Middle Tennessee Bank & Trust last fall when the bank began operations. Alice Morton, a long-time assistant to Carpenter and Williamson, will join them in this new office. Completing the Middle Tennessee Bank & Trust team in Green Hills will be Branch Manager Heather Ball, an experienced banker in the Green Hills-Belle Meade area. Assisting her will be Jo Cavender, Customer Service Representative, who was formerly with Regions Bank in Green Hills, and Shannon Mosley, who was formerly with Regions Bank in Belle Meade. Greeneville, Tennessee-based Greene County Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ/NM:GCBS), with total assets of approximately $1.6 billion, is the holding company for Greene County Bank and is the second largest bank holding company headquartered in the state of Tennessee. Founded in 1890, Greene County Bank will have 47 branches throughout East and Middle Tennessee, upon the opening of the Green Hills branch. As announced late last year, the Bank established Middle Tennessee Bank & Trust to serve the metropolitan Nashville area, with plans to open offices throughout Davidson and Williamson Counties. Each banking location operates as a branch office of Greene County Bank.