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Houston-based independent mortgage company Cornerstone Home Lending says it’s set to provide new products and services to hundreds of thousands of customers and referral sources nationwide as a bank, having completed its acquisition and merger with Roscoe State Bank.
The resulting company, Cornerstone Capital Bank, holds more than $380 million in regulatory capital and $1.5 billion in assets, making it the highest initially capitalized new bank in Texas history, the company said.
“This exciting transaction allows us to provide more comprehensive financial services to our customers nationwide,” said Cornerstone founder and Chairman Marc Laird in a statement Monday. “We will create a category-defining experience that will strengthen our existing businesses and reinforce our mission of providing a positive difference in the lives of others.”
In addition to making the company more resilient during economic ups and downs, Cornerstone said the merger will allow the company to:
- Increase engagement and product expansion to more than 500,000 U.S. families and mortgage referral sources served by Cornerstone
- Offer new products, services and resources through advanced technologies to better serve customers including mobile banking, video banking, online banking and free checking
- Attract new customers through the addition of commercial banking services that leverage Cornerstone’s brand
Scott Almy, a former LegacyTexas Bank executive, has been appointed Laird’s successor as CEO of Cornerstone Capital Bank and has also joined Cornerstone’s board of directors. Laird will continue to serve as the chairman of Cornerstone’s board of directors.
A 1994 graduate of the Texas Tech University School of Law, Almy has served as lead business adviser on Cornerstone’s bank merger application and conversion project since 2019.
“I’m honored to join Cornerstone at an exciting time, and to work with such talented and dedicated team members,” Almy said in a statement. “We look forward to extending the success of two respected brands, expanding our scope of services, and continuing our commitment to being known as a preferred workplace.”
Adam Laird, Cornerstone’s current president, has been named CEO of mortgage banking, with responsibility for overseeing Cornerstone’s national mortgage lending origination and servicing business.
With roots dating to 1988, Cornerstone Home Lending is licensed in 40 states and sponsors 454 mortgage loan originators working out of 108 branch locations, according to the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry.
In April, Cornerstone announced an initiative to bring its mortgage loan servicing in-house, using software provided by Black Knight Inc. to collect payments on new loan originations.
Roscoe State Bank was established in 1906 in Roscoe, Texas, and operates branch offices in Sweetwater and Bastrop, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC).
Roscoe’s Chairman and CEO John Jay will serve on the Cornerstone Capital Bank’s board of directors.
“We’re thrilled to team up with Cornerstone, combining two family-owned organizations with a long history of serving the needs of others,” Jay said in a statement. “This transaction will allow us to better serve existing customers and provide a platform for future growth and diversification.”
Cornerstone Capital Bank will continue to operate its residential mortgage operations under the Cornerstone Home Lending brand. Cornerstone Capital Bank will keep The Roscoe State Bank name in Nolan County and Bastrop County, Texas, and operate as Cornerstone Capital Bank elsewhere in Texas and in digital markets.
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