HomeTrust Bancshares, the holding company for HomeTrust Bank, plans to open a commercial loan production office in Greensboro, NC with a full array of commercial banking services. Robert Gray was named SVP, market president for the new venture.

“We’re pleased to welcome experienced, Greensboro-based commercial bankers to HomeTrust,” said Hunter Westbrook, EVP and chief banking officer. “Entering the Greensboro market will represent the bank’s seventh new metro market in the past four years, and is a natural geographic expansion to HomeTrust’s contiguous markets. This new LPO, which will focus on commercial and industrial lending, will continue to enhance our positive momentum in commercial loan portfolio growth, which increased $400 million, or 53% in fiscal 2017, including $215 million in net organic growth and $185 million from our acquisition of TriSummit Bank in January 2017.”

Since HomeTrust Bank converted to stock in July 2012, the company has completed four acquisitions, opened two other commercial LPOs and acquired eight branches from Bank of America, which expanded its geographic footprint into upstate South Carolina, east Tennessee, southwest Virginia and Charlotte and Raleigh, NC. As a result, the company has grown its franchise from 20 to 42 banking locations, increased assets from $1.6 billion to $3.2 billion, increased loans from $1.2 billion to $2.4 billion and increased core deposits from $576 million to $1.6 billion.

In the last 12 months, HomeTrust Bank has added 10 new commercial loan officers and 10 new mortgage loan officers to enhance its market share across its growing footprint. As a result, net organic loan growth was more than 14% for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017 with total loan production of more than $980 million, an increase of 41%.

Gray brings more than 20 years of commercial banking and client relationship management experience to HomeTrust. Jeffery Chad Davis was named VP, commercial relationship manager, and has served the banking needs of businesses and individuals in the Greensboro and Wilmington markets since 2006.