Five-Star Tucson-Based Commerce Bank Of Arizona Expands Into Maricopa County For Second Time This Year

Online, May 4, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Commerce Bank of Arizona has expanded into Phoenix opening its' second branch location in a prime financial district in downtown Scottsdale. Commerce Bank opened a branch in Mesa, Ariz. earlier this year. To commemorate the branch opening, Commerce Bank held a ribbon cutting with Mayor Jim Lane and other members of city council including over 100 prominent business members.

During the ribbon cutting, Commerce Bank made a five thousand dollar donation to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Scottsdale. The non-profit was selected based on the organization's commitment to youth development services and the impact the organization makes to promoting healthy lifestyles, good character and academic success.

"We are pleased to announce the opening of our second branch location this year in Maricopa County," stated John S. Lewis executive vice president of Commerce Bank of Arizona. "Our commitment to our customers means growing at a pace that makes sense. We selected the Scottsdale financial center to house our second location since it is centrally located. The bank houses experienced bankers, including a branch manager with over 30 years of banking experience and a dedicated staff.

Lewis goes onto remark, "As part of our commitment to the community, we are going to be partnering with organizations that are changing lives like the Boys & Girls Club. We are hopeful that our donation makes an impact and we bring dollars back into the community and in turn, make a financial impact."

Commerce Bank recently earned the highest rating for strength and stability from BAUERFINANCIAL, Inc., the nation's leading independent bank rating and research firm. Commerce Bank is one of only a few Arizona banks to consecutively currently earn the "5-Star Superior" rating from BauerFinancial. Commerce Bank's newest branch is conveniently located to serve the community focusing on small-and mid-sized businesses. The bank's management has already developed well-established clientele and the state-of-the-art facility including video conferencing features along with a drive-through that provides 24/7 banking needs.

According to Steve Davidson, president/CEO of The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Scottsdale, "We are grateful to community banks like Commerce Bank of Arizona that give so much back to the community. We think it's a great testament in this day and age of economic turmoil that a financially stable bank is not only expanding but choosing locations that make sense. From what we have seen, Commerce Bank tends to know their customers. The donation that was presented to us will help go towards programming to shape youth's lives. Thank you Commerce Bank."

Randall J. Yenerich, president and chief executive officer of Commerce Bank of Arizona, attributed the expansion efforts to the bank's solid financial track record.

"Serving Commerce Bank of Arizona's customers is our first priority. Our goal is always to provide our customers a trusted, secure financial institution that truly exists to serve the communities in which we live and work. Our commitment to the banking community is evidenced by our recent expansion into the Greater Phoenix market. That is why we also hired John Lewis. His primary role was and still is to explore the possibilities of expansion in the phoenix area," Yenerich said.

Yenerich also remarked, "It is our full intent to become more of a community bank factor in the metropolitan Phoenix area over a period of time. We're not an institution that is intending to quadruple our size in a month and a half," he said. "We want to be fairly conservative in what we do and not overextend ourselves in a financial or management situation. That's why we added John. We needed someone in senior management to enhance our presence and bolster our staff."

This is the second branch Commerce Bank location to open in the greater Phoenix area this year. On May 7, 2010, Commerce Bank of Arizona acquired Towne Bank of Arizona in a transaction facilitated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

Commerce Bank of Arizona was established in August 2002 and has been serving the banking needs of its neighbors and friends since then. It currently operates through six conveniently located offices in Tucson, Mesa, Scottsdale, Green Valley and Tubac and can also be found on the internet at www.commercebankaz.com.

ABOUT COMMERCE BANK OF ARIZONA

Commerce Bank of Arizona is an Arizona-based community bank specializing in providing customized financial services to small business owners, professionals, nonprofit organizations and individuals. The bank is results-driven and focused on helping customers reach their personal and professional financial goals. For more information, visit www.commercebankaz.com.