About

Early in 2002, Bill Lewis and a group of local businesspeople recognized a need and began discussing the possibility of opening an independent community bank.

Knowing they'd be investing their own hard-earned dollars to provide capital strength for this bank, these people made up their minds that "their" bank would not be opened for the purpose of quickly building market share and then selling to the highest bidder. Rather, "their" bank would remain locally owned to serve Lebanon and Laclede County; would gather local deposits by offering above-average interest rates; then, loan those dollars to local borrowers who would further improve the Lebanon and Laclede County area through their own labor and investments.

Heritage Bank of the Ozarks Opens Its Doors in Lebanon

Lewis and his dedicated team of local investors received a de novo charter to start Heritage Bank. And on September 22, 2003, Heritage Bank of the Ozarks officially opened for business in Lebanon.

Rapid Growth Drives Heritage Bank Forward

After years of steady performance, Heritage Bank experienced a period of accelerated growth in 2012, sparking opportunities for expansion.

Heritage Bank Acquires Branch in Plato

On November 16, 2020, Heritage Bank opened its third location following the acquisition of a bank branch in the small, rural town of Plato in Texas County – an area with a significant need for banking services.

“The parent bank was shutting down the branch in Plato, which left that customer base with no banks within 45 miles in any direction. We saw an opportunity to buy that branch rather than see it close, so the people of Plato would have access to banking services … because they’re our Neighbors, too.” - Kim Light, Heritage Bank CEO