Encore Bank opens Springfield branch

A year after entering the Springfield market, Little Rock, Arkansas-based Encore Bank has put down brick-and-mortar roots.

The company held a Nov. 18 grand opening for the 4,500-square-foot office at 3820 S. Weller Ave., Ste. 108, in a mixed-used building near Mid-Missouri Bank, according to a news release. The building is located just north of Independence Street, which runs parallel to James River Freeway on the south side of town.

“My team and I could not be prouder to open Encore’s first office in Missouri,” said Doug Parker, Encore's executive vice president and regional president of southwest Missouri, in the release. “Since joining Encore last year, we have been anxious to get in a branch office we can call home.

"We are confident they will be pleased with our innovative technology and concierge-inspired approach to banking.”

Parker previously told Springfield Business Journal that 12-15 employees would be hired as it rolls out the branch plans.

In the April interview this year with SBJ, Parker said Encore Bank is a "digital company." The bank doesn’t operate its own ATMs, for example, instead reimbursing customers for transaction fees. The company also focuses on digital experiences, such as an app.

As of Oct. 31, Encore Bank had $1.4 billion in systemwide assets and operations in 16 markets across seven states, according to the release.