Bank OZK

Bank OZK is an American regional banking institution headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. The bank traces its origins to a community bank established in Jasper, Arkansas, in 1903. It later became known as Bank of the Ozarks and adopted the Bank OZK name in 2018 as its geographic reach extended beyond the Ozarks region. The institution's modern development was shaped by George Gleason, a young lawyer who acquired the two-branch bank in 1979 when it had approximately $28 million in assets. Under Gleason's leadership, the bank expanded from a small Arkansas community institution into a multistate regional bank. Its headquarters moved to Little Rock in 1995, supporting the transition from a locally focused bank to a broader financial-services organization. Bank OZK's activities include consumer and retail banking, commercial banking, real estate lending, and wealth-management services. Real estate finance is a particularly prominent part of its business profile, including lending associated with commercial and other property-related projects. The bank operates offices in Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, and Tennessee. The reference material describes a network of 265 offices across those six states and reports total assets of $40.8 billion as of December 31, 2025. The bank has also invested in larger corporate facilities as it expanded. It moved into a 92,000-square-foot, four-story headquarters in December 2008 and began construction of a substantially larger headquarters in 2018. The 2018 rebranding to Bank OZK was intended to reflect the institution's evolution from an Ozarks-centered bank into a multistate regional banking company. Bank OZK is publicly traded on the Nasdaq under the ticker OZK.

Bank OZK began in 1903 as a community bank in Jasper, Arkansas. Its early history was local in scale: the institution added a second location in Ozark, Arkansas, in 1937, but remained a small Arkansas bank for much of its first several decades. A decisive change occurred in 1979, when George Gleason acquired the bank. Gleason was then a 25-year-old lawyer at the Rose Law Firm. At the time of the acquisition, the institution had two branches and approximately $28 million in assets. After the purchase, the bank operated under the Bank of the Ozarks name. Gleason's tenure was associated with a long period of geographic and organizational expansion, taking the institution beyond its original community-bank footprint. The bank began a more active expansion phase in 1994, when it had five locations. In 1995, its headquarters moved to Little Rock, the capital of Arkansas and a larger commercial center than its original Jasper base. The move reflected the institution's growing scale and helped provide a platform for broader banking operations. Physical infrastructure continued to expand alongside the business. In December 2008, Bank of the Ozarks moved into a four-story headquarters measuring approximately 92,000 square feet. In 2018, the bank began construction of a new headquarters with approximately 180,000 square feet and a reported project cost of $98 million. These facilities represented the increasing scale of the company and its corporate presence in Little Rock. The institution's geographic development eventually extended well beyond the Ozarks. Its banking operations came to include offices in Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, and Tennessee. The bank's business mix includes retail and commercial banking, real estate lending, and wealth management, with real estate finance serving as a notable part of its public profile. In 2018, the company changed its name from Bank of the Ozarks to Bank OZK. The revised identity was intended to communicate that the bank had become a multistate regional institution rather than a bank serving only the Ozarks. The new name retained a connection to the original brand while using a shorter, more scalable presentation. Bank OZK is publicly traded on the Nasdaq under the ticker OZK. The reference material reports that the bank operated 265 offices across six states and had total assets of $40.8 billion as of December 31, 2025. It has also received external recognition, including placement among Bank Director's top 25 U.S. banks in its 2025 RankingBanking study and inclusion in Forbes' America's Best Banks rankings for the years 2019 through 2025.

1. 2025Bank OZK recognized in U.S. bank rankings

   The bank was listed among Bank Director's top 25 U.S. banks in its 2025 RankingBanking study and was reported as appearing in Forbes' America's Best Banks rankings from 2019 through 2025.

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2. 2018Bank adopted the Bank OZK name

   The institution changed its name from Bank of the Ozarks to Bank OZK to reflect its expansion beyond the Ozarks region.

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3. 2018Construction began on a larger headquarters

   The bank began construction of a roughly 180,000-square-foot headquarters project in Little Rock, reported in the reference material at a cost of $98 million.

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4. 2008New Little Rock headquarters opened

   The bank moved into a four-story headquarters measuring approximately 92,000 square feet.

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5. 1995Headquarters moved to Little Rock

   The bank relocated its headquarters from its earlier Arkansas base to Little Rock.

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6. 1994Expansion phase began

   After reaching five locations, the bank began a more active expansion period.

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7. 1979George Gleason acquired the bank

   George Gleason acquired the two-branch institution, which had approximately $28 million in assets, and it became known as Bank of the Ozarks.

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8. 1937Second Arkansas location opened

   The bank expanded its local presence by opening a second location in Ozark, Arkansas.

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9. 1903Community bank founded in Jasper

   The institution that became Bank OZK was established as a community bank in Jasper, Arkansas.

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A growth-oriented U.S. regional bank with roots in community banking and a strong profile in commercial real estate and other property-related lending.

• Retail bankingConsumer banking

  Bank OZK provides retail banking services through its multistate branch network. This area generally encompasses consumer deposit and everyday banking relationships, although the supplied reference material does not specify individual account products or pricing.

• Commercial bankingBusiness banking

  Commercial banking is a core part of Bank OZK's regional-bank offering. It serves business customers through banking and lending relationships, with the available reference material identifying commercial banking as one of the institution's principal operating areas.

• Real estate lendingCommercial real estate finance

  Real estate lending is a prominent Bank OZK business line and an important element of its market positioning. The bank provides property-related financing within its commercial banking activities; the supplied sources do not provide a complete breakdown of loan types.

• Wealth managementWealth services

  Bank OZK also offers wealth-management services as part of its broader financial-services portfolio. The available reference material confirms the business line but does not identify specific advisory, investment, or fiduciary products.

• 2018Rebranding from Bank of the Ozarks to Bank OZKStrategy

  The bank had expanded from its original Arkansas and Ozarks-area identity into a multistate regional institution.

  What changed. The company changed its public name to Bank OZK while retaining a shortened reference to its historical identity.

  Aftermath. The new name positioned the institution as a broader regional bank operating across six states.

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• 2018Development of a larger Little Rock headquartersStrategy

  The bank's expansion increased the need for larger corporate facilities.

  What changed. Bank OZK began construction of an approximately 180,000-square-foot headquarters in Little Rock.

  Aftermath. The project further established Little Rock as the bank's corporate center. The reference material reports a project cost of $98 million.

  Reported headquarters project cost. $98 million (2018 project commencement)

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• 2025Bank OZK recognized among the top 25 U.S. banks in Bank Director's 2025 RankingBanking study

  Bank OZK was named one of the 25 best U.S. banks in Bank Director's 2025 RankingBanking study.

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• 2025Bank OZK included in Forbes America's Best Banks rankings from 2019 through 2025

  The bank was identified in the reference material as appearing in Forbes' America's Best Banks rankings for each year from 2019 through 2025.

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1. Bank OZK
2. Bank OZK official website