National Bank of Commerce history

Despite a brief slowdown, by 1949 National Bank had $134 million in deposits and was generating annual income of $582,000.

By 1958, in fact, National Bank of Commerce boasted deposits of more than $230 million and annual net income of nearly $1.4 million.

Jones' aggressive growth strategy included reorganizing the National Bank of Commerce as a one-bank holding company in 1970.

To reflect the change in organizational structure, National Bank of Commerce's title was changed to First National Bank of Commerce (First NBC) in 1971.

With a mountain of problem loans and weak performance of its fee income subsidiaries, the company began retrenching in 1977.

Rapier, an attorney, became president of First Commerce Corp. in 1978.

By 1985, the holding company had announced the acquisition of four major subsidiaries: City National Bank of Baton Rouge; Rapides Bank & Trust Company in Alexandria; The First National Bank of Lafayette; and The First National Bank of Lake Charles.

In an innovative move, First Commerce formed a nonprofit company in 1993 to augment its long list of financial services subsidiaries.

Evidencing its focus on growth, First Commerce acquired First Acadiana National Bank in January of 1994, merging it with The First National Bank of Lafayette.

At the urging of Ray, investors were sought and in 2002 an application for a national bank charter was submitted to the Comptroller of the Currency for a Sub-chapter “S” National Bank.