News

EVP, Houston Market President, William Griffin, discusses plans to grow the bank’s Houston presence to match the level of success achieved in Dallas-Fort Worth. Deposits went from zero to $225M in just 2 years, demonstrating his and the bank’s commitment to bridging the gap between its DFW and Houston markets. The bank aims to provide personalized banking, mortgage services, and treasury management to small- and medium-sized businesses and their employees in Houston while leveraging the latest technology to deliver responsive, personalized service. Dallas and Houston Business Journals have the story >


Susser Bank aims to make its presence in Houston as large as it is in Dallas, even though it has a decades-long head start in the latter, the bank’s Houston-area leader said.

The Dallas-based bank is led by Chairman and CEO Sam L. Susser, who previously led Houston-based Susser Petroleum Partners, which was acquired by Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners LP in 2014 and then renamed Sunoco LP (NYSE: SUN) and relocated to Dallas. In 2018, Susser Banc Holdings Corp. acquired a majority stake in Susser’s previous parent company, BancAffiliated Inc.. Affiliated Bank NA was renamed Susser Bank in May 2021.

The bank’s Dallas presence dates back to 1959, but its Houston operations started in May 2021 when William Griffin joined as executive vice president and Houston market president. Locally, the bank started with a loan production office before opening its first full-service branch location at 1900 Post Oak Blvd. in early 2023.

Susser Bank had $1.26 billion in deposits in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area, compared with $225.27 million in deposits in the Houston metro as of June 30, 2023, according to Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. data. Overall, the bank had $2.1 billion in assets, $1.9 billion in deposits and a $1.5 billion loan book as of Sept. 30. The bank is committed to closing the gap between its Houston and Dallas markets, Griffin said.

The Houston market is important for the bank, and particularly for Sam Susser, Griffin told the Houston Business Journal.

“He believes the Houston market should be as big as the Dallas market, even though they started a long time before we did,” Griffin said.

Susser Bank hit the ground running when it first entered the market, and opening its first full-service branch has only accelerated that growth, Griffin said. The bank grew its loans and deposits by double digits last year — a trend he expects will continue in the years to come. Additionally, it has built a team of 11 employees, most of whom are experienced bankers in the Houston market, Griffin said.

Susser Bank’s core strategy is to be a commercial bank serving small- and medium-sized businesses and their owners and employees, Griffin said. The bank offers private and personal banking services, a full-service mortgage operation and a treasury-management platform. Griffin said being led by someone like Susser is a differentiator for the bank in the market.

“The fact that we are growing a bank that’s led by an entrepreneur, we think that is a great selling point for growing our business and it makes us a little different,” Griffin said.

Click here to read the complete article.


By Chandler France – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Jan 29, 2024

News

Susser Bank recently closed on $40.3M in equity fundraising, providing opportunities to grow our commercial and industrial relationships, while continuing to provide the same level of outstanding service to clients. Dallas Business Journal has the story>


Susser Bank has more than $40 million in new capital as it looks to continue growing loans and deposits, with a focus on commercial lending.

The Dallas-based bank’s holding company, Susser Banc Holdings Corp., recently closed a $40.3 million round of equity fundraising. CEO Sam Susser said the bank initially targeted raising about $20 million. The private capital raise included money from 68 new investors as well as several existing investors. The largest investment was $10 million from an entity that is majority owned by the Susser family.

Susser Bank’s successful capital raise follows a year when the banking industry dealt with its greatest crisis since the Great Recession with the failures of several large institutions. In addition to the industry turmoil, banks have also held off on raising capital as they have tightened their balance sheets amid soaring interest rates, the possibility of an upcoming recession and challenges in the commercial real estate market.

Following the oversubscribed round, Susser launched a tender offer for $17.5 million of shares to legacy investors of Affiliated Bank, Susser Bank’s predecessor, who have generally been invested for 20 to 25 years.

“That is underway right now and creates a path to liquidity for any shareholders that have been around a long time and would like to monetize their investment,” Susser said in an interview.

The Susser family acquired a majority stake in BancAffiliated Inc. in 2018. The family converted the bank from a national bank to a state-chartered bank in 2020, renamed it Susser Bank and later moved its headquarters from Bedford to the Crescent in Dallas. Susser, a longtime Corpus Christi businessman, became CEO in 2021.

Under the Susser family’s control, the bank has more than tripled its assets from about $700 million to $2.1 billion as of Sept. 30, 2023, according to federal filings. Susser Bank has $1.9 billion in deposits and a $1.5 billion loan book.

Susser said his bank kept a strong balance sheet and continued to grow last year while others struggled in the wake of the failures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank.

“They were either too hot in a post-Silicon Valley world, meaning their loan-to-deposit ratios were too high and not enough liquidity on hand, or they had liquidity but they were getting it through borrowings instead of their core deposits,” Susser said. “We were blessed to not be in that category.”

Some banks that have historically operated conservatively with low loan-to-deposit ratios also ran into trouble because of their bond portfolios. Banks bought tons of bonds after the Federal Reserve slashed interest rates during the pandemic, but rate hikes since 2022 have eroded their value.

“Knock on wood, our balance sheet was very strong during the crisis,” Susser said.

Susser Bank has also expanded into new Texas markets as part of an effort to become a statewide institution. It operates nine branches, including six in Dallas-Fort Worth, and has opened locations in Houston, San Antonio and Round Rock, outside Austin. The bank also currently operates a loan production office in Austin slated to become a full-service branch later this year.

Amid that growth, Susser said it became “time to bring in some additional capital.”

“This capital, along with our internally generated profits, will hopefully allow us to grow the bank another $300 [million] or $400 million [in assets] over the next couple of years,” Susser said.

As the bank puts its new capital to work, Susser said the focus will be on growing commercial and industrial relationships. The bank will also continue hiring additional commercial lenders and employees for its mortgage business. In the last year, Susser Bank added 14 employees as of Sept. 30, growing its workforce to 243.

Susser Bank has grown assets at a “double-digit” clip annually over the last five years, and Susser said he sees that trend continuing in 2024. The first half of the year “looks pretty good,” he said, and the second half could be even stronger if the Federal Reserve cuts rates as many economists have predicted. While he doesn’t fixate on certain asset size goals, Susser wants to ensure the bank grows consistently while continuing to provide a high level of personalized service to its customers.

Click here to read the complete article.


By Holden Wilen – Staff Writer, Dallas Business Journal
Jan 10, 2024

News

Following the announcement of our $40.3 capital raise, Chairman and CEO Sam L. Susser, was interviewed by David Johnson, Business Editor and Host of CEO Spotlight on KRLD-AM, one of the largest radio stations in the country. Susser shared insights into Susser Bank’s approach to providing customized banking solutions for our clients, highlighting the importance of nurturing long-term relationships over transactions. The interview also covered the current state of the mortgage industry with respect to Susser Bank Mortgage and expressed confidence in the bank’s ability to thrive in the current economic climate while maintaining its high level of customer service.

To listen to the complete interview, click here.

News

D CEO’s signature special publication, the Dallas 500, features profiles of the most influential North Texas executives in more than 50 industry categories. We’re proud to announce that Sam L. Susser, Chairman and CEO, has been honored for the second year in a row as one of D CEO’s Dallas 500. While this recognition celebrates our CEO, it is the collective efforts of every member of the Susser Bank team that has made this accomplishment possible. We are proud to maintain our customer-centered approach that drives our unwavering “100 year” commitment to providing exemplary service to our clients and an outstanding place to build a career for our bankers and support team.
 
You can access the full list of the Dallas 500 here

News

In support of financial literacy among underserved local students, we are proud to have collaborated with the All Stars Project of Dallas for the 2023 Fall Leadership Program. Susser Bank is dedicated to promoting financial education among the younger members of our community, and we are honored to have had the opportunity to work alongside an incredible organization that shares our values.

News

Each December, our offices come together to host a toy drive, supporting and bringing joy to families in need within our community. We’re proud to share that with the help of our generous clients and team members, our Garland team supported families at Toler Elementary, our Fort Worth Mortgage and Bank teams supported Community Partners of Tarrant County Holiday Hope Project and our Austin team supported the Oak Hill Elementary Giving Tree. We extend our sincere appreciation to our clients and team members for their generosity and hard work in making this initiative a success.

News

Our DFW team was honored to spend a day at the Tarrant Area Food Bank, packing nearly 20,660 meals for families in need. The experience was truly heartwarming, and we felt proud to make a positive impact on the lives of others. It was inspiring to see how even our modest efforts could make a big difference in the lives of so many people. Our team’s dedication to fostering a service-minded environment and contributing to the betterment of our community is something we take great pride in.

 

News

New features are now accessible via the Susser Bank mobile app and online banking portal – allowing you to fully manage your debit card and accounts in one, secure place.

With our new integrated card control features, you can now:

Manage debit card transactions:

  • Set spending limits based on your preferences, including dollar amount, transaction type, and merchant type
  • Set temporary card limits
  • Set travel notifications
  • Turn your card on or off

Maintain debit card security:

  • Get instant alerts on certain types of transactions, like declined charges
  • Report your debit card as lost or stolen

Manage new debit cards:

  • Request a replacement card
  • Activate a newly issued card

These enhancements to our mobile and online banking experience replace features previously available in the MyCardRules app. Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact your Susser Banker or Client Care team member at (817) 987-2400. We thank you for being a valuable client.

News

In light of the recent surge in financial scams targeting businesses, we wanted to bring your attention to a particular risk: Check Fraud. Check fraud, including check washing and counterfeit checks, is on the rise. To keep your business safe, we highly recommend staying vigilant and taking proactive steps to safeguard your financial transactions.


Check Washing scams involve altering and cashing checks that are stolen from mailboxes. Criminals take advantage of unsecured mailboxes and exploit vulnerabilities in the postal system to gain access to checks, which they can then manipulate for their own benefit.


Staying Vigilant
To protect your business from check fraud scams, we recommend the following proactive measures:

  1. Positive Pay with Payee Match: Implement this powerful tool to verify and match checks against your issued checks, ensuring that only authorized payments are processed. We believe this is an extremely powerful tool to prevent both internal and external fraud.
  2. Consider ACH Payments: When possible, consider using ACH payments as a more secure alternative to writing checks. ACH payments offer enhanced security and traceability.
  3. Secure Mailing: Be cautious when sending checks. It’s essential to mail them from inside secure postal facilities rather than using mail drop boxes. We recently heard about an incident where a mailman had his master key stolen, leading to widespread theft of business mail. Using secure facilities reduces this risk.
  4. Verify Account Activity: Access your online account information at least twice daily to verify activity. Fraudulent transactions are time-critical, so the sooner you catch any issues, the better.

By implementing these precautions, you can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to check fraud and enhance the security of your financial transactions.

If you have any questions or require further assistance regarding these security measures, please do not hesitate to contact your Susser Banker or a Treasury Management Support team member at (817) 987-2150. We are here to support you in protecting your business from financial crimes.