Knoxville, TN – Apex Bank has been recognized as the top performing bank with $300 million to $1 billion in assets in the state of Tennessee and third overall in the nation by the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) “Top Performing Community Banks” industry analysis, as featured in this month’s edition of Independent Banker Magazine. This new recognition adds to the prestigious Banks Street Partners’ “Rank the Banks” report, released on February 8, 2017, which ranks Apex Bank as the number one overall bank in the state of Tennessee. “Rank the Banks” is a quarterly ranking that evaluates all state banks based on five unweighted categories.

Apex’s ascent began in 2008. Since then, the Bank opened two national loan-servicing offices in Knoxville, creating over 60 jobs, and recently acquired American Patriot Bank in Greeneville. ICBA’s article highlights Matt Daniels’ role as President and CEO of Apex Bank. “On paper, Matt Daniels is a veteran banker. He became CEO of Tennessee’s First State Bank, later renamed Clayton Bank and Trust, in 2004. As CEO of the re-branded Apex Bank, Daniels has spearheaded tremendous growth at the community bank, which offers retail deposit services and consumer and commercial lending. In less than a decade, after completely revamping its business model, it has tripled its locations and staff and increased its total assets from $157 million to almost $500 million. It’s quite the laundry list of accomplishments—but Daniels isn’t even 40 yet.”

“Our talented team members deserve the credit for our performance; it’s their work ethic, flexibility, and urgency that has garnered these awards and national recognition. At Apex, we hire experience, encourage autonomy, and provide team members the resources to exceed expectations,” said Daniels. He continued, “The acquisition of American Patriot Bank and our new offices in Greeneville, Bruceton, and Waverly will provide even greater services to our growing customer base while creating more jobs.”