Mercantile Bank Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Mercantile Bank that provides commercial banking services primarily to small- to medium-sized businesses and retail banking services.
The bank is a state banking company that operates under the laws of the state of Michigan, pursuant to a charter issued by the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services. The bank’s deposits are insured to the maximum extent permitted by law by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporat...
Mercantile Bank Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Mercantile Bank that provides commercial banking services primarily to small- to medium-sized businesses and retail banking services.
The bank is a state banking company that operates under the laws of the state of Michigan, pursuant to a charter issued by the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services. The bank’s deposits are insured to the maximum extent permitted by law by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (‘FDIC’).
The bank’s main office is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and the company’s operations are centered around the West and Central portions of Michigan. The company also has banking offices located in the metropolitan Detroit, Michigan area, Traverse City, Michigan, Petoskey, Michigan, Saginaw, Michigan, and Midland, Michigan. The bank makes secured and unsecured commercial, construction, mortgage and consumer loans, and accepts checking, savings and time deposits. The bank owns various automated teller machines (‘ATM’) and video banking machines at a majority of the company’s office locations that participate in the ACCEL/EXCHANGE and PLUS regional network systems, as well as other ATM networks throughout the country. The bank also enables customers to conduct certain loan and deposit transactions by personal computer and through mobile applications. Courier service is provided to certain commercial customers, and safe deposit boxes are available at a vast majority of the company’s office locations. The bank does not have trust powers.
Insurance Company
The company’s insurance company acquired an existing shelf insurance agency effective April 15, 2002. An Agency and Institution Agreement was entered into among the company’s insurance company, the bank and Hub International for the purpose of providing programs of mass marketed personal lines of insurance. Insurance product offerings include private passenger automobile, homeowners, personal inland marine, boat owners, recreational vehicle, dwelling fire, umbrella policies, small business and life insurance products, all of which are provided by and written through companies that have appointed Hub International as their agent.
Trusts
The company has five business trusts that are wholly-owned subsidiaries of the company. Each of the trusts was formed to issue preferred securities that were sold in private sales, as well as to sell common securities to the company.
Lending Activity
Commercial Loans.: he company’s commercial lending group originates commercial loans primarily in the company’s market areas. The company’s commercial lenders have extensive commercial lending experience, with most having at least ten years’ experience. Loans are originated for general business purposes, including working capital, accounts receivable financing, machinery and equipment acquisition, and commercial real estate financing, including new construction and land development.
The company has no material foreign loans, and only limited exposure to companies engaged in energy producing and agricultural-related activities.
Commercial Real Estate loans: Commercial real estate loans consist of non-owner occupied, owner occupied, multi-family and residential rental, and vacant land, land development, and residential construction. The company also adheres to the FDIC’s commercial real estate lending concentration guidelines specified in the Joint Guidance on Concentrations in Commercial Real Estate Lending, Sound Risk Management Practices.
The majority of the company’s commercial real estate portfolio is located within its primary geographic footprint within the state of Michigan. As of December 31, 2024, 90.7% of the company’s commercial real estate loans were for projects located within the state of Michigan. Loans made outside the state of Michigan are usually to customers located or headquartered within the company’s footprint doing business in other states.
Single-Family Residential Real Estate Loans: The company originates single-family residential real estate loans in the company’s market areas, generally according to secondary market underwriting standards. Loans not conforming to those standards are made in certain circumstances. Single-family residential real estate loans provide borrowers with a fixed or adjustable interest rate with terms up to 30 years, with the fixed interest rate loans generally sold to various investors.
Consumer Loans: The company originates various types of consumer loans, including new and used automobile and boat loans, credit cards and overdraft protection lines of credit for the company’s checking account customers. Consumer loans generally have shorter terms and higher interest rates and usually involve more credit risk than single-family residential real estate loans because of the type and nature of the collateral. The bank has a home equity line of credit program. Home equity lines of credit are generally secured by either a first or second mortgage on the borrower’s primary residence. The program provides revolving credit at a rate tied to the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate.
Investment Portfolio
As of December 31, 2024, the company’s investment portfolio included U.S. government agency debt obligations; mortgage-backed securities; municipal general obligation bonds; municipal revenue bonds; and other investments.
Deposits
As of December 31, 2024, the company’s deposits included noninterest-bearing checking; interest-bearing checking; money market; savings; time, under $100,000; time, $100,000 and over; and out-of-area time, $100,000 and over.
Regulation and Supervision
The company is a registered bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the ‘Bank Holding Company Act’). As a bank holding company, the company is subject to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the ‘Federal Reserve Board’).
On April 14, 2014, the company’s election to become a financial holding company, as permitted by the Bank Holding Company Act, as amended by Title I of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, was accepted and made effective by the Federal Reserve Board. In order to maintain the company’s status as a financial holding company, the company and the bank must satisfy statutory requirements regarding capitalization, management and compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act. As a financial holding company, the company is permitted to engage in a broader range of activities under the Bank Holding Company Act that are permitted for bank holding companies. Those expanded activities include any activity which the Federal Reserve Board (in certain instances in consultation with the Department of the Treasury) determines, by order or by regulation, to be financial in nature or incidental to such financial activity, or to be complementary to a financial activity, and not to pose a substantial risk to the safety and soundness of depository institutions or the financial system generally.
As a registered bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act, the company is required to file an annual report with the Federal Reserve Board and such additional information as the Federal Reserve Board may require. The company is also subject to periodic examinations by the Federal Reserve Board.
The scope of regulations and supervision of various aspects of the company’s business have expanded as a result of the adoption in July, 2010 of the Dodd-Frank Act.
History
Mercantile Bank Corporation was founded in 1997. The company was incorporated in 1997.