Bank OZK
An Arkansas-founded regional bank providing retail, commercial, real estate, and wealth-management banking services across six U.S. states.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
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.
History
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.
- 2025
Bank OZK recognized in U.S. bank rankings
[1]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.
- 2018
Bank adopted the Bank OZK name
[1]The institution changed its name from Bank of the Ozarks to Bank OZK to reflect its expansion beyond the Ozarks region.
- 2018
Construction began on a larger headquarters
[1]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.
- 2008
New Little Rock headquarters opened
[1]The bank moved into a four-story headquarters measuring approximately 92,000 square feet.
- 1995
Headquarters moved to Little Rock
[1]The bank relocated its headquarters from its earlier Arkansas base to Little Rock.
- 1994
Expansion phase began
[1]After reaching five locations, the bank began a more active expansion period.
- 1979
George Gleason acquired the bank
[1]George Gleason acquired the two-branch institution, which had approximately $28 million in assets, and it became known as Bank of the Ozarks.
- 1937
Second Arkansas location opened
[1]The bank expanded its local presence by opening a second location in Ozark, Arkansas.
- 1903
Community bank founded in Jasper
[1]The institution that became Bank OZK was established as a community bank in Jasper, Arkansas.
Products and positioning
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.
Consumer banking
Retail 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.
Business banking
Commercial 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.
Commercial real estate finance
Real estate lending
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 services
Wealth management
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.
Brand decisions
2018
Rebranding from Bank of the Ozarks to Bank OZKStrategyBackground
The bank had expanded from its original Arkansas and Ozarks-area identity into a multistate regional institution.
Action taken
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.
2018
Development of a larger Little Rock headquartersStrategyBackground
The bank's expansion increased the need for larger corporate facilities.
Action taken
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)
Recent events
Bank OZK reports quarterly earnings[3]
Reported:
Bank OZK announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, reporting earnings per share of $1.50, above analysts’ consensus estimate of $1.43.
Weekdays and relative dates follow the original report; their exact calendar dates have not been verified.
Shopoff secures $105 million construction loan for I-10 Logistics Center[4]
Reported:
Shopoff Realty Investments announced that it secured a $105 million construction loan from Bank OZK for its I-10 Logistics Center project.
Sources4 sources
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