Exhibit 99.1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: | (Investment Community) | List Underwood | (205) 801-0265 | |||
(News Media) | Rick Swagler | (205) 801-0105 |
AmSouth Announces Sale of Divested Branches
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Nov. 1, 2006 – AmSouth Bancorporation (NYSE: ASO) announced today the three purchasers who have agreed to buy 52 branches in Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee that the U.S. Department of Justice and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System require be divested in connection with AmSouth’s merger with Regions Financial Corp. The divestitures are required to ensure that competition remains strong in areas where the companies are combining. The merger, which will create a top 10 U.S. bank holding company, is expected to be completed in early November, and the branch sales are expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2007.
RBC Centura Bank has agreed to buy the 39 Alabama branches AmSouth is required to sell in Mobile, Montgomery, Selma, Tuscaloosa, Huntsville and Decatur. RBC Centura Bank currently serves personal, business and commercial clients in five southeastern states through more than 270 full-service banking centers, an extensive ATM network, and telephone and Internet banking. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE, TSX: RY) since 2001, RBC Centura Bank is part of one the largest financial services companies in North America.
Citizens Bank of Russellville, Ala., has agreed to buy the six Mississippi branches AmSouth is required to sell in Greenwood, Greenville, Clarksdale, and the Starkville area. Citizens Bank currently has 24 branch locations in Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. With more than 300 employees and $870 million in assets, Citizens Bank has become one of the largest community banks in Alabama.
FirstBank of Lexington, Tenn., has agreed to buy the seven Tennessee branches AmSouth must sell in Crossville, Dayton, Fayetteville, Woodbury, Paris, Shelbyville, and Smithville. FirstBank is the largest independently owned bank in Tennessee and upon completion of this acquisition will have 43 locations and approximately $1.9 billion in assets.
“Each of these companies shares our commitment to excellent customer service and we will work closely to ensure a smooth transition for our customers. I’m also pleased that each has agreed to offer positions to the AmSouth associates in these branches. This will provide continuity and help make this a seamless process,” said Dowd Ritter, chairman, president and chief executive officer of AmSouth.
Under the branch sale agreement, AmSouth branch employees involved in the acquisition will be offered employment by the purchasing banks.
Goldman, Sachs & Co. advised AmSouth on the sales of the branches. The branches being sold are as follows:
Market and | Branch name | Address | City | |||
ALABAMA Purchaser: RBC Centura Bank | ||||||
Decatur | Danville Road | 2404 Danville Road SW | Decatur | |||
Huntsville | Lily Flagg | 107 Lily Flagg Road SE | Huntsville | |||
Piedmont Point | 4769 Whitesburg Drive S | Huntsville | ||||
University Drive | 1470 Perimeter Parkway NW | Huntsville | ||||
Whitesburg | 2204 Whitesburg Drive | Huntsville | ||||
North Madison | 7930 Highway 72 W | Madison | ||||
Mobile | Bay Minette | 511 D’Olive St. | Bay Minette | |||
Bayou La Batre | 13825 S Wintzell Ave. | Bayou La Batre | ||||
Lake Forest | 28770 US Highway 98 | Daphne | ||||
Baldwin Square | 111 Baldwin Square | Fairhope | ||||
Fairhope | 51 S Section St. | Fairhope | ||||
Ambassador Plaza | 7860 Airport Blvd. | Mobile | ||||
Cottage Hill | 5133 Cottage Hill Road | Mobile | ||||
Crichton | 2820 Springhill Ave. | Mobile | ||||
Government Street | 1402 Government St. | Mobile | ||||
Hillcrest | 720 Hillcrest Road | Mobile | ||||
Lloyds Lane | 6241 Cottage Hill Road | Mobile | ||||
McGregor Square | 3920 Airport Blvd. | Mobile | ||||
Schillinger Road | 7849 Cottage Hill Road | Mobile | ||||
Skyline | 3942 Government Blvd. | Mobile | ||||
Spring Hill-Mobile | 4357 Old Shell Road | Mobile | ||||
Springdale Plaza | 3250 Airport Blvd. | Mobile | ||||
Tillman's Corner | 5351 Highway 90 W | Mobile | ||||
Toulminville | 2326 St. Stephens Road | Mobile | ||||
Saraland | 34 Shelton Beach Road | Saraland | ||||
Oak Plaza | 7800 Moffat Road | Semmes | ||||
Eastern Shore Centre | 10010 Eastern Shore Blvd. | Spanish Fort | ||||
Westminster | 500 Spanish Fort Blvd. | Spanish Fort | ||||
Montgomery | Millbrook | 3725 Highway 14 | Millbrook | |||
Atlanta Highway | 5375 Atlanta Highway | Montgomery | ||||
Eastern Bypass | 1465 Eastern Blvd. | Montgomery | ||||
Taylor Road | 2710 Taylor Road | Montgomery | ||||
Prattville | 1882 E Main St. | Prattville | ||||
Wetumpka Main | 743 S Main St. | Wetumpka |
Selma | Selma Main | 9 Broad St. | Selma | |||
Tuscaloosa | Northport | 3076 McFarland Blvd. | Northport | |||
Skyland | 719 Skyland Blvd. E | Tuscaloosa | ||||
Tuscaloosa Main | 2330 University Blvd. | Tuscaloosa | ||||
University Campus | 331 University Blvd. | Tuscaloosa | ||||
MISSISSIPPI Purchaser: Citizens Bank | ||||||
Clarksdale | Clarksdale Main | 301 John Lee Hooker Lane | Clarksdale | |||
Greenville | Greenville Main | 342 Washington Ave. | Greenville | |||
Greenwood | Greenwood | 820 West Park Ave. | Greenwood | |||
Starkville | Eupora | 102 West Fox Ave. | Eupora | |||
12 / 25 | 303 Highway 12 W | Starkville | ||||
Sturgis | 3869 Highway 12 West | Sturgis | ||||
TENNESSEE Purchaser: FirstBank | ||||||
Crossville | Crossville | 139 Elmore Road | Crossville | |||
Dayton-Spring City | Dayton | 1525 Market St. | Dayton | |||
Fayetteville | Fayetteville | 310 College St. W | Fayetteville | |||
Cannon County | Woodbury | 101 W Main St. | Woodbury | |||
Paris | Paris | 101 W Wood St. | Paris | |||
Shelbyville | Shelbyville | 508 Madison St. | Shelbyville | |||
Smithville | Smithville | 200 W Main St. | Smithville |
About AmSouth
AmSouth is a regional bank holding company with $54 billion in assets, 700 branch banking offices and more than 1,200 ATMs. AmSouth operates in Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Georgia. AmSouth is a leader among regional banks in the Southeast in several key business segments, including consumer and commercial banking, small business banking, mortgage lending, equipment leasing, and trust and investment management services. AmSouth also offers a complete line of banking products and services at its web site,www.amsouth.com.
About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE: RF), headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., is a full-service provider of retail and commercial banking, trust, securities brokerage, mortgage and insurance products and services. Regions had $86.1 billion in assets as of June 30, 2006, making it one of the nation's top 15 banks. Regions' banking subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates some 1,300 offices and a 1,600-ATM network across a 16-state geographic footprint in the South, Midwest and Texas. Its investment and securities brokerage, trust and asset management division, Morgan Keegan & Company Inc., provides services from over 300 offices. Additional information about Regions, which is a member of both the Forbes and Fortune 500, can be found at www.regions.com.