On June 24, Kalispell, Montana-based Glacier Bancorp Inc. and Mount Pleasant-based Guaranty Bancshares Inc., the bank holding company for Guaranty Bank & Trust NA, announced the signing of a definitive agreement pursuant to which Glacier will acquire Guaranty in an all-stock transaction. The acquisition marks Glacier Bancorp’s 27th bank acquisition since 2000 and its 13th announced transaction in the past 10 years. As of March 31, 2025, Guaranty had total assets of $3.2 billion, total gross loans of $2.1 billion and total deposits of $2.7 billion. Upon closing of the transaction, which is anticipated for the fourth quarter of 2025, Guaranty Bank & Trust will operate as a new banking division under the name “Guaranty Bank & Trust, Division of Glacier Bank,” representing Glacier’s 18th separate bank division.
“This is a compelling opportunity to further expand our presence in the Southwest,” says Randy Chesler, Glacier’s president and CEO. “Guaranty fits strategically and culturally within the unique Glacier business model and will allow us to enter a complementary state with an exceptional demographic profile, strong growth prospects and a business-friendly operating environment. The Texas economy is estimated to be worth $2.7 trillion, and if Texas were an independent country its economy would be the eighth largest in the world.”
“Guaranty Bank & Trust has a 100-plus year history of doing business in the State of Texas, and we are pleased to find a partner that emphasizes the relationship banking model that has been core to our success over many decades and through many business cycles,” says Ty Abston, Guaranty’s chairman and CEO. “The opportunity to join Glacier Bancorp—which is a family of community banks that collectively share our banking philosophy, culture and character—was a perfect opportunity to position Guaranty Bank & Trust for the future. We will continue to grow and invest in our communities, and our customers will be dealing with the same familiar faces, led by the same management team, in each of our markets. This partnership gives Guaranty added strength, with the support of a larger balance sheet and the resources to invest in the latest technologies and products to serve our existing and future customers.”
Glacier was advised in the transaction by Stephens Inc. as financial advisor and Miller Nash LLP as legal counsel. Guaranty was advised by Keefe Bruyette & Woods, A Stifel Company as financial advisor and Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP as legal counsel.
Established in 1913, Guaranty Bank & Trust NA has 33 branches across 26 Texas communities in East Texas, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston and Central Texas. As of March 31, Guaranty Bancshares Inc. had total assets of $3.2 billion, total loans of $2.1 billion and total deposits of $2.7 billion.