Arvest originated with 1961 buyout

Friday, January 25, 2013

Nevada Daily Mail

Arvest Bank Group originated with its acquisition of the Bank of Bentonville, Ark., in 1961 and it claims the distinction of being the oldest bank in Fayetteville, Ark., owing to its purchase in 1986 of McIlroy Bank & Trust, which was founded in 1871 in Fayetteville and is the company's official home office and charter.

Through its various acquisitions over the decades and resulting from its buyouts of other Arkansas banks, Arvest has grown to be the largest Arkansas-based bank in terms of market share, according to references.

It installed Benton County's first automatic teller machine (ATM) in 1976 and opened an Internet banking Web site in 1998.

The company says on its Web site that it "is committed to making your move to Arvest Bank as smooth as possible.

"Until you receive information about the upcoming transition, continue using your local Bank of America just as you always have," a spokesman said. "Also, please continue using your Bank of America checks, debit cards or ATM card as usual until we contact you about your new Arvest account-related items.

"For immediate questions about your current Bank of America accounts and services, please contact Bank of America as you always have. For questions about what Arvest Bank has to offer, please explore our Web site or contact customer service at (417) 627-8000."

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