Renasant Enters Tuscaloosa Banking Market

TUPELO, Miss., Aug. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Renasant Corporation (NASDAQ: RNST), a $4.3 billion 107-year-old financial institution, today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Renasant Bank ("Renasant"), is entering the Tuscaloosa, Alabama banking market. The entry into Tuscaloosa adds to Renasant's current Alabama footprint of multiple full-service locations in Birmingham, Huntsville, Decatur, Montgomery and Madison with over $600 million in assets.

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"It's with great anticipation and excitement that we announce our entrance into the Tuscaloosa banking market," said Mike Ross, Renasant Eastern Division President.  "Renasant is on the move and we continue to experience tremendous success in Alabama.  As a strong bank with a successful record of growth and expansion, our entrance into Tuscaloosa enhances our ability to serve our current and future Alabama clientele."

Renasant's temporary location will be in the "Fitts" building located at 1806 6th Street in downtown Tuscaloosa. The Tuscaloosa market entrance is Renasant's ninth expansion over the past 12 months.  On July 1, 2011, Renasant announced its entrance into the Montgomery, Alabama banking market just two days after it announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire RBC Bank (USA)'s Birmingham-based $680 million asset Trust division.

Leading Renasant into the Tuscaloosa market will be Kyle Faught, who will serve as Tuscaloosa City President, and Charity Golden, who will serve as Vice President and Branch Manager.

"The addition of Kyle Faught and Charity Golden to the Renasant team gives us two established and well respected bankers in the Tuscaloosa market, so we will hit the ground running," said John Bentley, North Central Alabama Area President for Renasant.  "We are honored to have Kyle and Charity leading our entrance into this dynamic market as we look to quickly grow our market share and become the financial services provider of choice for Tuscaloosa."

Prior to joining Renasant, Faught served for over 25 years as an executive at another financial institution.  Faught attended the University of Alabama, graduating with a B.S. in business administration.  He also attended the Graduate School of Banking at LSU.

Faught contributes to his community through the Rotary Club of Tuscaloosa, as a former Director of the Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Board Authority, as a Graduate of Leadership Tuscaloosa and as a member of the 2011 United Way Campaign.

Prior to joining Renasant, Golden was Vice President and Financial Center Leader for another regional bank.  Golden attended the University of Alabama, graduating with a B.S. in finance. She also attended the Alabama School of Banking.

Golden serves her community as past President and as a Board of Directors member of T-Town PAWS, Inc., as a member of the Northport Citizen of the Year Committee, as a member of the TuscaloosaChamber of Commerce and as a current member of BNI.

"Over the past 12 months, we have taken advantage of many opportunities to improve our profitability and expand our footprint throughout the southeast and we look to capitalize on future growth opportunities as they become available," said Chairman and CEO, E. Robinson McGraw.  "We are committed to becoming the financial services provider of choice in each and every market we serve."

ABOUTRENASANT:

Renasant Corporation, a 107-year-old financial services institution, is the parent of Renasant Bank and Renasant Insurance.  Renasant has assets of approximately $4.3 billion and operates over 75 banking, mortgage, financial services and insurance offices in Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia. For more information please visit www.renasantbank.comor the Company's IR site at www.renasant.com.

NOTETOINVESTORS:

This news release may contain, or incorporate by reference, statements which may constitute "forward- looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward looking statements usually include words such as "expects," "projects," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "strategy," "plan," "potential," "possible" and other similar expressions.

Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees for future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements.   Important factors currently known to management that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include significant fluctuations in interest rates, inflation, economic recession, significant changes in the federal and state legal and regulatory environment, significant underperformance in our portfolio of outstanding loans, and competition in our markets. We undertake no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results over time.

SOURCE Renasant Corporation