FORT WORTH-After nearly five months of laying groundwork, Meridian Bank Texas has opened doors as a full-service operation. The de novo bank has been doing commercial lending as an affiliate of a Phoenix-based sister company since last fall during the long haul to secure a Texas charter.

Glenn Monroe, president and CEO of Meridian Bank Texas, tells GlobeSt.com that outstanding loans, totaling $16.8 million, were acquired from Meridian Bank in Phoenix when the full-service flag was raised at 915 Florence St. in Fort Worth. The headquarters location, though, is going to move in late 2008 to become the anchor bank for an office complex to be built along Weatherford Street by locally based Klabzuba Oil & Gas Co.

Monroe says the veteran team of bankers leading Meridian Texas is the sole tenant in a 10,000-sf office building, occupying 7,500 sf and holding the balance for an expansion. A recent retooling resulted in an account-holders' counter for daily transactions. Monroe says the first day for full-service banking brought in a handful of new depositors.

Monroe says Meridian Bank Texas bought the charter to First Commerce Bank in Corpus Christi to get up and running. The deal closed simultaneously with the Kingsville, TX-based Kleberg Bank's acquisition of First Commerce.

Meridian Bank Texas is part of Marquette Financial Cos., owned by the Carl Pohlad family of Minneapolis. As part of the plan, the Texas bank is now severed from Meridian Bank in Phoenix, which has nine locations. Monroe says his goal for the Texas bank is to have three locations up and running in three years. "It will be a gradual build-up," he says. "Our main focus is commercial lending and real estate."