First Mariner Bancorp in Baltimore took a chance on a business line that many other banking companies were exiting when it established its consumer finance unit, Finance Maryland, in 2002.

Gateway Financial Holdings Inc. in Elizabeth City, N.C., is counting on its new mortgage unit to boost its sluggish performance ratios.

People's Bank of Bridgeport, Conn., touched off a rally in its stock Friday by saying it will file for a federal thrift charter to position itself for growth outside its home state.

Marshall BankFirst Corp. of Minneapolis, which has built a business on making commercial real estate loans, now wants to diversify its portfolio by more than doubling its commercial and industrial loans over the next year.

RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif. - John M. Eggemeyer 3d, the chairman of First Community Bancorp here, is well known in banking circles for rolling up six southern California banks into Western Bancorp in the 1990s and then selling Western in 1999 for 4.4 times its book value.

The $6 billion-asset Alabama National BanCorp. in Birmingham has agreed to buy PB Financial Services Corp. of Duluth, Ga., for $130 million in stock.

Hurricane Rita spared it last year, but American Bank in Corpus Christi isn't taking chances.

SOUTHEAST Carolina National Corp. of Columbia, S.C., has hired Harry R. Brown as the chief financial officer of the company and its $165 million-asset Carolina National Bank and Trust Co.

Premier Commercial Bancorp in Anaheim, Calif., plans to open a second bank subsidiary, in Arizona.

ICB Financial in Ontario, Calif., has completed an acquisition and raised $15.5 million in a private placement.

First Republic Bank in San Francisco has plenty of borrowers and private banking clients in the fast-growing markets east of the city - but no branches to attract deposits.

First Bancshares Inc. in Hattiesburg, Miss., said Monday that it had agreed to buy the $51 million-asset First National Bank of Wiggins in Mississippi for $4.2 million in cash and stock.

BancorpSouth Inc. of Tupelo, Miss., is taking an inexpensive route into Florida.

AUSTIN — Libertad Bank’s business model, a hybrid of community bank and a check casher, was designed to cater to the growing Hispanic market in Texas.

WashingtonFirst Bank has a deal to buy a hometown competitor, First Liberty Bancorp.

International Bank of Commerce of Laredo, Tex., is planning major branch expansions in the Austin, Houston, and San Antonio areas.

BancTrust Financial Group Inc. in Mobile, Ala., has hired a team of five commercial lenders away from the $81 billion-asset Regions Financial Corp. of Birmingham.

Sun American Bancorp in Miami is buying the $120 million-asset Beach Bank in Miami Beach for $21 million in stock.

The Bank Holdings Inc. is buying a bank in its hometown of Reno to increase its deposit share there.