About Us
Financial Strength is a pillar to a successful company.
About Us
Founded in 1908 as First State Bank, Happy, Texas, the bank operated solely in that community during its first 81 years. In 1990, J. Pat Hickman led a group of investors in forming Happy Bancshares, Inc. as they purchased the bank. The generically named First State Bank changed its name to the unforgettable Happy State Bank in 2004.
In 1990, the bank had six employees overseeing just over $10 million in total assets. Today, Happy State Bank, a division of Centennial Bank has over 60 locations in more than 40 communities across the Texas Panhandle, South Plains, Austin, Central Texas and the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.
In 2022, Happy Bancshares, Inc. was acquired by Home Bancshares, Inc. with Happy State Bank becoming a division of Centennial Bank. This merger allowed Happy to expand product and service lines for our customers while combining total assets to reach just shy of $25 billion.
Based on employee feedback, American Banker named Happy State Bank, a division of Centennial Bank one of the Best Banks to Work For in the USA the last seven years in a row.
Happy has also been recognized in several national and state-wide publications for its unique corporate culture and has won many awards and recognition (including from the United States Treasury Department) for financial literacy training via its Kids Bank program, now in over 30 elementary schools. The bank received the Torch Award from the Better Business Bureau for its outstanding ethical business standards, and known as a top-notch corporate citizen, Happy has been named, through local newspaper polls, as the BEST BANK in several of the communities it serves.
A legacy of excellence.
Our dedication to the community started with our founding in 1908 as First State Bank of Happy, Texas.
In 1990, J. Pat Hickman formed Happy Bancshares, Inc. with a group of investors to purchase the bank. We changed our name to Happy State Bank in 2004 to reflect our spirit and pay homage to our roots.
In 2022, we merged with Home Bancshares, Inc. led by Chairman John W. Allison, whose banks are dedicated to the communities in which we operate and serve our customers personally, professionally and locally. Thank you for your support and patronage over the years, and we look forward to serving your banking needs for years to come.
BauerFinancial 5-Star Rating
5 Reasons to be Happy
Happy State Bank, a division of Centennial Bank has been awarded a Bauer 5-Star Superior rating, and we couldn’t be more excited. A 5-Star rating indicates we are one of the strongest banks in the nation, excelling in areas such as capital, loan quality, profitability and much more. BauerFinancial has been reporting on and analyzing the performance of U.S. banks since 1983 and has earned the reputation of “the nation’s bank rating service.”
Disclosures
Continuing the legacy of honesty and transparency.
