About Investar Holding

Investar Holding Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Investar Bank, National Association that offers a wide range of commercial banking products tailored to meet the needs of individuals, professionals, and small to medium-sized businesses. The company’s primary areas of operation are south Louisiana, including Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and their surrounding areas; southeast Texas, primarily Houston and its surrounding area; and Alabama, including York and Oxford and their surrounding areas. These markets are served from the company’s executive and operations center located in Baton Rouge and from full service branches located throughout its market areas. Operations The company offers a full range of commercial and retail lending products throughout its market areas, including business loans to small to medium-sized businesses, as well as loans to individuals. The company’s business lending products include owner-occupied commercial real estate loans, construction loans and commercial and industrial loans, such as term loans, equipment financing and lines of credit, while its loans to individuals include first and second mortgage loans, installment loans, and lines of credit. For business customers, the company targets small to medium-sized businesses and professional organizations, such as law firms, accounting firms and medical practices. Lending Activities Lending to Businesses The company’s lending to small to medium-sized businesses falls into three general categories: Commercial Real Estate Loans: Approximately 50% of the company’s total loans as of December 31, 2022 were commercial real estate loans, which include multifamily, farmland and commercial real estate loans, with owner-occupied loans comprising approximately 42% of the commercial real estate loan portfolio. Commercial and Industrial Loans: Commercial and industrial loans primarily consist of working capital lines of credit and equipment loans. The terms of these loans vary by purpose and by type of underlying collateral. The company makes equipment loans for a term of five years or less at fixed or variable rates, with the loan fully amortized over the term and secured by the relevant piece of equipment. Loans to support working capital typically have terms not exceeding one year, and such loans are secured by accounts receivable or inventory. Fixed rate loans are priced based on collateral, term and amortization. Construction and Development Loans: Construction and development loans, which consist of loans for the construction of commercial projects, single family residential properties and multifamily properties, accounted for approximately 9% of the company’s total loans as of December 31, 2022. The company’s construction and development loans are made on both a ‘pre-sold’ basis and on a ‘speculative’ basis. Construction and development loans are generally made with a term of 6 to 18 months, with interest accruing at either a fixed or floating rate and paid monthly. These loans are secured by the underlying project being built. Lending to Individuals The company makes the following types of loans to its individual customers: Residential Real Estate: 1-4 family residential real estate loans, including second mortgage loans, consisted approximately 19% of the company’s total loans as of December 31, 2022. Second mortgage loans in this category include only loans the company makes to cover the gap between the purchase price of a residence and the amount of the first mortgage; all other second mortgage loans are considered consumer loans. Consumer Loans. Consumer loans represented 1% of the company’s total loans as of December 31, 2022. The company makes these loans (which are normally fixed-rate loans) to individuals for a variety of personal, family and household purposes, secured and unsecured installment and term loans, second mortgages, home equity loans and home equity lines of credit. Because many consumer loans are secured by depreciable assets, such as cars, boats and trailers, the loans are amortized over the useful life of the asset. Deposits The company offers a broad base of deposit products and services to its individual and business clients, including savings, checking, and money market accounts, as well as a variety of certificates of deposit and individual retirement accounts. The company also offers a reciprocal deposit product, Assured Checking, that allows customers to deposit funds in excess of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (FDIC) $250,000 insurance limit and have the funds insured by the FDIC. The company offers debit cards, internet banking, mobile banking with smartphone deposit capability, as well as debit card protection settings. For its business clients, the company offers a competitive suite of cash management products which include, but are not limited to, remote deposit capture, lockbox payment processing, virtual vaults, electronic statements, positive pay, ACH origination and wire transfer, investment sweep accounts, and enhanced business internet banking. Other Banking Services: The bank’s other banking services include cashiers’ checks, direct deposit of payroll and Social Security checks, night depository, bank-by-mail, automated teller machines with deposit automation, debit cards, mobile wallet payment options, business electronic banking for business customers, and Zelle, a fast and easy way to send money directly between almost any bank account in the United States. In addition, the bank has options for contactless banking, including interactive teller machines (ITMs) and video banking. ITMs are an upgrade on traditional automated teller machine (ATM) technology that allow customers to virtually interact directly with the bank staff. Video banking lets customers communicate with the bank staff from a mobile device or computer without visiting a branch. The company has also associated with nationwide networks of ATMs, enabling the bank’s customers to use ATMs throughout its markets and other regions. The company offers merchant card services through a third-party vendor and a business credit card product. The bank does not offer trust services or insurance products. Investment Securities As of December 31, 2022, the company’s investment portfolio included obligations of the U.S. government agencies and corporations; obligations of states and political subdivisions; corporate bonds; residential mortgage-backed securities; and commercial mortgage-backed securities. Strategy To complement the company’s organic growth strategy, from time to time it evaluates potential acquisition opportunities, including whole-bank acquisitions and strategic branch acquisitions. Supervision and Regulation The company is a financial holding company registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, and is subject to supervision, regulation and examination by the Federal Reserve. The bank is a national bank chartered under the laws of the United States by the Office of the Comptroller of Currency (OCC) and is subject to supervision, regulation and examination by the OCC. The bank is required under the Community Reinvestment Act, or CRA, and related OCC regulations to help meet the credit needs of its communities, including low and moderate-income borrowers. The company is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) system. The bank is subject to numerous laws and regulations intended to protect consumers in transactions with the bank, including, among others, laws regarding unfair, deceptive and abusive acts and practices, usury laws, and other federal consumer protection statutes. These federal laws include the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (the ECOA), the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974, the S.A.F.E. Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008, the Truth in Lending Act and the Truth in Savings Act, among others. History Investar Holding Corporation was founded in 2006. The company was incorporated in Louisiana in 2009.