On The Trail

The number of Gulf Coast-based community banks dropped from more than 65 just a few years ago to 43 by the end of 2013.

But several banks that survived the tumultuous times of the past five years are back in growth mode. While some remain in a struggle, other institutions even had stellar years — beyond one-time tax gains. Sarasota-based Gateway Bank of Southwest Florida is one lender on the stellar side, says president and CEO Shaun Merriman. “Last year was hands down the best year we've had since the bank was founded in 2008,” Merriman says. “It was a phenomenal year. We could not be more proud of our performance.”

On pages 12-16, see how other banks fared in key metrics.