First Metro Bank

What First Metro Bank does

First Metro Bank is an independent, privately held community bank founded in 1988 and headquartered in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The bank operates 11 branches across four North Alabama counties (Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, and Limestone), serving retail consumers, small and mid-sized businesses, seniors, and students with a full suite of deposit, lending, and wealth management products. Core deposits include Metro Main Checking, First Friends Checking (50+), Metro Investment Checking, savings, money market, CDs, IRAs, and dedicated business accounts; the lending book spans Conventional, VA, FHA, USDA, and construction mortgages, auto and signature loans, plus commercial real estate, small business, and working capital facilities. Non-interest income is generated through merchant card services, ACH processing, wire/transfer fees, and an investment and insurance advisory offering. The bank additionally operates six student-operated in-school branches at local high schools and a proprietary First Metro Live live-teller ATM service extending service hours to 8 PM on weekdays.

The technology platform is a conventional community banking stack — a mobile app (Apple App Store and Google Play) with Zelle peer-to-peer payments, mobile deposit, and online banking — augmented by the First Metro Live video teller ATM and an internal Certified Banker training program. Customer acquisition relies on a community-banking GTM: 11 physical branches, six in-school distribution points, Good Neighbor Day community events, financial literacy outreach (Teach Children to Save across 43 elementary classrooms), a blog/newsletter, social channels, and an extensive financial calculator library. Revenue is generated primarily through net interest income on the loan portfolio, supplemented by deposit and transaction fees and investment/insurance commissions; the bank holds FDIC insurance, NMLS #433479, and complies with USA PATRIOT Act CIP and GLBA privacy requirements. First Metro Bank is rated Top Performing State Bank in Alabama for Q4 2024 (Bank Performance Report) and ranked 15th among 50 Best Performing Southeast banks under $10B in assets for 2022 by S&P Global Market Intelligence, while consistently appearing on American Banker's Best Banks to Work For list (2023–2025).

Name

First Metro Bank

Legal name

First Metro Bank

Website

https://firstmetro.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

First Metro Bank is an independent community bank founded in 1988 and headquartered in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, operating 11 branches across four North Alabama counties to serve retail consumers, small and mid-sized businesses, seniors, and students with deposits, lending, and wealth management services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Banking

NAICS

Depository Credit Intermediation (5221), Commercial Banking (52211)

SIC

State Commercial Banks (6022), National Commercial Banks (6021)

akta.pro primary industry

Mass-Market Consumer Deposit Banking (Checking/Savings) (FSABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Branch & In-Person Banking (Teller/ATM Networks) (FSABAAAE), Small Business Banking (Microbusiness/Sole Proprietor) (FSABAAAI)

Keywords

• Community banking services
• Personal and business checking
• Mortgage and consumer lending
• Commercial real estate loans
• Wealth and retirement planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Muscle Shoals

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Net Interest Income: Interest earned on loan portfolio including personal mortgages (Conventional, VA, FHA, USDA), auto loans, personal loans, commercial real estate loans, construction loans, and business loans.
2. Non-Interest Income: Fees from deposit account services, credit cards, merchant card services, wire transfers, and other banking service charges.
3. Investment & Wealth Management Services: Investment products, insurance, education planning, financial and retirement planning, wealth management, and business planning services offered through advisors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

First Metro Bank is an independent community bank that provides full-service retail and commercial banking through 11 branches across North Alabama. Its core offerings include personal and business checking and savings accounts, CDs, IRAs, residential mortgages (Conventional, VA, FHA, USDA), construction, auto and signature loans, commercial real estate and small business lending, merchant card and ACH services, plus investment, insurance, financial and retirement planning. Customers access services through branches, digital/mobile banking with Zelle, and a unique live teller ATM service (First Metro Live).

Product overview

First Metro Bank is a full-service community bank offering a comprehensive suite of personal and business banking products. The portfolio includes checking and savings accounts (Metro Main Checking, Metro Personal Savings, Metro Money Market, CDs, IRAs), specialized senior banking through First Friends Club, credit and debit cards, digital and mobile banking with Zelle integration, merchant services, and ACH processing. Loan offerings span personal lending (auto loans, mortgages including Conventional, VA, FHA, and USDA products, construction loans, signature loans), and business lending (commercial real estate, small business loans, working capital). The bank also provides investment services, insurance, financial planning, and wealth management. Unique offerings include student-operated in-school bank branches at six high schools for financial literacy education, and First Metro Live ATM service with live teller connectivity during extended hours. The bank operates eleven branches throughout Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, and Limestone counties in North Alabama.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• First Friends: A travel and engagement club for account holders aged 50 and older, offering local events, day trips, overnight trips, and extended trips. Coordinated by the First Friends Committee.
• First Metro Live
• First Metro Bank Certified Banker Program

Products and services

• Metro Main Checking Primary personal checking account with standard banking services and digital access for individual consumers.
• First Friends Checking (50+) Specialized checking account for customers aged 50 and older, offering enhanced benefits paired with the First Friends Club travel and social program.
• Metro Investment Checking Interest-bearing personal checking account designed to maximize earnings on customer funds.
• Metro Personal Savings Standard personal savings account with competitive interest rates for everyday savers.
• Metro Junior Savers Savings account designed for children to learn the value of saving at an early age.
• Metro Money Market Money market savings account offering higher interest rates with flexible access to funds for personal banking customers.
• Certificates of Deposit (CDs) Fixed-term savings accounts with competitive rates and various maturity options for personal banking customers.
• Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) Tax-advantaged retirement savings accounts including Traditional and Roth IRA options for individual savers.
• Small Business 'Go' Accounts Checking account designed specifically for small businesses with streamlined features.
• Metro Business Checking Standard business checking account with comprehensive banking services for small to mid-sized businesses.
• Metro Business Investment Checking Interest-bearing business checking account designed to optimize returns on business funds.
• IOLTA Checking Interest on Lawyer Trust Account (IOLTA) checking for legal professionals managing client funds.
• Metro Business Savings Account Business savings account for managing business reserves and earning interest.
• Metro Commercial Money Market Money market account designed for commercial customers with higher balance requirements and returns.
• Merchant Card Services Payment processing services enabling businesses to accept credit and debit card transactions.
• ACH Services Automated Clearing House services for electronic funds transfers including direct deposit and bill payments for business customers.
• Home Mortgage Loans Residential mortgage lending product suite including Conventional, VA, FHA, and USDA loan programs for personal banking customers seeking home financing.
• Auto Loans Vehicle financing with competitive rates for purchasing new or used automobiles for individual borrowers.
• Construction Loans Financing for building new homes with interest-only payments during construction and option for permanent financing.
• Business Loans

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked 15th among 50 Best Performing Banks in the Southeast under $10B in assets for 2022 (S&P Global Market Intelligence) — only North Alabama bank featured
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• Newsweek Magazine / Most Loved Workplace (Best Practice Institute)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 October 2023First Metro Bank was featured and ranked on Newsweek's Top 200 America's Most Loved Workplaces list for 2024, developed by Most Loved Workplace, a division of Best Practice Institute.
• Business Alabama Magazine / Best Companies GroupminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022First Metro Bank participated in the Best Companies Group survey process to determine the Best Companies to Work for in Alabama. The two-part evaluation consisted of workplace policy evaluation (25%) and employee survey (75%).
• Colbert County Board of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 March 2019First Metro Bank partnered with the Colbert County Board of Education to open student-operated branches at Cherokee, Colbert County, and Colbert Heights High Schools in August 2019, expanding the program to six total schools. Superintendent Dr. Gale Satchel expressed strong support for the partnership providing first-class financial literacy in schools.
• Athens High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017First Metro Bank partnered with Athens High School to open a student-operated branch, expanding the nationally recognized in-school banking program to Limestone County. The program provides students real-world banking experience and financial literacy education.
• Florence High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012First Metro Bank partnered with Florence High School in 2012 to create and implement an in-school bank (Falcon Branch) which serves students, faculty, staff, and administrators each school day. Student tellers earn grades for their participation. The program is a nationally recognized model highlighted by the FDIC in their publication Linking Youth Savings with Financial Education.
• Muscle Shoals High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012First Metro Bank partnered with Muscle Shoals High School in 2012 to create the in-school Trojan Branch. Student tellers process accounts, deposits, withdrawals, and check cashing while receiving financial literacy education. The program has been recognized nationally and presented by First Metro Bank Education and Training Director Alana Parker at FDIC conferences in Los Angeles and Washington D.C.
• FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012First Metro Bank collaborated with the FDIC through the Youth Banking Network. The FDIC highlighted First Metro Bank's financial literacy outreach program in their publication Linking Youth Savings with Financial Education: Lessons from the FDIC Pilot. First Metro Bank Education and Training Director Alana Parker was invited to present the program at FDIC conferences in Los Angeles, California and Washington D.C.
• Investment Companies (Joint Marketing)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFirst Metro Bank's Privacy Policy notes joint marketing relationships with investment companies for the marketing of financial products or services. These are formal agreements between nonaffiliated financial companies under joint marketing arrangements.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Regions Bank: Major regional bank headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama with deep branch penetration across the state. Represents the largest incumbent competing for retail and SMB relationships in First Metro Bank's North Alabama footprint.
• Cadence Bank: Large regional bank headquartered in Tupelo, MS with a meaningful Alabama branch network and full-service commercial and retail offerings. Operates broadly in the same Alabama geography with significantly greater scale, representing an incumbent competitor.

Regional players

• SmartBank: Tennessee-based community bank with branch operations across the Southeast including Alabama. Comparable in size and community banking philosophy, providing a regional peer reference for performance benchmarking.
• CB&S Bank: Community bank headquartered in Russellville, Alabama serving the northwest Alabama and Shoals region with retail and commercial products. Strong geographic overlap in the immediate First Metro Bank service area as a regional community competitor.

Direct peers

• First Southern State Bank: Community bank with a presence in north Alabama offering deposit, lending, and digital banking services. Closely comparable community bank profile competing for similar customers in adjacent geographies.
• Bank Independent: North Alabama community bank headquartered in Sheffield serving the Shoals region and surrounding counties with retail and commercial banking. Operates in the immediate geographic backyard of First Metro Bank with a comparable community bank model.
• ServisFirst Bancshares: Alabama-based super community bank operating across the state with full-service commercial, retail, and treasury products. Highly comparable as an Alabama-headquartered community bank competing for similar SMB and retail customers in overlapping North Alabama markets.
• Bryant Bank: Alabama-based community bank with branches concentrated in central and north Alabama serving consumers and small businesses. Directly comparable in size, product mix, and community banking philosophy to First Metro Bank.
• Progress Bank and Trust: Alabama community bank serving consumers and small businesses with traditional deposit and loan products. Overlapping footprint in northern Alabama and similar community banking positioning make it a relevant comparable.
• National Bank of Commerce (NBC): Alabama community bank with branch presence across north and central Alabama offering personal, business, and mortgage products. Comparable size and geographic overlap make it a direct local competitor for retail and SMB deposits and loans.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FirstMetroBank
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnJstdOuOVSoCqeeTbNbY3Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/firstmetro
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-metro-bank

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles26 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about First Metro Bank