Effective Jan. 1, Independent Bank has acquired Denver-based bank Guaranty Bancorp along with its 32 locations in the Denver, Colorado, area. In May 2018, Independent Bank entered into a deal with Guaranty Bancorp in which Independent Bank would trade more than 13 million shares of Independent Bank stock in exchange for the acquisition of Guaranty Bancorp, which, at the time, was worth a purchase value of $1 billion. According to Independent Bank CEO David Brooks, this acquisition raises the number of Independent Bank’s locations to over 100 locations, with over 42 banks in Colorado, 10 of which are NorthStar banks previously acquired in 2017, as well as 72 banks in Texas. “We had been looking in Colorado for a new partner, and Guaranty Bancorp is one of the leading banks in Colorado; they have a similar position in Colorado that we have here in Texas,” Brooks said. “It’s very similar to Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin and Houston, the three markets we serve here in Texas, and felt like Denver would be a good fourth major growth market for us.” Brooks said acquisitions like these were an important influence in Independent Bank’s decision to build its new headquarters in McKinney, which is expected to be complete and fully operational by mid-April. “Early last year when we started the construction on our headquarters building, the idea was that we knew would start on some larger acquisitions, and we wanted to build a campus that would hire hundreds, and we believe eventually over a thousand, new jobs there at the site here in McKinney at the headquarters,” Brooks said. “What that does for McKinney is, over time, continues to help us build jobs at the McKinney headquarters that helps support the Colorado acquisition and other acquisitions we do around the state.”