
Bankers say they have the money to lend small businesses but they see owners staying on the sidelines rather than borrowing. Chevis Swetman, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of The Peoples Bank in Biloxi, neatly sums up small business owners’ hesitancy: “Three little words: Fear, uncertainty and doubt.” The Peoples Bank has [...] [...]
Paul Guichet has been named vice president of business development at The Peoples Bank. Guichet, a New Orleans native and longtime resident of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, has been in banking for three decades, including positions in retail banking, personal trust and commercial product development. He has experience in comprehensive financial services, mergers and acquisitions, [...] [...]

It’s often been said it takes a lean dog to run a long race. And with that in mind, staying lean is a likely survival strategy for Mississippi’s private businesses heading into 2013. Even companies with fat cash reserves are keeping lean, preferring to horde their money until signs of an economic turnaround become clearer. [...] [...]

by Becky Gillette Published: June 3,2012
Tags: BancorpSouth, Chevis Swetman, David Turner, foreclosures, HARP II, housing bubble, John Oxford, Randy Burchfield, Regions Bank, Renasant Bank, The Peoples Bank
The flip side of the housing bubble burst is that interest rates are as low as people are likely to see in their lifetimes. That combined with the government’s HARP II program to help distressed homeowners stay in their homes are reducing mortgage amounts, and contributing to increased revenues at banks. Regions Bank chief financial [...] [...]
Evelyn Herrington has been appointed senior vice president at The Peoples Bank. Chevis Swetman, chairman and CEO of the bank, said Herrington has more than 30 years of banking experience. She joined Peoples in 1995 and most recently was vice president of compliance. Herrington is a native of Laurel. [...]
The board of directors of Peoples Financial Corporation, parent of The Peoples Bank, has elected two directors to the board of the bank subsidiary. The two new directors are Wes Fulmer, executive vice president of The Peoples Bank and Peoples Financial Corporation, and A. Wynn Alexander, president of the Desoto companies engaged in forest and [...] [...]
Jeffrey H. O’Keefe, 55, has been elected to the board of directors of the Peoples Financial Corporation, parent of The Peoples Bank. O’Keefe is president and CEO of Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home in Biloxi. He has served on the board of directors of The Peoples Bank since 1986. He replaces Lyle Page, who died in July [...] [...]