Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

ST. JAMES— Maries County Bank was honored as the 2024 Lender of the Year by the Meramec Regional Development Corporation (MRDC) for its partnership efforts to bring jobs and private investment to the Meramec Region. Mark Hayes, Tina Vrba, Nyla Bassett and Sarah Stratman accepted the award on behalf of the bank. Mark Baker, MRDC secretary, made the presentation at Meramec Regional Planning Commission’s (MRPC) 2024 Annual Dinner and Awards Banquet, held Oct. 24 at Osage View in Linn. 

The Maries County Bank was founded in Vienna in 1900. Today MCB has branches in Vienna, Belle, Dixon, Argyle, Vichy, Owensville, St. James, Cuba, St. Robert, Richland and Iberia.

MRDC, an SBA Certified Development Company, partners with local banks to provide gap financing with the SBA 504 program. MRDC also serves as a loan review board for MRPC – owned revolving loan funds. MRPC provides the staffing for MRDC. 

For more information on MRPC’s small business loans program, contact MRPC at 573-265-2993.

Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. Mary Heywood, representing the unemployed, serves as chair of the board. A professional staff of 28 offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.

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Cutline: Mark Baker, Meramec Regional Development Corporation secretary presented the Lender of the Year Award to Maries County Bank. Sarah Stratman, Tina Vrbo, Nyla Bassett and Mark Hayes accepted the award on behalf of the bank at MRPC’s Annual Dinner and Awards Banquet held Oct. 24 at Osage View in Linn.