Allegiance Bancshares Inc. has agreed to acquire the $220 million-asset Independence Bank, executives told the Houston Business Journal on Monday...the deal gives Allegiance a larger asset base from which to launch another major franchise in the city, said Dan Bass, Houston managing director for Performance Capital Trust Partners LLC. "I think they're going to be a major player in Houston on a long-term basis," Bass said. "Once you get to $1 billion (in assets), you're on the radar screen for people trying to get into Houston. Not that they'd sell, … but the bigger you are, then the more you can spread out the cost and drive the efficiency ratio down."
