Our Story

Built On Relationships

Hilltop Holdings was born from one simple idea — the creation of a diversified financial services holding company through acquisitions and organic growth.

Along with a commitment to disciplined acquisition and continual growth, Hilltop is distinguished by its relationship-centric approach to business. For more than 20 years, we have connected customers to opportunities. We enable businesses to thrive, economies to prosper, and help individuals to realize their ambitions.

At Hilltop Holdings, as well as at each of our subsidiaries, we strive to build the strongest possible long-term relationships with our clients and business partners — relationships based on mutual trust, integrity, and adherence to our core values.

The experiences of the last 20 years have formed the character of Hilltop. A glance at our history explains why we believe in capital strength, disciplined acquisitions, organic growth, and in building long-term relationships with customers. From our beginnings in manufactured home communities to our expansion into online banking, credit and lending, mortgage origination, and wealth management, our commitment to customers has been our focus from day one.

INVESTMENT

OPPORTUNITY

Future Growth

A Small Investment

What began as a minor investment in 2005 has bloomed into one of Texas’ premier financial institutions. The journey began with Hilltop Holdings’ Chairman Gerald J. Ford, one of the nation’s most accomplished financial services executives.

Known for his ability to transform distressed assets into thriving financial institutions, Mr. Ford initiated Hilltop’s path to prominence by investing in and joining the board of Affordable Residential Communities Inc. (ARC).

Mr. Ford leveraged 40 years of M&A experience—including the acquisition, consolidation, and development of banks and holding companies—to turn ARC into more than just an investment vehicle. By 2008, under Ford’s guidance, ARC re-branded as Hilltop Holdings. All it needed was the right opportunity.

Preparation Meets Opportunity

The Right Opportunity

In 2010, after spending time on Wall Street and in private equity, Jeremy Ford joined the helm of Hilltop. Together, the Ford family began laying the foundation for a family of diverse financial services companies, investing in respected Texas-based institutions and pursuing the acquisition of banks.

Two years later, Hilltop acquired PlainsCapital Corporation, a community-oriented bank with a diverse business model, a strong reputation, and deep Texas roots. PlainsCapital Bank assumed its role as the financial cornerstone of Hilltop Holdings, and a model for a much grander scale.

By 2016, Hilltop had set the groundwork for future growth. The company embarked on unifying its subsidiaries and building a scalable, best-in-class shared services operations platform.

A New Generation Lays the Groundwork

A Platform for Growth

Today, Hilltop Holdings is the preeminent financial services franchise Gerald J. Ford envisioned in 2005.

The franchise is anchored by PlainsCapital Bank, a strong Texas-based commercial bank, and enhanced by two powerful fee businesses with a national presence: PrimeLending, a leading mortgage originator, and HilltopSecurities, a prominent municipal investment bank.

Hilltop’s subsidiaries work in synergy, leveraging a diverse set of revenue sources designed to offset challenged economic and interest rate environments. With this model in place, Hilltop is well positioned to generate value, grow its businesses, and deploy excess capital in pursuit of strategic bank acquisitions.

A Synergistic and Diverse Business Model

Growth Through the Years

1998

Hilltop Holdings is founded under the name Affordable Residential Communities Inc. (ARC) as a real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in manufactured home communities.
Growth Through the Years

2004

Completed an initial public offering (IPO) on NYSE.
Growth Through the Years

2005

Gerald J. Ford invested in ARC and joined the board of directors.
Growth Through the Years

2006

ARC revoked its election as an REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes and announced the acquisition of National Lloyds Corporation (formerly NLASCO), a property and casualty insurance underwriter for low value dwellings.
Growth Through the Years

2007

ARC sold all of the assets used in its manufactured home communities business for $1.8 billion and changed its name to Hilltop Holdings Inc. Hilltop Holdings then began pursuit of bank acquisitions.
Growth Through the Years

2011

Hilltop made a $50 million loan to SWS Group, Inc., a Dallas-based financial services company offering retail brokerage, institutional brokerage, clearing services, and banking.
Growth Through the Years

2012

With approximately $600 million in cash mainly from the sale of the manufactured home business, Hilltop’s realized its goal to acquire an attractive banking institution. With the acquisition of PlainsCapital Corporation, Hilltop added not only PlainsCapital Bank but a mortgage originator (PrimeLending) and a broker-dealer (FirstSouthwest). PlainsCapital’s financial strength and stability, experienced leadership, diversified business, strong Texas roots, and national footprint made it a good fit for Hilltop. The PlainsCapital Corporation acquisition closed on November 30, 2012.
Growth Through the Years

2013

Hilltop Holdings Inc. announced September 13, 2013 that its subsidiary, PlainsCapital Bank, entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with the FDIC to assume substantially all of the liabilities and purchase substantially all of the assets of First National Bank, based in Edinburg, Texas.
Growth Through the Years

2015

Hilltop completed its acquisition of Dallas-based SWS Group, Inc., (“SWS”) on January 1, 2015. Southwest Securities, FSB, a $1.2 billion banking subsidiary of SWS, was merged into Hilltop’s banking subsidiary, PlainsCapital Bank. SWS’ broker-dealer subsidiaries, Southwest Securities, Inc., and SWS Financial Services, Inc., merged with FirstSouthwest to create Hilltop Securities.
Growth Through the Years

2018

Hilltop Holdings Inc. completed its acquisition of privately held, Houston-based The Bank of River Oaks on August 1, 2018. The Bank of River Oaks was merged into Hilltop’s banking subsidiary, PlainsCapital Bank, and its three locations became full-service PlainsCapital branches. The $85 million all-cash transaction more than doubled PlainsCapital Bank’s Houston-area portfolio with the addition of approximately $342 million in total loans and approximately $369 million in total deposits.
Growth Through the Years

2020

Hilltop Holdings completed the sale of Hilltop’s wholly owned subsidiary, National Lloyds Corporation, to Align Financial Holdings on June 30, 2020. Gross proceeds (before transaction expenses) at closing to Hilltop from the transaction were approximately $154.1 million.

1998
2004
2005
2006
2007
2011
2012
2013
2015
2018
2020

Previous Next

Leadership
Team

Meet the senior management teams from our family of companies.

News &
Media

Find our latest media releases, earnings calls, and insights.

Careers at
Hilltop

Explore the career possibilities at Hilltop Holdings.

Leaving Hilltop Holdings Website

Hilltop Holdings does not control the following website and their privacy policies may differ. Hilltop Holdings is not responsible for the content nor transactions carried out on the following website.

Thank you for visiting the Hilltop Holdings website.
For best viewing experience, we recommend using Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge.

Search For:

Our Story

Built On Relationships

Growth Through the Years

Growth Through the Years

Growth Through the Years

Growth Through the Years

Growth Through the Years

Growth Through the Years

Growth Through the Years

Growth Through the Years

Growth Through the Years

Growth Through the Years

Growth Through the Years

Leadership Team

News & Media

Careers at Hilltop

Leadership
Team

News &
Media

Careers at
Hilltop