Huntington Bank will extend its commercial banking presence deeper into the Lone Star State after launching in the Dallas-Forth Worth area early this year.

Local banking industry veteran Clint Bryant will lead Texas as its market president. Bryant took the job in January.

“We're one of the biggest and one of the fastest-growing markets in the country. Texas is one of the largest economies in the world — it's the eighth-largest economy in the world if you just look at Texas on a stand-alone basis — and so there's this tremendous amount of opportunity,” Bryant said, regarding what would attract an out-of-state bank to Texas growth.

“There's a tremendous [number] of companies and individuals continuing to move into the state, it's very business friendly, and so it's obviously just an attractive market for what we're trying to build,” he added.

This isn’t an expansion, Bryant said, but ran extension for Huntington, which has more than 160 employees throughout the state in segments including corporate banking, automotive finance and Small Business Administration lending.

Scott Kleinman, president of Huntington’s commercial bank, said the bank’s mission is to “help businesses throughout Texas thrive.”

“Having an industry veteran like Clint at the helm of our efforts will ensure we’re meeting the unique needs of middle-market companies,” Kleinman said.

Bryant joined Huntington from Texas Capital Bank, where he was most recently managing director and Dallas market president. Prior to his four-year stint at Texas Capital, he spent six years at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, two at Fifth Third and six at Wells Fargo in leadership positions, according to his LinkedIn.

“There are very few opportunities that you get where you can be with a firm that has the culture and the legacy of Huntington,” Bryant said. “Obviously, it's been around since 1866. It has a great reputation, has a great culture, and that was what attracted me first to the opportunity. 

“Couple that with the size and scale and capability set that Huntington brings to companies in this marketplace, [and] that differentiates [the bank] from others.”

While the commercial bank is planting roots in Dallas, branching out within the state is imminent.

Bryant’s team hasn’t yet pinpointed the next location. He has, however, made three Dallas-based hires. Caleb Allen, a senior executive relationship manager, joins from Regions. David Surritte, a commercial relationship manager, come to Huntington from Capital One. And Daniel Walsh, Huntington’s Dallas commercial market leader, joins from Fifth Third.

“The build is something I've always enjoyed,” Bryant said. “I started in SunTrust in 2013, when they didn't have a presence in Texas and built teams out in Dallas and the Houston markets, so I've done that before.

“Again, it's a good market for not only companies but for talent, and I think we'll be able to attract both,” Bryant said.

Huntington’s Texas commercial banking push comes just three months after a similar effort in the Carolinas.