Pinnacle Acquires Beach & Gentry Insurance

Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. (Nasdaq/NGS: PNFP) announced today its acquisition of Murfreesboro, Tenn.-based Beach & Gentry Insurance LLC. Terms were not disclosed. Beach & Gentry will merge with Miller & Loughry Insurance & Services Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pinnacle Financial Partners, also located in Murfreesboro, immediately. The combined company will take the name Miller Loughry Beach and will consolidate offices following renovations to Pinnacle’s offices at 214 W. College Street in Murfreesboro. "Beach & Gentry shares our philosophy of delivering distinctive service and effective advice,” said Ken Halliburton, managing principal for Miller & Loughry. "The merger brings together the two largest insurance brokerage firms in Rutherford County, which will give our clients even greater access to carriers.” Ken Halliburton will be managing principal of Miller Loughry Beach. Beach & Gentry Principal Clay Beach and Eddie Miller of Miller & Loughry will have leadership roles. All insurance advisors will remain with the combined company. Advisors include Mike Gentry, Jeff Adrian, Hank Coppedge, Gary Garner and Chase Sinquefield from Beach & Gentry; and Rusty Dallas, Bobby Mason, Susan McIndoo, Tim Morrell and Karl Welch from Miller & Loughry. "This partnership is an ideal cultural fit,” said Clay Beach, Beach & Gentry principal. "We have long admired Miller & Loughry, and combining our talents will allow us to be a more valuable resource to our clients. We look forward to leveraging the strengths of our combined firm.” "Both firms are highly regarded and well known in Nashville and Rutherford County. We are excited to gain such a dominant position in this important part of Pinnacle’s financial services offerings,” said Bill Jones, Pinnacle’s Rutherford County area executive. Beach & Gentry, founded in 1972, has 18 associates and 4,000 clients. Miller & Loughry, the oldest independent insurance agency in Murfreesboro, was founded in 1949 and has 22 associates and 6,300 clients. "Insurance services are a critical component of our clients' financial services needs,” said Pinnacle Chairman Rob McCabe. "At a time when many financial services companies are shedding business lines and are focused on internal issues, we are continuing our strategy of acquiring likeminded financial services firms in high growth Tennessee areas.” Pinnacle Financial Partners provides a full range of banking, investment, mortgage and insurance products and services designed for small- to mid-sized businesses and their owners, real estate professionals and individuals interested in a comprehensive relationship with their financial institution. Comprehensive wealth management services, such as financial planning and trust, help clients increase, protect and distribute their assets. The firm also has a well-established expertise in commercial real estate. Pinnacle began operations in a single downtown Nashville location in October 2000 and has since grown to $3.9 billion in assets at March 31, 2008. The firm is the second-largest bank holding company headquartered in Tennessee, with 31 offices in eight Middle Tennessee counties and two in Knoxville. Additional information concerning Pinnacle can be accessed at www.pnfp.com. Certain of the statements in this release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The words "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "seek," "estimate" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, but other statements not based on historical information may also be considered forward-looking. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other facts that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Pinnacle to differ materially from any results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, without limitation those set forth in the reports that Pinnacle files with the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as, (i) unanticipated deterioration in the financial condition of borrowers resulting in significant increases in loan losses and provisions for those losses, (ii) the inability of Pinnacle to continue to grow its loan portfolio at historic rates in the Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin MSA and the Knoxville MSA, (iii) increased competition with other financial institutions, (iv) lack of sustained growth in the economy in the Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin MSA and the Knoxville MSA, (v) rapid fluctuations or unanticipated changes in interest rates, (vi) the inability of Pinnacle to satisfy regulatory requirements for its expansion plans, (vii) the inability of Pinnacle to execute its expansion plans and (viii) changes in state and Federal legislation or regulations applicable to financial services providers, including banks. Additionally, risk factors exist in connection with Pinnacle’s merger with Mid-America including, among others, (1) the risk that the cost savings and any revenue synergies from the merger may not be realized or take longer than anticipated, (2) disruption from the merger with customers, suppliers or employee relationships, and (3) the risk of successful integration of the two companies’ businesses. Many of such factors are beyond Pinnacle's ability to control or predict, and readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Pinnacle disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.