MERCANTILE BANK CORP - Annual Report: 2007 (Form 10-K)

 

 

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

þ		ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007

o		TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from                      to                     

MERCANTILE BANK CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Michigan		38-3360865
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
310 Leonard Street NW, Grand Rapids, Michigan		49504
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class				Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock				The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes o No þ

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes o No þ

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ No o

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

Large accelerated filer o      Accelerated filer þ      Non-accelerated filer o      Smaller reporting company o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes o No þ

The aggregate value of the common equity held by non-affiliates (persons other than directors and executive officers) of the registrant, computed by reference to the closing price of the common stock as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately $211.9 million.

As of February 11, 2008, there were issued and outstanding 8,526,584 shares of the registrant’s common stock.

Portions of the proxy statement for the 2008 annual meeting of shareholders (Portions of Part III).

 

 

PART I

Item 1. Business.

The Company

     Mercantile Bank Corporation is a registered bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “Bank Holding Company Act”). Unless the text clearly suggests otherwise, references to “us,” “we,” “our,” or “the company” include Mercantile Bank Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. As a bank holding company, we are subject to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”). We were organized on July 15, 1997, under the laws of the State of Michigan, primarily for the purpose of holding all of the stock of Mercantile Bank of Michigan (“our bank”), and of such other subsidiaries as we may acquire or establish. Our bank commenced business on December 15, 1997.

     Mercantile Bank Mortgage Company initiated business in October 2000 as a subsidiary of our bank, and was reorganized as Mercantile Bank Mortgage Company, LLC (“our mortgage company”), on January 1, 2004. Mercantile Insurance Center, Inc. (“our insurance company”), a subsidiary of our bank, commenced operations during 2002 to offer insurance products. Mercantile Bank Real Estate Co., L.L.C., (“our real estate company”), a subsidiary of our bank, was organized on July 21, 2003, principally to develop, construct and own our new facility in downtown Grand Rapids which serves as our bank’s new main office and Mercantile Bank Corporation’s headquarters. Mercantile Bank Capital Trust I (the “Mercantile trust”), a business trust subsidiary, was formed in September 2004 to issue trust preferred securities.

     To date we have raised capital from our initial public offering of common stock in October 1997, a public offering of common stock in July 1998, three private placements of common stock during 2001, a public offering of common stock in August 2001 and a public offering of common stock in September 2003. In addition, we raised capital through a public offering of $16.0 million of trust preferred securities in 1999, which was refinanced as part of a $32.0 million private placement of trust preferred securities in 2004. Our expenses have generally been paid using the proceeds of the capital sales and dividends from our bank. Our principal source of future operating funds is expected to be dividends from our bank.

     We filed an election to become a financial holding company, pursuant to the Bank Holding Company Act, as amended by Title I of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and implementing Federal Reserve Board regulations, which election became effective March 23, 2000.

Our Bank

     Our bank is a state banking company that operates under the laws of the State of Michigan, pursuant to a charter issued by the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Services. Our bank’s deposits are insured to the maximum extent permitted by law by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). Our bank’s primary service area is the Kent and Ottawa County areas of West Michigan, which includes the City of Grand Rapids, the second largest city in the State of Michigan. In addition, our bank opened new offices in the cities of East Lansing and Ann Arbor, Michigan, during 2005, and in Novi, Michigan, during 2007.

     Our bank, through its nine offices, provides commercial and retail banking services primarily to small- to medium-sized businesses based in and around the Grand Rapids, Holland, Lansing, Ann Arbor and Oakland County areas. These offices consist of a main office located at 310 Leonard Street NW, Grand Rapids, Michigan, a combination branch and retail loan center located at 4613 Alpine Avenue NW, Comstock Park, Michigan, a combination branch and operations center located at 5610 Byron Center Avenue SW, Wyoming, Michigan, and branches located at 4860 Broadmoor Avenue SE, Kentwood, Michigan, 3156 Knapp Street NE, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 880 East 16^th Street, Holland, Michigan, 3737 Coolidge Road, East Lansing, Michigan, 325 Eisenhower Parkway, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and 28350 Cabot Drive, Novi, Michigan.

     Our bank makes secured and unsecured commercial, construction, mortgage and consumer loans, and accepts checking, savings and time deposits. Our bank owns seven automated teller machines (“ATM”), located at our branch locations in Grand Rapids, Holland and East Lansing, that participate in the MAC, NYCE and PLUS regional network systems, as well as other ATM networks throughout the country. Our bank also enables customers to conduct certain loan and deposit transactions by telephone and personal computer. Courier service is provided to certain commercial customers, and safe deposit facilities are available at our branch locations in Grand Rapids, Holland and East Lansing. Our bank does not have trust powers. In December 2001, our bank entered into a joint brokerage services and marketing agreement with Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. to make available to its customers financial planning, retail brokerage, equity research, insurance and annuities, retirement planning, trust services and estate planning.

Our Mortgage Company

     Our mortgage company’s predecessor, Mercantile Bank Mortgage Company, commenced operations on October 24, 2000, when our bank contributed most of its residential mortgage loan portfolio and participation interests in certain commercial mortgage loans to Mercantile Bank Mortgage Company. On the same date, our bank also transferred its residential mortgage origination function to Mercantile Bank Mortgage Company. On January 1, 2004, Mercantile Bank Mortgage Company was reorganized as Mercantile Bank Mortgage Company, LLC, a limited liability company, which is 99% owned by our bank and 1% owned by our insurance company. The reorganization had no impact on the company’s financial position or results of operations. Mortgage loans originated and held by our mortgage company are serviced by our bank pursuant to a servicing agreement.

Our Insurance Company

     Our insurance company acquired an existing shelf insurance agency effective April 15, 2002. An Agency and Institution Agreement was entered into among our insurance company, our bank and Hub International for the purpose of providing programs of mass marketed personal lines of insurance. Insurance product offerings include private passenger automobile, homeowners, personal inland marine, boat owners, recreational vehicle, dwelling fire, umbrella policies, small business and life insurance products, all of which are provided by and written through companies that have appointed Hub International as their agent.

Our Real Estate Company

     Our real estate company was organized on July 21, 2003, principally to develop, construct and own our facility in downtown Grand Rapids that serves as our bank’s main office and Mercantile Bank Corporation’s headquarters. This facility was placed into service during the second quarter of 2005. Our real estate company is 99% owned by our bank and 1% owned by our insurance company.

The Mercantile Trust

     In 2004, we formed the Mercantile trust, a Delaware business trust. Mercantile trust’s business and affairs are conducted by its property trustee, a Delaware trust company, and three individual administrative trustees who are employees and officers of the company. Mercantile trust was established for the purpose of issuing and selling its Series A and Series B trust preferred securities and common securities, and used the proceeds from the sales of those securities to acquire Series A and Series B Floating Rate Notes issued by the company. Substantially all of the net proceeds received by the company from the Series A transaction were used to redeem the trust preferred securities that had been issued by MBWM Capital Trust I in September 1999. We established MBWM Capital Trust I in 1999 to issue the trust preferred securities that were redeemed. Substantially all of the net proceeds received by the company from the Series B transaction were contributed to our bank as capital. The Series A and Series B Floating Rate Notes are categorized on our consolidated financial statements as subordinated debentures. Additional information regarding Mercantile trust is incorporated by reference to “Note 15 — Subordinated Debentures” and “Note 16 — Regulatory Matters” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on pages F-58 through F-60.

Effect of Government Monetary Policies

     Our earnings are affected by domestic economic conditions and the monetary and fiscal policies of the United States government, its agencies, and the Federal Reserve Board. The Federal Reserve Board’s monetary policies have had, and will likely continue to have, an important impact on the operating results of commercial banks through its power to implement national monetary policy in order to, among other things, curb inflation, maintain employment, and mitigate economic recessions. The policies of the Federal Reserve Board have a major effect upon the levels of bank loans, investments and deposits through its open market operations in United States government securities, and through its regulation of, among other things, the discount rate on borrowings of member banks and the reserve requirements against member bank deposits. Our bank maintains reserves directly with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago to the extent required by law. It is not possible to predict the nature and impact of future changes in monetary and fiscal policies.

Regulation and Supervision

     As a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act, we are required to file an annual report with the Federal Reserve Board and such additional information as the Federal Reserve Board may require. We are also subject to examination by the Federal Reserve Board.

     The Bank Holding Company Act limits the activities of bank holding companies that have not qualified as financial holding companies to banking and the management of banking organizations, and to certain non-banking activities. These non-banking activities include those activities that the Federal Reserve Board found, by order or regulation as of the day prior to enactment of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, to be so closely related to banking as to be a proper incident to banking. These non-banking activities include, among other things: operating a mortgage company, finance company, or factoring company; performing certain data processing operations; providing certain investment and financial advice; acting as an insurance agent for certain types of credit-related insurance; leasing property on a full-payout, nonoperating basis; and providing discount securities brokerage services for customers. With the exception of the activities of our mortgage company discussed above, neither we nor any of our subsidiaries engages in any of the non-banking activities listed above.

     In March 2000, our election to become a financial holding company, as permitted by the Bank Holding Company Act, as amended by Title I of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, was accepted by the Federal Reserve Board. In order to continue as a financial holding company, we and our bank must satisfy statutory requirements regarding capitalization, management, and compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act. As a financial holding company, we are permitted to engage in a broader range of activities than are permitted to bank holding companies.

     Those expanded activities include any activity which the Federal Reserve Board (in certain instances in consultation with the Department of the Treasury) determines, by order or regulation, to be financial in nature or incidental to such financial activity, or to be complementary to a financial activity and not to pose a substantial risk to the safety or soundness of depository institutions or the financial system generally. Such expanded activities include, among others: insuring, guaranteeing, or indemnifying against loss, harm, damage, illness, disability or death, or issuing annuities, and acting as principal, agent, or broker for such purposes; providing financial, investment, or economic advisory services, including advising a mutual fund; and underwriting, dealing in, or making a market in securities. Other than the insurance agency activities of our insurance company, neither we nor our subsidiaries presently engage in any of the expanded activities.

     Our bank is subject to restrictions imposed by federal law and regulation. Among other things, these restrictions apply to any extension of credit to us or to our other subsidiaries, to investments in stock or other securities that we issue, to the taking of such stock or securities as collateral for loans to any borrower, and to acquisitions of assets or services from, and sales of certain types of assets to, us or our other subsidiaries. Federal law restricts our ability to borrow from our bank by limiting the aggregate amount we may borrow and by requiring that all loans to us be secured in designated amounts by specified forms of collateral.

     With respect to the acquisition of banking organizations, we are generally required to obtain the prior approval of the Federal Reserve Board before we can acquire all or substantially all of the assets of any bank, or acquire ownership or control of any voting shares of any bank or bank holding company, if, after the acquisition, we would own or control more than 5% of the voting shares of the bank or bank holding company. Acquisitions of banking organizations across state lines are subject to certain restrictions imposed by Federal and state laws and regulations.

Employees

     As of December 31, 2007, we and our bank employed 273 full-time and 75 part-time persons. Management believes that relations with employees are good.

Lending Policy

     As a routine part of our business, we make loans and leases to businesses and individuals located within our market areas. Our lending policy states that the function of the lending operation is twofold: to provide a means for the investment of funds at a profitable rate of return with an acceptable degree of risk, and to meet the credit needs of the creditworthy businesses and individuals who are our customers. We recognize that in the normal business of lending, some losses on loans and leases will be inevitable and should be considered a part of the normal cost of doing business.

     Our lending policy anticipates that priorities in extending loans and leases will be modified from time to time as interest rates, market conditions and competitive factors change. The policy sets forth guidelines on a nondiscriminatory basis for lending in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. The policy describes various criteria for granting loans and leases, including the ability to pay; the character of the customer; evidence of financial responsibility; purpose of the loan or lease; knowledge of collateral and its value; terms of repayment; source of repayment; payment history; and economic conditions.

     The lending policy further limits the amount of funds that may be loaned or leased against specified types of real estate collateral. For certain loans secured by real estate, the policy requires an appraisal of the property offered as collateral by a state certified independent appraiser. The policy also provides general guidelines for loan to value and lease to value limits for other types of collateral, such as accounts receivable and machinery and equipment. In addition, the policy provides general guidelines as to environmental analysis, loans to employees, executive officers and directors, problem loan and lease identification, maintenance of an allowance for loan and lease losses, loan and lease review and grading, mortgage and consumer lending, and other matters relating to our lending practices.

     The Board of Directors has delegated significant lending authority to officers of our bank. The Board of Directors believes this empowerment, supported by our strong credit culture and the significant experience of our commercial lending staff, makes us responsive to our customers. The loan policy currently specifies lending authority for certain officers up to $5.0 million, and $10.0 million for our bank’s Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer; however, the $10.0 million lending authority is generally used only in rare circumstances where timing is of the essence. Generally, loan requests exceeding $2.5 million require approval by the Officers Loan Committee, and loan requests exceeding $4.0 million, up to the legal lending limit of approximately $33.6 million, require approval by the Board of Directors. In most circumstances, we apply an in-house lending limit that is significantly less than our bank’s legal lending limit.

Lending Activity

     Commercial Loans. Our commercial lending group originates commercial loans and leases primarily in our market areas. Our commercial lenders have extensive commercial lending experience, with most having at least ten years’ experience. Loans and leases are originated for general business purposes, including working capital, accounts receivable financing, machinery and equipment acquisition, and commercial real estate financing, including new construction and land development.

     Working capital loans are often structured as a line of credit and are reviewed periodically in connection with the borrower’s year-end financial reporting. These loans are generally secured by substantially all of the assets of the borrower, and have an interest rate tied to the national prime rate. Loans and leases for machinery and equipment purposes typically have a maturity of three to five years and are fully amortizing, while commercial real estate loans are usually written with a five-year maturity and amortize over a 15 to 20 year period. Commercial loans and leases typically have an interest rate that is fixed to maturity or is tied to the national prime rate.

     We evaluate many aspects of a commercial loan or lease transaction in order to minimize credit and interest rate risk. Underwriting includes an assessment of the management, products, markets, cash flow, capital, income and collateral. This analysis includes a review of the borrower’s historical and projected financial results. Appraisals are generally required by certified independent appraisers where real estate is the primary collateral, and in some cases, where equipment is the primary collateral. In certain situations, for creditworthy customers, we may accept title reports instead of requiring lenders’ policies of title insurance.

     Commercial real estate lending involves more risk than residential lending because loan balances are greater and repayment is dependent upon the borrower’s business operations. We attempt to minimize the risks associated with these transactions by generally limiting our commercial real estate lending to owner-operated properties of well-known customers or new customers whose businesses have an established profitable history. In many cases, risk is further reduced by limiting the amount of credit to any one borrower to an amount considerably less than our legal lending limit and avoiding certain types of commercial real estate financings.

     We have no material foreign loans, and no material loans to energy producing customers. We have only limited exposure to companies engaged in agricultural-related activities.

     Single-Family Residential Real Estate Loans. Our mortgage company originates single-family residential real estate loans in our market area, usually according to secondary market underwriting standards. Loans not conforming to those standards are made in limited circumstances. Single-family residential real estate loans provide borrowers with a fixed or adjustable interest rate with terms up to 30 years.

     Our bank has a home equity line of credit program. Home equity credit is generally secured by either a first or second mortgage on the borrower’s primary residence. The program provides revolving credit at a rate tied to the national prime rate.

     Consumer Loans. We originate consumer loans for a variety of personal financial needs, including new and used automobiles, boat loans, credit cards and overdraft protection for our checking account customers. Consumer loans generally have shorter terms and higher interest rates and usually involve more credit risk than single-family residential real estate loans because of the type and nature of the collateral.

     We believe our consumer loans are underwritten carefully, with a strong emphasis on the amount of the down payment, credit quality, employment stability and monthly income of the borrower. These loans are generally repaid on a monthly repayment schedule with the source of repayment tied to the borrower’s periodic income. In addition, consumer lending collections are dependent on the borrower’s continuing financial stability, and are thus likely to be adversely affected by job loss, illness and personal bankruptcy. In many cases, repossessed collateral for a defaulted consumer loan will not provide an adequate source of repayment of the outstanding loan balance because of depreciation of the underlying collateral.

     We believe that the generally higher yields earned on consumer loans compensate for the increased credit risk associated with such loans, and that consumer loans are important to our efforts to serve the credit needs of the communities and customers that we serve.

Loan and Lease Portfolio Quality

     We utilize a comprehensive grading system for our commercial loans and leases as well as residential mortgage and consumer loans. All commercial loans and leases are graded on a ten grade rating system. The rating system utilizes standardized grade paradigms that analyze several critical factors such as cash flow, management and collateral coverage. All commercial loans and leases are graded at inception and reviewed at various intervals thereafter. Residential mortgage and consumer loans are graded on a random sampling basis after the loan has been made using a separate standardized grade paradigm that analyzes several critical factors such as debt-to-income and credit and employment histories.

     Our independent loan and lease review program is primarily responsible for the administration of the grading system and ensuring adherence to established lending policies and procedures. The loan and lease review program is an integral part of maintaining our strong asset quality culture. The loan and lease review function works closely with senior management, although it functionally reports to the Board of Directors. All commercial loan and lease relationships equal to or exceeding $1.8 million are formally reviewed every twelve months, with a random sampling performed on credits under $1.8 million. Our watch list credits are reviewed monthly by our Watch List Committee, which is comprised of personnel from the administration, lending and loan and lease review functions.

     Loans and leases are placed in a nonaccrual status when, in our opinion, uncertainty exists as to the ultimate collection of principal and interest. As of December 31, 2007, loans and leases placed in nonaccrual status totaled $28.8 million, or 1.60% of total loans and leases. As of the same date, loans and leases past due 90 days or more and still accruing interest totaled $1.0 million, or 0.05% of total loans and leases. As of December 31, 2007, there were no other significant loans and leases where known information about credit problems of borrowers warranted the placing of the loans or leases in a nonaccrual status.

     Additional detail and information relative to the loan and lease portfolio is incorporated by reference to Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation (“Management’s Discussion and Analysis”) beginning on Page F-4 and Note 3 of the Consolidated Financial Statements on pages F-46 and F-47 included in this Annual Report.

Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses

     In each accounting period, we adjust the allowance for loan and lease losses (“allowance”) to the amount we believe is necessary to maintain the allowance at adequate levels. Through the loan and lease review and credit departments, we attempt to allocate specific portions of the allowance based on specifically identifiable problem loans and leases. The evaluation of the allowance is further based on, but not limited to, consideration of the internally prepared Reserve Analysis, composition of the loan and lease portfolio, third party analysis of the loan and lease administration processes and portfolio and general economic conditions. In addition, the historical strong commercial loan and lease growth and expansions into new markets are taken into account.

     The Reserve Analysis, used since our inception and completed monthly, applies reserve allocation factors to outstanding loan and lease balances to calculate an overall allowance dollar amount. For commercial loans and leases, which continue to comprise a vast majority of our total loans and leases, reserve allocation factors are based upon the loan ratings as determined by our standardized grade paradigms. For retail loans, reserve allocation factors are based upon the type of credit. Adjustments for specific lending relationships, including impaired loans and leases, are made on a case-by-case basis. The reserve allocation factors are primarily based on the recent levels and historical trends of net loan charge-offs and non-performing assets, the comparison of the recent levels and historical trends of net loan charge-offs and non-performing assets with a customized peer group consisting of ten similarly-sized publicly traded banking organizations conducting business in the states of Michigan, Illinois, Indiana or Ohio, the review and consideration of our loan and lease migration analysis and the experience of senior management making similar loans and leases for an extensive period of time. We regularly review the Reserve Analysis and make adjustments periodically based upon identifiable trends and experience.

     We believe that the present allowance is adequate, based on the broad range of considerations listed above.

     The primary risks associated with commercial loans and leases are the financial condition of the borrower, the sufficiency of collateral, and lack of timely payment. We have a policy of requesting and reviewing periodic financial statements from our commercial loan and lease customers, and periodically reviewing existence of collateral and its value. The primary risk element that we consider for consumer and residential real estate loans is lack of timely payment. We have a reporting system that monitors past due loans and have adopted policies to pursue our creditor’s rights in order to preserve our bank’s collateral position.

     Additional detail regarding the allowance is incorporated by reference to Management’s Discussion and Analysis beginning on Page F-4 and Note 3 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company on pages F-46 and F-47 included in this Annual Report.

     Although we believe the allowance is adequate to absorb probable incurred losses as they arise, there can be no assurance that we will not sustain losses in any given period which could be substantial in relation to, or greater than, the size of the allowance.

Investments

     Bank Holding Company Investments. The principal investments of our bank holding company are the investments in the common stock of our bank and the common securities of Mercantile trust. Other funds of our bank holding company may be invested from time to time in various debt instruments.

     As a bank holding company, we are also permitted to make portfolio investments in equity securities and to make equity investments in subsidiaries engaged in a variety of non-banking activities, which include real estate-related activities such as community development, real estate appraisals, arranging equity financing for commercial real estate, and owning and operating real estate used substantially by our bank or acquired for its future use. In addition, our bank holding company’s qualification as a financial holding company enables us to make equity investments in companies engaged in a broader range of financial activities than we could do without that qualification. Such expanded activities include insuring, guaranteeing, or indemnifying against loss, harm, damage, illness, disability or death, or issuing annuities, and acting as principal, agent, or broker for such purposes; providing financial, investment, or economic advisory services, including advising a mutual fund; and underwriting, dealing in, or making a market in securities. Our bank holding company has no plans at this time to make directly any of these equity investments at the bank holding company level. Our Board of Directors may, however, alter the investment policy at any time without shareholder approval.

     In addition, so long as our bank holding company is qualified as a financial holding company, it would be permitted, as part of the business of underwriting or merchant banking activity and under certain circumstances and procedures, to invest in shares or other ownership interests in, or assets of, companies engaged in non-financial activities. In order to make those investments, our bank holding company would be required (i) to become, or to have an affiliate that is, a registered securities broker or dealer or a registered municipal securities dealer, or (ii) to control both an insurance company predominantly engaged in underwriting life, accident and health, or property and casualty insurance (other than credit insurance) or issuing annuities, and a registered investment adviser that furnishes investment advice to an insurance company. We do not currently have any securities, insurance, or investment advisory affiliates of the required types, nor does our bank holding company have any current plans to make any of the equity investments described in this paragraph.

     Our Bank’s Investments. Our bank may invest its funds in a wide variety of debt instruments and may participate in the federal funds market with other depository institutions. Subject to certain exceptions, our bank is prohibited from investing in equity securities. Among the equity investments permitted for our bank under various conditions and subject in some instances to amount limitations, are shares of a subsidiary insurance agency, mortgage company, real estate company, or Michigan business and industrial development company, such as our insurance company, our mortgage company, or our real estate company. Under another such exception, in certain circumstances and with prior notice to or approval of the FDIC, our bank could invest up to 10% of its total assets in the equity securities of a subsidiary corporation engaged in the acquisition and development of real property for sale, or the improvement of real property by construction or rehabilitation of residential or commercial units for sale or lease. Our bank has no present plans to make such an investment. Real estate acquired by our bank in satisfaction of or foreclosure upon loans may be held by our bank for specified periods. Our bank is also permitted to invest in such real estate as is necessary for the convenient transaction of its business. Our bank’s Board of Directors may alter the bank’s investment policy without shareholder approval at any time.

     Additional detail and information relative to the securities portfolio is incorporated by reference to Management’s Discussion and Analysis beginning on Page F-4 and Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements on pages F-43 through F-45 included in this Annual Report.

Competition

     Our primary markets for loans and core deposits are the Grand Rapids, Holland, Lansing, Ann Arbor and Oakland County metropolitan areas. We face substantial competition in all phases of our operations from a variety of different competitors. We compete for deposits, loans and other financial services with numerous Michigan-based and out-of-state banks, savings banks, thrifts, credit unions and other financial institutions as well as from other entities that provide financial services. Some of the financial institutions and financial service organizations with which we compete are not subject to the same degree of regulation as we are. Many of our primary competitors have been in business for many years, have established customer bases, are larger, have substantially higher lending limits than we do, and offer larger branch networks and other services which we do not. Most of these same entities have greater capital resources than we do, which, among other things, may allow them to price their services at levels more favorable to the customer and to provide larger credit facilities than we do. Under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, effective March 11, 2000, securities firms and insurance companies that elect to become financial holding companies may acquire banks and other financial institutions. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act affects the competitive environment in which we conduct our business. The financial services industry is also likely to become more competitive as further technological advances enable more companies to provide financial services.

Selected Statistical Information

     Management’s Discussion and Analysis beginning on Page F-4 in this Annual Report includes selected statistical information.

Return on Equity and Assets

     Return on Equity and Asset information is included in Management’s Discussion and Analysis beginning on Page F-4 in this Annual Report.

Available Information

     We maintain an internet website at www.mercbank.com. We make available on or through our website, free of charge, our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as soon as reasonably practical after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not intend the address of our website to be an active link or to otherwise incorporate the contents of our website into this Annual Report.

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

     The following risk factors could affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. These risk factors should be considered in connection with evaluating the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report because they could cause the actual results and conditions to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements. Before you buy our common stock, you should know that investing in our common stock involves risks, including the risks described below. The risks that are highlighted here are not the only ones we face. If the adverse matters referred to in any of the risks actually occur, our business, financial condition or operations could be adversely affected. In that case, the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Adverse changes in economic conditions or interest rates may negatively affect our earnings, capital and liquidity.

     The results of operations for financial institutions, including our bank, may be materially and adversely affected by changes in prevailing local and national economic conditions, including declines in real estate market values and the related declines in value of our real estate collateral, rapid increases or decreases in interest rates and changes in the monetary and fiscal policies of the federal government. Our profitability is heavily influenced by the spread between the interest rates we earn on loans and investments and the interest rates we pay on deposits and other interest-bearing liabilities. Substantially all of our loans are to businesses and individuals in western, south central, or southeastern Michigan, and any decline in the economy of these areas could adversely affect us. Like most banking institutions, our net interest spread and margin will be affected by general economic conditions and other factors that influence market interest rates and our ability to respond to changes in these rates. At any given time, our assets and liabilities may be such that they will be affected differently by a given change in interest rates.

Our credit losses could increase and our allowance for loan and lease losses may not be adequate to cover actual loan losses.

     The risk of nonpayment of loans is inherent in all lending activities, and nonpayment, when it occurs, may have a materially adverse effect on our earnings and overall financial condition as well as the value of our common stock. Our focus on commercial lending may result in a larger concentration of loans to small businesses. As a result, we may assume different or greater lending risks than other banks. We make various assumptions and judgments about the collectibility of our loan portfolio and provide an allowance for losses based on several factors. If our assumptions are wrong, our allowance for loan and lease losses may not be sufficient to cover our losses, which would have an adverse effect on our operating results. The actual amounts of future provisions for loan and lease losses cannot be determined at this time and may exceed the amounts of past provisions. Additions to our allowance for loan and lease losses decrease our net income.

We rely heavily on our management and other key personnel, and the loss of any of them may adversely affect our operations.

     We are and will continue to be dependent upon the services of our management team, including Michael H. Price, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer, and our other senior managers. The loss of Mr. Price, or any of our other senior managers, could have an adverse effect on our growth and performance. We have entered into employment contracts with Mr. Price and two other executive officers. The contracts provide for a three year employment period that is extended for an additional year each year unless a notice is given indicating that the contract will not be extended.

     In addition, we continue to depend on our city presidents and key commercial loan officers. Our city presidents and several of our commercial loan officers are responsible, or share responsibility, for generating and managing a significant portion of our commercial loan and lease portfolio. Our success can be attributed in large part to the relationships these officers as well as members of our management team have developed and are able to maintain with our customers as we continue to implement our community banking philosophy. The loss of any of these commercial loan officers could adversely affect our loan and lease portfolio and performance, and our ability to generate new loans and leases. Many of our key employees have signed agreements with us agreeing not to compete with us in one or more of our markets for specified time periods if they leave employment with us.

     Some of the other financial institutions in our markets also require their key employees to sign agreements that preclude or limit their ability to leave their employment and compete with them or solicit their customers. These agreements make it more difficult for us to hire loan officers with experience in our markets who can immediately solicit their former or new customers on our behalf.

Decline in the availability of out-of-area deposits could cause liquidity or interest rate margin concerns, or limit our growth.

     We have utilized and expect to continue to utilize out-of-area or wholesale deposits to support our asset growth. These deposits are generally a lower cost source of funds when compared to the interest rates that we would have to offer in our local markets to generate a commensurate level of funds. In addition, the overhead costs associated with wholesale deposits are considerably less than the overhead costs we would incur to obtain and administer a similar level of local deposits. A decline in the availability of these wholesale deposits would require us to fund our growth with more costly funding sources, which could reduce our net interest margin, limit our growth, reduce our asset size, or increase our overhead costs. Wholesale deposits include deposits obtained through brokers. If a bank is not well capitalized, regulatory approval is required to accept brokered deposits.

Future sales of our common stock or other securities may dilute the value of our common stock.

     In many situations, our Board of Directors has the authority, without any vote of our shareholders, to issue shares of our authorized but unissued stock, including shares authorized and unissued under our Stock Incentive Plan of 2006. In the future, we may issue additional securities, through public or private offerings, in order to raise additional capital. Any such issuance would dilute the percentage of ownership interest of existing shareholders and may dilute the per share book value of the common stock. In addition, option holders under our stock-based incentive plans may exercise their options at a time when we would otherwise be able to obtain additional equity capital on more favorable terms.

Our growth and expansion may be limited by many factors.

     Our primary growth strategy has been to grow internally by increasing our business in the western Michigan area, and more recently in the Lansing, Ann Arbor and Oakland County areas of Michigan. We are also considering other areas in which we may expand our business. This internal growth strategy depends in large part on generating an increasing level of loans and deposits at acceptable risk and interest rate levels without commensurate increases in non-interest expenses. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in continuing our growth strategy due to delays and other impediments resulting from regulatory oversight, limited availability of qualified personnel and favorable and cost effective branch sites, and management time, capital, and expenses required to develop new branch sites and markets. In addition, the success of our growth strategy will depend on maintaining sufficient regulatory capital levels and on adequate economic conditions in our market areas.

     In addition, although we have no current plans to do so, we may acquire banks, related businesses or branches of other financial institutions that we believe provide a strategic fit with our business. To the extent that we grow through acquisitions, we cannot assure you that we will be able to adequately or profitably manage this growth. Acquiring other banks, businesses, or branches involves risks commonly associated with acquisitions, including exposure to unknown or contingent liabilities and asset quality issues, difficulty and expense of integrating the operations and personnel, potential disruption to our business including the diversion of management’s time and attention, and the possible loss of key employees and customers.

Our future success is dependent on our ability to compete effectively in the highly competitive banking industry.

     We face substantial competition in all phases of our operations from a variety of different competitors. Our future growth and success will depend on our ability to compete effectively in this highly competitive environment. We compete for deposits, loans and other financial services with numerous Michigan-based and out-of-state banks, thrifts, credit unions and other financial institutions as well as other entities that provide financial services, including securities firms and mutual funds. Some of the financial institutions and financial service organizations with which we compete are not subject to the same degree of regulation as we are. Most of our competitors have been in business for many years, have established customer bases, are larger, have substantially higher lending limits than we do and offer branch networks and other services which we do not, including trust and international banking services. Most of these entities have greater capital and other resources than we do, which, among other things, may allow them to price their services at levels more favorable to the customer and to provide larger credit facilities than we do. This competition may limit our growth or earnings. Under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999, effective March 11, 2000, securities firms and insurance companies that elect to become financial holding companies may acquire banks and other financial institutions. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act affects the competitive environment in which we conduct business. The financial services industry is also likely to become more competitive as further technological advances enable more companies to provide financial services. These technological advances may diminish the importance of depository institutions and other financial intermediaries in the transfer of funds between parties.

We are subject to significant government regulation, and any regulatory changes may adversely affect us.

     The banking industry is heavily regulated under both federal and state law. These regulations are primarily intended to protect customers, not our creditors or shareholders. Existing state and federal banking laws subject us to substantial limitations with respect to the making of loans, the purchase of securities, the payment of dividends and many other aspects of our business. Some of these laws may benefit us, others may increase our costs of doing business, or otherwise adversely affect us and create competitive advantages for others. Regulations affecting banks and financial services companies undergo continuous change, and we cannot predict the ultimate effect of these changes, which could have a material adverse effect on our profitability or financial condition. Federal economic and monetary policy may also affect our ability to attract deposits, make loans and achieve satisfactory interest spreads.

We continually encounter technological change, and we may have fewer resources than our competitors to continue to invest in technological improvements.

     The banking industry is undergoing technological changes with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services. In addition to better serving customers, the effective use of technology increases efficiency and enables financial institutions to reduce costs. Our future success will depend, in part, on our ability to address the needs of our customers by using technology to provide products and services that will satisfy customer demands for convenience as well as create additional efficiencies in our operations. Many of our competitors have substantially greater resources to invest in technological improvements. There can be no assurance that we will be able to effectively implement new technology-driven products and services or be successful in marketing these products and services to our customers.

Our Articles of Incorporation and By-laws and the laws of Michigan contain provisions that may discourage or prevent a takeover of our company and reduce any takeover premium.

     Our Articles of Incorporation and By-laws, and the corporate laws of the State of Michigan, include provisions which are designed to provide our Board of Directors with time to consider whether a hostile takeover offer is in our and our shareholders’ best interest. These provisions, however, could discourage potential acquisition proposals and could delay or prevent a change in control. The provisions also could diminish the opportunities for a holder of our common stock to participate in tender offers, including tender offers at a price above the then-current market price for our common stock. These provisions could also prevent transactions in which our shareholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares over then-current market prices, and may limit the ability of our shareholders to approve transactions that they may deem to be in their best interests.

     The Michigan Business Corporation Act contains provisions intended to protect shareholders and prohibit or discourage various types of hostile takeover activities. In addition to these provisions and the provisions of our Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, federal law requires the Federal Reserve Board’s approval prior to acquiring “control” of a bank holding company. All of these provisions may delay or prevent a change in control without action by our shareholders and could adversely affect the price of our common stock.

There is a limited trading market for our common stock.

     The price of our common stock has been, and will likely continue to be, subject to fluctuations based on, among other things, economic and market conditions for bank holding companies and the stock market in general, as well as changes in investor perceptions of our company. The issuance of new shares of our common stock also may affect the market for our common stock.

     Our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “MBWM”. The development and maintenance of an active public trading market depends upon the existence of willing buyers and sellers, the presence of which is beyond our control. While we are a publicly-traded company, the volume of trading activity in our stock is still relatively limited. Even if a more active market develops, there can be no assurance that such a market will continue, or that our shareholders will be able to sell their shares at or above the offering price.

     We have paid a 5% stock dividend on our common stock each year since 2001, and have paid a quarterly cash dividend each quarter beginning with the first quarter of 2003. While we expect to continue paying cash dividends, there is no assurance that we will continue to do so.

Our business is subject to operational risks.

     We, like most financial institutions, are exposed to many types of operational risks, including the risk of fraud by employees or outsiders, unauthorized transactions by employees or operational errors. Operational errors may include clerical or record keeping errors or those resulting from faulty or disabled computer or telecommunications systems. Given our volume of transactions, certain errors may be repeated or compounded before they are discovered and successfully corrected. Our necessary dependence upon automated systems to record and process our transaction volume may further increase the risk that technical system flaws or employee tampering or manipulation of those systems will result in losses that are difficult to detect.

     We may also be subject to disruptions of our operating systems arising from events that are wholly or partially beyond our control, including, for example, computer viruses or electrical or telecommunications outages, which may give rise to losses in service to customers and to loss or liability to us. We are further exposed to the risk that our external vendors may be unable to fulfill their contractual obligations to us, or will be subject to the same risk of fraud or operational errors by their respective employees as are we, and to the risk that our or our vendors’ business continuity and data security systems prove not to be sufficiently adequate. We also face the risk that the design of our controls and procedures prove inadequate or are circumvented, causing delays in detection or errors in information. Although we maintain a system of controls designed to keep operational risk at appropriate levels, there can be no assurance that we will not suffer losses from operational risks in the future that may be material in amount.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

     We have received no written comments regarding our periodic or current reports from the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission that were issued 180 days or more before the end of our 2007 fiscal year and that remain unresolved.

Item 2. Properties.

     During 2005, our bank placed into service a new four-story facility located approximately two miles north from the center of downtown Grand Rapids. This facility serves as the Company’s headquarters and our bank’s main office, and houses the administration function, our bank’s commercial lending and review function, our bank’s loan operations function, a full service branch, portions of our bank’s retail lending and business development function and our bank’s retail brokerage operation. The facility consists of approximately 55,000 square feet of usable space and contains multiple drive-through lanes with ample parking. The land and building are owned by our real estate company. The address of this facility is 310 Leonard Street NW, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

     Our bank designed and constructed a full service branch and retail loan facility which opened in July of 1999 in Alpine Township, a northwest suburb of Grand Rapids. The facility is one story and has approximately 8,000 square feet of usable space. The land and building are owned by our bank. The facility has multiple drive-through lanes and ample parking space. The address of this facility is 4613 Alpine Avenue NW, Comstock Park, Michigan.

     During 2001, our bank designed and constructed two facilities on a 4-acre parcel of land located in the City of Wyoming, a southwest suburb of Grand Rapids. The land had been purchased by our bank in 2000. The larger of the two buildings is a full service branch and deposit operations facility which opened in September of 2001. The facility is two-stories and has approximately 25,000 square feet of usable space. The facility has multiple drive-through lanes and ample parking space. The address of this facility is 5610 Byron Center Avenue SW, Wyoming, Michigan. The other building is a single-story facility with approximately 11,000 square feet of usable space. Our bank’s accounting, audit, loss prevention and wire transfer functions are housed in this building, which underwent a renovation in 2005 that almost doubled its size. The address of this facility is 5650 Byron Center Avenue SW, Wyoming, Michigan.

     During 2002, our bank designed and constructed a full service branch which opened in December of 2002 in the City of Kentwood, a southeast suburb of Grand Rapids. The land had been purchased by our bank in 2001. The facility is one story and has approximately 10,000 square feet of usable space. The facility has multiple drive-through lanes and ample parking space. The address of this facility is 4860 Broadmoor Avenue SW, Kentwood, Michigan.

     During 2003, our bank designed and constructed a full service branch in the northeast quadrant of the City of Grand Rapids. The land had been purchased by our bank in 2002. The facility is one story and has

approximately 3,500 square feet of usable space. The facility has multiple drive-through lanes and ample parking space. The address of this facility is 3156 Knapp Street NE, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

     During 2003, our bank designed and started construction of a new two-story facility located in Holland, Michigan. This facility, which was completed during the fourth quarter of 2004, serves as a full service banking center for the Holland area, including commercial lending, retail lending and a full service branch. The facility, which is owned by our bank, consists of approximately 30,000 square feet of usable space and contains multiple drive-through lanes with ample parking. The address of this facility is 880 East 16^th Street, Holland, Michigan.

     During 2005, our bank opened a branch facility in the City of Ann Arbor, Michigan. The facility is one story and has approximately 10,000 square feet of usable space. The facility is operated under a lease agreement between our bank and a third party, and serves as a full service banking center for the Ann Arbor area, including commercial lending, retail lending and a full service branch. There is ample parking space, but no drive-through lanes. The address of this facility is 325 Eisenhower Parkway, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

     During 2006, our bank purchased approximately 3 acres of vacant land and designed and initiated construction of a new three-story facility in East Lansing, Michigan. This facility was completed during the second quarter of 2007, and serves as a full service banking center for the greater Lansing area, including commercial lending, retail lending, and a full service branch. The facility consists of approximately 27,000 square feet of usable space and contains multiple drive-through lanes with ample parking. The address of this facility is 3737 Coolidge Road, East Lansing, Michigan.

     During 2007, our bank opened a branch facility in the City of Novi, Michigan. The facility is one story and has approximately 8,600 square feet of usable space. The facility is operated under a lease agreement between our bank and a third party, and serves as a full service banking center for the Oakland County area, including commercial lending, retail lending and a full service branch. There is ample parking space, but no drive-through lanes. The address of this facility is 28350 Cabot Road, Novi, Michigan.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

     From time to time, we may be involved in various legal proceedings that are incidental to our business. In the opinion of management, we are not a party to any legal proceedings that are material to our financial condition, either individually or in the aggregate.

Item 4. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

     None

PART II

Item 5.		Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

     Our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “MBWM”. At February 11, 2008, there were 301 record holders of our common stock. In addition, we estimate that there were approximately 4,000 beneficial owners of our common stock who own their shares through brokers or banks.

     The following table shows the high and low sales prices for our common stock as reported by the Nasdaq Global Select Market for the periods indicated and the quarterly cash dividends paid by us during those periods. The prices have been adjusted for the 5% stock dividends paid on May 4, 2007 and May 16, 2006.

		High				Low				Dividend
2007
First Quarter		$	36.62			$	29.30			$	0.13
Second Quarter			31.43				26.59				0.14
Third Quarter			27.40				19.86				0.14
Fourth Quarter			22.70				14.49				0.14
2006
First Quarter		$	36.38			$	34.01			$	0.11
Second Quarter			39.57				33.61				0.12
Third Quarter			39.10				35.16				0.12
Fourth Quarter			38.87				35.30				0.12

     Holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends that the Board of Directors may declare from time to time. We may only pay dividends out of funds that are legally available for that purpose. We are a holding company and substantially all of our assets are held by our subsidiaries. Our ability to pay dividends to our shareholders depends primarily on our bank’s ability to pay dividends to us. Dividend payments and extensions of credit to us from our bank are subject to legal and regulatory limitations, generally based on capital levels and current and retained earnings, imposed by law and regulatory agencies with authority over our bank. The ability of our bank to pay dividends is also subject to its profitability, financial condition, capital expenditures and other cash flow requirements. In addition, under the terms of our subordinated debentures, we would be precluded from paying dividends on our common stock if an event of default has occurred and is continuing under the subordinated debentures, or if we exercised our right to defer payments of interest on the subordinated debentures, until the deferral ended.

     On January 8, 2008, we declared a $0.15 per share cash dividend on our common stock, payable on March 10, 2008 to record holders as of February 8, 2008. We currently expect to continue to pay a quarterly cash dividend, although there can be no assurance that we will continue to do so.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

     We did not purchase any shares of our common stock during the fourth quarter of 2007.

Shareholder Return Performance Graph

     Set forth below is a line graph comparing the yearly percentage change in the cumulative total shareholder return on our common stock (based on the last reported sales price of the respective year) with the cumulative total return of the Nasdaq Composite Index and the SNL Nasdaq Bank Index from December 31, 2002 through December 31, 2007. The following is based on an investment of $100 on December 31, 2002 in our common stock, the Nasdaq Composite Index and the SNL Nasdaq Bank Index, with dividends reinvested where applicable.

				Period Ending
	Index			12/31/02					12/31/03					12/31/04					12/31/05					12/31/06					12/31/07
	Mercantile Bank Corporation				100.00					163.88					188.10					194.47					202.59					89.59
	NASDAQ Composite				100.00					150.01					162.89					165.13					180.85					198.60
	SNL Bank NASDAQ Index				100.00					129.08					147.94					143.43					161.02					126.42

Item 6. Selected Financial Data.

     The Selected Financial Data on page F-3 in this Annual Report is incorporated here by reference.

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation.

     Management’s Discussion and Analysis on pages F-4 through F-23 in this Annual Report is incorporated here by reference.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

     The information under the heading “Market Risk Analysis” on pages F-24 through F-26 in this Annual Report is incorporated here by reference.

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

     The Consolidated Financial Statements, Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements and the Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firms on pages F-27 through F-29 in this Annual Report are incorporated here by reference.

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.

     We previously reported a change in our registered public accounting firm from Crowe Chizek and Company LLC to BDO Seidman, LLP. On September 19, 2006, we filed a report on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission reporting the change of accountants and making related disclosures.

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.

     As of December 31, 2007, an evaluation was performed under the supervision of and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures. Based on that evaluation, our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2007.

     There have been no significant changes in our internal controls over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 31, 2007, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

     Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f). There are inherent limitations in the effectiveness of any system of internal control. Accordingly, even an effective system of internal control can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation.

     Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2007. This evaluation was based on criteria for effective internal control over financial reporting described in Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on our evaluation under the framework in Internal Control — Integrated Framework, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2007.

     Our independent registered public accounting firm has issued an audit report on our internal control over financial reporting which is included in this Annual Report.

Item 9B. Other Information.

     None

PART III

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.

     The information presented under the captions “Election of Directors,” “Executive Officers,” “Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance” and “Corporate Governance — Code of Ethics” in the definitive Proxy Statement of Mercantile for our April 24, 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Proxy Statement”), a copy of which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission before the meeting date, is incorporated here by reference.

     We have a separately-designated standing audit committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The members of the Audit Committee consist of Betty S. Burton, David M. Cassard, David M. Hecht, Calvin D. Murdock, Merle J. Prins and Timothy O. Schad. The Board of Directors has determined that Messrs. Cassard, Murdock and Schad, members of the Audit Committee, are qualified as audit committee financial experts, as that term is defined in the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Messrs. Cassard, Murdock and Schad are independent, as independence for audit committee members is defined in the Nasdaq listing standards and the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Item 11. Executive Compensation.

     The information presented under the captions “Executive Compensation,” “Corporate Governance — Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation” and “Compensation Committee Report” in the Proxy Statement is incorporated here by reference.

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.

     The information presented under the caption “Stock Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” in the Proxy Statement is incorporated here by reference.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

     The following table summarizes information, as of December 31, 2007, relating to compensation plans under which equity securities are authorized for issuance.

Number of securities

remaining available for

future issuance under

Number of securities to

Weighted average

equity compensation

be issued upon exercise

exercise price of

plans (excluding

of outstanding options,

outstanding options,

securities reflected in

Plan Category

warrants and rights

warrants and rights

column (a))

(a)

(b)

(c)

Equity compensation plans approved by security holders (1)

271,755

$

24.34

502,000

(2)

Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders

0

0

0

Total

271,755

$

24.34

502,000

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.

     The information presented under the captions “Transactions with Related Persons” and “Corporate Governance — Director Independence” in the Proxy Statement is incorporated here by reference.

Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

     The information presented under the caption “Principal Accountant Fees and Services” in the Proxy Statement is incorporated here by reference.

PART IV

Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

(a) (1) Financial Statements. The following financial statements and reports of independent registered public accounting firms of Mercantile Bank Corporation and its subsidiaries are filed as part of this report:

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm dated February 25, 2008 — BDO Seidman, LLP

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm dated February 20, 2007 — Crowe Chizek and Company LLC

Consolidated Balance Sheets -— December 31, 2007 and 2006

Consolidated Statements of Income for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2007

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2007

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2007

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

The financial statements, the notes to financial statements, and the reports of independent registered public accounting firms listed above are incorporated by reference in Item 8 of this report.

	(2)		Financial Statement Schedules
			Not applicable

(b)

Exhibits:

EXHIBIT NO.		EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION
3.1		Our Articles of Incorporation are incorporated by reference to exhibit 3.1 of our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2004
3.2		Our Amended and Restated Bylaws dated as of January 16, 2003 are incorporated by reference to exhibit 3.2 of our Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Commission File No. 333-103376) that became effective on February 21, 2003
10.1		Our 1997 Employee Stock Option Plan is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.1 of our Registration Statement on Form SB-2 (Commission File No. 333-33081) that became effective on October 23, 1997 *
10.2		Our 2000 Employee Stock Option Plan is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.14 of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000 *
10.3		Our 2004 Employee Stock Option Plan is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.1 of our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2004 *

EXHIBIT NO.		EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION
10.4		Form of Stock Option Agreement for options under the 2004 Employee Stock Option Plan is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.2 of our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2004 *
10.5		Our Independent Director Stock Option Plan is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.26 of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002 *
10.6		Form of Stock Option Agreement for options under the Independent Director Stock Option Plan is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.1 of our Form 8-K filed October 22, 2004 *
10.7		Mercantile Bank of West Michigan Deferred Compensation Plan for Members of the Board of Directors (1999) is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 of the Registration Statement of the company and our trust on Form SB-2 (Commission File Nos. 333-84313 and 333-84313-01) that became effective on September 13, 1999 *
10.8		Amendment dated October 18, 2001 to Mercantile Bank of West Michigan Deferred Compensation Plan for Members of the Board of Directors (1999)
10.9		Mercantile Bank of Michigan Amended and Restated Deferred Compensation Plan for Members of the Board of Directors dated June 29, 2006
10.10		First Amendment dated October 10, 2007 to the Mercantile Bank of Michigan Amended and Restated Deferred Compensation Plan for Members of the Board of Directors dated June 29, 2006
10.11		Agreement between Fiserv Solutions, Inc. and our bank dated September 10, 1997, is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.3 of our Registration Statement on Form SB-2 (Commission File No. 333-33081) that became effective on October 23, 1997
10.12		Extension Agreement of Data Processing Contract between Fiserv Solutions, Inc. and our bank dated May 12, 2000 extending the agreement between Fiserv Solutions, Inc. and our bank dated September 10, 1997, is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.15 of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000
10.13		Extension Agreement of Data Processing Contract between Fiserv Solutions, Inc. and our bank dated November 21, 2002 extending the agreement between Fiserv Solutions, Inc. and our bank dated September 10, 1997, is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.5 of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002
10.14		Extension Agreement of Data Processing Contract between Fiserv Solutions, Inc. and our bank dated December 20, 2006 extending the agreements between Fiserv Solutions, Inc. and our bank dated September 10, 1997 and November 21, 2002
10.15		Amended and Restated Employment Agreement dated as of October 18, 2001, among the company, our bank and Gerald R. Johnson, Jr., is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.21 of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001 *
10.16		Amended and Restated Employment Agreement dated as of October 18, 2001, among the company, our bank and Michael H. Price, is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.22 of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001 *

EXHIBIT NO.		EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION
10.17		Employment Agreement dated as of October 18, 2001, among the company, our bank and Robert B. Kaminski, Jr., is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.23 of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001 *
10.18		Employment Agreement dated as of October 18, 2001, among the company, our bank and Charles E. Christmas, is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.23 of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001 *
10.19		Amendment to Employment Agreement dated as of October 17, 2002, among the company, our bank and Gerald R. Johnson, Jr., is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.21 of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002 *
10.20		Amendment to Employment Agreement dated as of October 17, 2002, among the company, our bank and Michael H. Price, is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.22 of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002 *
10.21		Amendment to Employment Agreement dated as of October 17, 2002, among the company, our bank and Robert B. Kaminski, Jr., is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.23 of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002 *
10.22		Amendment to Employment Agreement dated as of October 17, 2002, among the company, our bank and Charles E. Christmas, is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.24 of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002 *
10.23		Amendment to Employment Agreement dated as of October 28, 2004, among the company, our bank and Robert B. Kaminski, Jr., is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.21 of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004 *
10.24		Junior Subordinated Indenture between us and Wilmington Trust Company dated September 16, 2004 providing for the issuance of the Series A and Series B Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Notes due 2034 is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.1 of our Form 8-K filed December 15, 2004
10.25		Amended and Restated Trust Agreement dated September 16, 2004 for Mercantile Bank Capital Trust I is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.2 of our Form 8-K filed December 15, 2004
10.26		Placement Agreement between us, Mercantile Bank Capital Trust I, and SunTrust Capital Markets, Inc. dated September 16, 2004 is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.3 of our Form 8-K filed December 15, 2004
10.27		Guarantee Agreement dated September 16, 2004 between Mercantile as Guarantor and Wilmington Trust Company as Guarantee Trustee is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.4 of our Form 8-K filed December 15, 2004
10.28		Form of Agreement Amending Stock Option Agreement, dated November 17, 2005 issued under our 2004 Employee Stock Option Plan, is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.1 of our Form 8-K filed December 14, 2005 *
10.29		Second Amendment to Employment Agreement dated as of November 17, 2005, among the company, our bank and Gerald R. Johnson, Jr. is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.28 of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 *

EXHIBIT NO.		EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION
10.30		Second Amendment to Employment Agreement dated as of November 17, 2005, among the company, our bank and Michael H. Price is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.29 of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 *
10.31		Third Amendment to Employment Agreement dated as of November 17, 2005, among the company, our bank and Robert B. Kaminski, Jr. is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.30 of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 *
10.32		Second Amendment to Employment Agreement dated as of November 17, 2005, among the company, our bank and Charles E. Christmas is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.31 of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 *
10.33		Form of Mercantile Bank of Michigan Executive Deferred Compensation Agreement, that has been entered into between our bank and each of Gerald R. Johnson, Jr., Michael H. Price, Robert B. Kaminski, Jr., Charles E. Christmas, and certain other officers of our bank is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.32 of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 *
10.34		Form of Mercantile Bank of Michigan Amended and Restated Executive Deferred Compensation Agreement dated November 18, 2006, that has been entered into between our bank and each of Gerald R. Johnson, Jr., Michael H. Price, Robert B. Kaminski, Jr., Charles E. Christmas, and certain other officers of our bank *
10.35		Form of First Amendment to the Mercantile Bank of Michigan Executive Deferred Compensation Agreement dated November 18, 2006, that has been entered into between our bank and each of Gerald R. Johnson, Jr., Michael H. Price, Robert B. Kaminski, Jr., Charles E. Christmas, and certain other officers of our bank, dated October 25, 2007 *
10.36		Form of Mercantile Bank of Michigan Split Dollar Agreement that has been entered into between our bank and each of Gerald R. Johnson, Jr., Michael H. Price, Robert B. Kaminski, Jr., Charles E. Christmas, and certain other officers of our bank is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.33 of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 *
10.37		Director Fee Summary *
10.38		Lease Agreement between our bank and The Conlin Company dated July 12, 2005 for our Ann Arbor, Michigan office is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.36 of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005
10.39		Stock Incentive Plan of 2006 is incorporated by reference to Appendix A of our proxy statement for our April 27, 2006 annual meeting of shareholders that was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission *
10.40		Form of Notice of Grant of Incentive Stock Option and Stock Option Agreement for incentive stock options granted in 2006 under our Stock Incentive Plan of 2006 is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.1 of our Form 8-K filed November 22, 2006 *

EXHIBIT NO.		EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION
10.41		Form of Notice of Grant of Incentive Stock Option and Stock Option Agreement for incentive stock options granted after 2006 under our Stock Incentive Plan of 2006 *
10.42		Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement Notification of Award and Terms and Conditions of Award for restricted stock granted in 2006 under our Stock Incentive Plan of 2006 is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.2 of our Form 8-K filed November 22, 2006 *
10.43		Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement Notification of Award and Terms and Conditions of Award for restricted stock granted after 2006 under our Stock Incentive Plan of 2006 *
10.44		Executive Officer Bonus Plan for 2007 is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.1 of our Form 8-K filed January 29, 2007 *
10.45		Retirement Agreement by and among Mercantile Bank Corporation, Mercantile Bank of Michigan and Gerald R. Johnson, Jr. is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.1 of our Form 8-K filed May 25, 2007 *
10.46		Additional Release of Claims Pursuant to Retirement Agreement Dated May 24, 2007 by and among Mercantile Bank Corporation, Mercantile Bank of Michigan and Gerald R. Johnson, Jr. is incorporated by reference to exhibit 10.1 of our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007 *
10.47		Lease Agreement between our bank and CD Partners LLC dated October 2, 2007 for our Oakland County, Michigan office
21		Subsidiaries of the company
23.1		Consent of BDO Seidman, LLP
23.2		Consent of Crowe Chizek and Company LLC
31		Rule 13a-14(a) Certifications
32.1		Section 1350 Chief Executive Officer Certification
32.2		Section 1350 Chief Financial Officer Certification

(c)		Financial Statements Not Included In Annual Report
		Not applicable

MERCANTILE BANK CORPORATION

FINANCIAL INFORMATION
December 31, 2007 and 2006

MERCANTILE BANK CORPORATION

FINANCIAL INFORMATION
December 31, 2007 and 2006

CONTENTS

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA			F-3
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS			F-4
REPORTS OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRMS			F-27
REPORT BY MERCANTILE BANK CORPORATION’S MANAGEMENT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING			F-30
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS			F-31
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME			F-32
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY			F-33
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS			F-35
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS			F-37

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

		2007				2006				2005				2004				2003
		(Dollars in thousands except per share data)
Consolidated Results of Operations:
Interest income		$	144,181			$	137,260			$	102,130			$	69,022			$	54,658
Interest expense			88,624				75,673				46,838				26,595				23,395
Net interest income			55,557				61,587				55,292				42,427				31,263
Provision for loan and lease losses			11,070				5,775				3,790				4,674				3,800
Noninterest income			5,870				5,261				5,661				4,302				4,409
Noninterest expense			38,356				32,262				31,117				23,198				18,071
Income before income tax expense			12,001				28,811				26,046				18,857				13,801
Income tax expense			3,035				8,964				8,145				5,136				3,785
Net income		$	8,966			$	19,847			$	17,901			$	13,721			$	10,016
Consolidated Balance Sheet Data:
Total assets		$	2,121,403			$	2,067,268			$	1,838,210			$	1,536,119			$	1,203,337
Cash and cash equivalents			29,430				51,380				36,753				20,811				16,564
Securities			211,736				202,419				181,614				152,965				121,510
Loans and leases, net of deferred fees			1,799,880				1,745,478				1,561,812				1,317,124				1,035,963
Allowance for loan and lease losses			25,814				21,411				20,527				17,819				14,379
Bank owned life insurance policies			39,118				30,858				28,071				23,750				16,441
Deposits			1,591,181				1,646,903				1,419,352				1,159,181				902,892
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase			97,465				85,472				72,201				56,317				49,545
Federal Home Loan Bank advances			180,000				95,000				130,000				120,000				90,000
Subordinated debentures			32,990				32,990				32,990				32,990				16,495
Shareholders’ equity			178,155				171,915				155,125				141,617				130,201
Consolidated Financial Ratios:
Return on average assets			0.43	%			1.01	%			1.05	%			0.99	%			0.96	%
Return on average shareholders’ equity			5.10	%			12.19	%			12.05	%			10.16	%			10.61	%
Average shareholders’ equity to average assets			8.44	%			8.31	%			8.73	%			9.79	%			9.00	%
Nonperforming loans and leases to total loans and leases			1.66	%			0.49	%			0.26	%			0.22	%			0.17	%
Allowance for loan and lease losses to total loans and leases			1.43	%			1.23	%			1.31	%			1.35	%			1.39	%
Tier 1 leverage capital			9.97	%			10.04	%			10.45	%			11.53	%			12.49	%
Tier 1 leverage risk-based capital			10.14	%			10.37	%			10.82	%			11.82	%			12.60	%
Total risk-based capital			11.39	%			11.45	%			12.00	%			13.03	%			13.84	%
Per Share Data:
Net Income:
Basic		$	1.06			$	2.36			$	2.14			$	1.65			$	1.42
Diluted			1.06				2.33				2.10				1.61				1.39
Book value at end of period			20.89				21.43				19.46				17.78				16.40
Dividends declared			0.55				0.48				0.39				0.30				0.26
Dividend payout ratio			52.16	%			20.34	%			17.79	%			18.60	%			18.41	%

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

The following discussion and other portions of this Annual Report contain forward-looking statements that are based on management’s beliefs, assumptions, current expectations, estimates and projections about the financial services industry, the economy, and about our company. Words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “forecasts,” “intends,” “is likely,” “plans,” “projects,” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions (“Future Factors”) that are difficult to predict with regard to timing, extent, likelihood and degree of occurrence. Therefore, actual results and outcomes may materially differ from what may be expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update, amend, or clarify forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events (whether anticipated or unanticipated), or otherwise.

Future Factors include changes in interest rates and interest rate relationships; demand for products and services; the degree of competition by traditional and non-traditional competitors; changes in banking regulation; changes in tax laws; changes in prices, levies, and assessments; the impact of technological advances; governmental and regulatory policy changes; the outcomes of contingencies; trends in customer behavior as well as their ability to repay loans; changes in local real estate values; changes in the national and local economies; and other risk factors described in Item 1A of this Annual Report. These are representative of the Future Factors that could cause a difference between an ultimate actual outcome and a preceding forward-looking statement.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is based on Mercantile Bank Corporation’s consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change in the near term relate to the determination of the allowance for loan and lease losses, and actual results could differ from those estimates.

Allowance For Loan and Lease Losses: The allowance for loan and lease losses (“allowance”) is maintained at a level we believe is adequate to absorb probable incurred losses identified and inherent in the loan and lease portfolio. Our evaluation of the adequacy of the allowance is an estimate based on past loan loss experience, the nature and volume of the loan and lease portfolio, information about specific borrower situations and estimated collateral values and assessments of the impact of current and anticipated economic conditions on the loan and lease portfolio. Allocations of the allowance may be made for specific loans or leases, but the entire allowance is available for any loan or lease that, in management’s judgment, should be charged-off. Loan and lease losses are charged against the allowance when management believes the uncollectibility of a loan or lease is likely. The balance of the allowance represents management’s best estimate, but significant downturns in circumstances relating to loan and lease quality or economic conditions could result in a requirement for an increased allowance in the future. Likewise, an upturn in loan and lease quality or improved economic conditions may result in a decline in the required allowance in the future. In either instance, unanticipated changes could have a significant impact on operating earnings.

The allowance is increased through a provision charged to operating expense. Uncollectible loans and leases are charged-off through the allowance. Recoveries of loans and leases previously charged-off are added to the allowance. A loan or lease is considered impaired when it is probable that contractual interest and principal payments will not be collected either for the amounts or by the dates as scheduled in the loan or lease agreement. Impairment is evaluated in aggregate for smaller-balance loans of similar nature such as residential mortgage, consumer and credit card loans, and on an individual loan or lease basis for other loans. If a loan or lease is impaired, a portion of the allowance is allocated so that the loan or lease is reported, net, at the present fair value of estimated future cash flows using the loan’s or lease’s existing interest rate or at the fair value of collateral if repayment is expected solely from the collateral. Loans and leases are evaluated for impairment when payments are delayed, typically 30 days or more, or when serious deficiencies are identified within the credit relationship. Our policy for recognizing income on impaired loans is to accrue interest unless a loan is placed on nonaccrual status. Management has reviewed the application of this policy with the Audit Committee of the company’s Board of Directors.

INTRODUCTION

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements contained in this Annual Report. This discussion provides information about the consolidated financial condition and results of operations of Mercantile Bank Corporation and its consolidated subsidiary, Mercantile Bank of Michigan (“our bank”), and of Mercantile Bank Mortgage Company, LLC (“our mortgage company”), Mercantile Bank Real Estate Co., L.L.C. (“our real estate company”) and Mercantile Insurance Center, Inc. (“our insurance company”), which are subsidiaries of our bank. Unless the text clearly suggests otherwise, references to “us,” “we,” “our,” or “the company” include Mercantile Bank Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiaries referred to above.

We were incorporated on July 15, 1997 as a bank holding company to establish and own our bank. Our bank, after receiving all necessary regulatory approvals, began operations on December 15, 1997. Our bank has a strong commitment to community banking and offers a wide range of financial products and services, primarily to small- to medium-sized businesses, as well as individuals. Our bank’s lending strategy focuses on commercial lending, and, to a lesser extent, residential mortgage and consumer lending. Our bank also offers a broad array of deposit products, including checking, savings, money market, and certificates of deposit, as well as security repurchase agreements. Our primary markets are the Grand Rapids, Holland, Lansing, Ann Arbor and Oakland County areas. Our bank utilizes certificates of deposit from customers located outside of the primary market area to assist in funding the historically strong asset growth our bank has experienced since inception.

We formed a business trust, Mercantile Bank Capital Trust I (“the trust”), in 2004 to issue trust preferred securities. We issued subordinated debentures to the trust in return for the proceeds raised from the issuance of the trust preferred securities. In accordance with FASB Interpretation No. 46, the trust is not consolidated, but instead we report the subordinated debentures issued to the trust as a liability.

Our mortgage company’s predecessor, Mercantile Bank Mortgage Company, was formed to increase the profitability and efficiency of the company’s mortgage loan operations. Mercantile Bank Mortgage Company initiated business on October 24, 2000 from our bank’s contribution of most of its residential mortgage loan portfolio and participation interests in certain commercial mortgage loans. On the same date, our bank had also transferred its residential mortgage origination function to Mercantile Bank Mortgage Company. On January 1, 2004, Mercantile Bank Mortgage Company was reorganized as Mercantile Bank Mortgage Company, LLC, a limited liability company. Mortgage loans originated and held by our mortgage company are serviced by our bank pursuant to a servicing agreement.

Our insurance company acquired, at nominal cost, an existing shelf insurance agency effective April 15, 2002. An Agency and Institution Agreement was entered into among our insurance company, our bank and Hub International for the purpose of providing programs of mass marketed personal lines of insurance. Insurance product offerings include private passenger automobile, homeowners, personal inland marine, boat owners, recreational vehicle,

dwelling fire, umbrella policies, small business and life insurance products, all of which are provided by and written through companies that have appointed Hub International as their agent.

Our real estate company was organized on July 21, 2003, principally to develop, construct and own our facility in downtown Grand Rapids which serves as our bank’s main office and Mercantile Bank Corporation’s headquarters. Construction was completed during the second quarter of 2005.

FINANCIAL CONDITION

Primarily reflecting the competitive commercial loan pricing and underwriting environments and weakening economic conditions within our markets during 2007, our asset growth during 2007 was lower than historical levels. Assets increased from $2,067.3 million on December 31, 2006 to $2,121.4 million on December 31, 2007. This represents an increase in total assets of $54.1 million, or 2.6%. Asset growth in 2006 totaled $229.1 million, and averaged $288.0 million during the period of 2004 through 2006. The increase in total assets during 2007 was primarily comprised of a $50.0 million increase in net loans and leases, a $9.3 million increase in securities and an $8.3 million increase in bank owned life insurance policies, partially offset by a $22.0 million decrease in cash equivalents. The increase in assets was primarily funded by an $85.0 million increase in Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) advances, a $12.0 million increase in repurchase agreements and a $6.2 million increase in shareholders’ equity.

Earning Assets

Average earning assets equaled 95.0% of average total assets during 2007, compared to 94.9% during 2006, with our asset composition remaining relatively unchanged. The loan and lease portfolio continued to comprise a majority of earning assets, followed by securities and federal funds sold.

Our loan and lease portfolio, which equaled 89.2% of average earnings assets during 2007, is primarily comprised of commercial loans and leases. Commercial loans and leases increased by $53.8 million during 2007, and at December 31, 2007, totaled $1,659.2 million, or 92.2% of the total loan and lease portfolio. The growth in our commercial loan and lease portfolio slowed during 2007, primarily reflecting the competitive pricing and underwriting environments and weakening economic conditions within our markets during 2007. The competitive pressures, from financial institutions and other entities such as private equity funds, negatively impacted the volume of loans we booked and accelerated the level of loan payoffs. Despite the competitive pressures, we remained committed to our traditionally high underwriting standards and believe the long term benefits of this posture outweigh the short term negative impact to our net interest income and net income due to the resulting smaller balance of our commercial loan and lease portfolio.

The commercial loan and lease portfolio represents loans to businesses generally located within our market areas. Approximately 71% of the commercial loan and lease portfolio is primarily secured by real estate properties, with the remaining generally secured by other business assets such as accounts receivable, inventory, and equipment. The continued significant concentration of the loan and lease portfolio in commercial loans and leases and the typically strong growth of this portion of our lending business are consistent with our stated strategy of focusing a substantial amount of our efforts on “wholesale” banking. Corporate and business lending continues to be an area of expertise for our senior management team, and our commercial lenders have extensive commercial lending experience, with most having at least ten years’ experience. Of each of the loan categories that we originate, commercial loans and leases are most efficiently originated and managed, thus limiting overhead costs by necessitating the attention of fewer employees. Our commercial lending business generates the largest portion of local deposits, and is our primary source of demand deposits.

During the latter part of 2007, our loan review function completed a real estate loan project that expanded our traditional loan coding paradigm to provide increased specificity in the categorization of loans secured by real estate. The following table summarizes our loans secured by real estate, excluding residential mortgage loans representing permanent financing to owner occupied dwellings and home equity lines of credit, as of December 31, 2007:

Residential – Vacant Land		$	19,730,000
Residential – Land Development			64,107,000
Residential – Construction			30,828,000
Commercial – Vacant Land			27,664,000
Commercial – Land Development			31,754,000
Commercial – Construction NonOwner Occupied			80,926,000
Commercial – Construction Owner Occupied			7,906,000
Commercial – NonOwner Occupied			519,720,000
Commercial – Owner Occupied			374,596,000
Total		$	1,157,231,000

Residential mortgage and consumer loans increased in aggregate $0.6 million during 2007, and at December 31, 2007, totaled $140.7 million, or 7.8% of the total loan and lease portfolio. While we expect the residential mortgage loan and consumer loan portfolios to increase in future periods, the commercial sector of the lending efforts and resultant assets are expected to remain the dominant loan portfolio category given our wholesale banking strategy.

The following table presents total loans outstanding as of December 31, 2007, according to scheduled repayments of principal on fixed rate loans and repricing frequency on variable rate loans. Floating rate loans that are currently at interest rate ceilings or interest rate floors are treated as fixed rate loans and are reflected using maturity date and not repricing frequency.

		0-1				1-5				After 5
		Year				Years				Years				Total
Construction and land development		$	210,037,000			$	47,282,000			$	6,549,000			$	263,868,000
Real estate – secured by 1-4 family properties			68,898,000				52,552,000				14,067,000				135,517,000
Real estate – secured by multi-family properties			28,283,000				23,505,000				163,000				51,951,000
Real estate – secured by nonresidential properties			390,585,000				427,921,000				37,366,000				855,872,000
Commercial			381,074,000				97,993,000				5,578,000				484,645,000
Leases			181,000				2,684,000				0				2,865,000
Consumer			1,967,000				2,589,000				606,000				5,162,000
		$	1,081,025,000			$	654,526,000			$	64,329,000			$	1,799,880,000
Fixed rate loans		$	125,738,000			$	653,542,000			$	64,329,000			$	843,609,000
Floating rate loans			955,287,000				984,000				0				956,271,000
		$	1,081,025,000			$	654,526,000			$	64,329,000			$	1,799,880,000

Our credit policies establish guidelines to manage credit risk and asset quality. These guidelines include loan review and early identification of problem loans and leases to provide effective loan and lease portfolio administration. The credit policies and procedures are meant to minimize the risk and uncertainties inherent in lending. In following these policies and procedures, we must rely on estimates, appraisals and evaluations of loans and leases and the possibility that changes in these could occur quickly because of changing economic conditions.

Identified problem loans and leases, which exhibit characteristics (financial or otherwise) that could cause the loans and leases to become nonperforming or require restructuring in the future, are included on the internal “watch list.” Senior management and the Board of Directors review this list regularly.

The level of net loan and lease charge-offs and nonperforming assets increased during 2007. Although we were never directly involved in the underwriting of or the investing in subprime residential real estate loans, the apparent substantial and rapid collapse of this line of business during 2007 throughout the United States had a significant negative impact on our residential real estate development lending portion of our business. The resulting decline in real estate prices and slowdown in sales stretched the cash flow of our local developers and eroded the value of our underlying collateral, causing elevated levels of nonperforming assets and net loan and lease charge-offs.

As of December 31, 2007, nonperforming assets totaled $35.7 million, or 1.68% of total assets, an increase from the $9.6 million, or 0.46% of total assets, as of December 31, 2006. Nonperforming loans and leases totaled $29.8 million and foreclosed properties/repossessed assets equaled $5.9 million at year-end 2007, compared to $8.6 million and $1.0 million, respectively, at year-end 2006. As of December 31, 2007, nonperforming loans secured by real estate, combined with all foreclosed properties, totaled $28.6 million, or 80% of total nonperforming assets. Nonperforming loans and foreclosed properties associated with the development of residential real estate totaled $11.1 million, with another $3.2 million in nonperforming loans secured by, and foreclosed properties consisting of, residential properties. Net loan and lease charge-offs during 2007 totaled $6.7 million, or 0.38% of average total loans and leases. During 2006, net loan and lease charge-offs totaled $4.9 million, or 0.29% of average total loans and leases.

The following table provides a breakdown of nonperforming assets as of December 31, 2007 and net loan charge-offs during 2007 by property type:

		Nonperforming				Net Loan
		Assets				Charge-Offs
Residential – Land Development		$	8,066,000			$	1,384,000
Residential – Construction			3,066,000				36,000
Residential – Owner Occupied / Rental			3,170,000				1,536,000
Commercial – Land Development			542,000				0
Commercial – Owner Occupied			6,447,000				714,000
Commercial – NonOwner Occupied			7,307,000				1,854,000
Commercial – NonReal Estate			7,091,000				1,096,000
Consumer – NonReal Estate			15,000				47,000
Total		$	35,704,000			$	6,667,000

The following table summarizes nonperforming loans and leases and troubled debt restructurings:

		December 31, 2007				December 31, 2006				December 31, 2005				December 31, 2004				December 31, 2003
Loans and leases on nonaccrual status		$	28,832,000			$	7,752,000			$	3,601,000			$	2,842,000			$	233,000
Loans and leases 90 days or more past due and accruing interest			977,000				819,000				394,000				0				1,552,000
Troubled debt restructurings			0				0				0				0				0
Total		$	29,809,000			$	8,571,000			$	3,995,000			$	2,842,000			$	1,785,000

The following table summarizes changes in the allowance for loan and lease losses for the past five years:

		2007				2006				2005				2004				2003
Loan and leases outstanding at year-end		$	1,799,880,000			$	1,745,478,000			$	1,561,812,000			$	1,317,124,000			$	1,035,963,000
Daily average balance of loans and leases outstanding		$	1,765,465,000			$	1,660,284,000			$	1,432,609,000			$	1,177,568,000			$	887,512,000
Balance of allowance at beginning of year		$	21,411,000			$	20,527,000			$	17,819,000			$	14,379,000			$	10,890,000
Loans and leases charged-off:
Commercial, financial and agricultural			(4,232,000	)			(5,208,000	)			(718,000	)			(1,328,000	)			(471,000	)
Construction and land development			(1,353,000	)			0				(521,000	)			0				0
Leases			(18,000	)			0				0				0				0
Residential real estate			(1,618,000	)			(50,000	)			(131,000	)			(16,000	)			(26,000	)
Instalment loans to individuals			(53,000	)			(131,000	)			(22,000	)			(61,000	)			(99,000	)
Total loans and leases charged-off			(7,274,000	)			(5,389,000	)			(1,392,000	)			(1,405,000	)			(596,000	)
Recoveries of previously charged-off loans and leases:
Commercial, financial and agricultural			586,000				487,000				298,000				150,000				257,000
Construction and land development			11,000				0				2,000				0				0
Leases			0				0				0				0				0
Residential real estate			3,000				2,000				6,000				0				22,000
Instalment loans to individuals			7,000				9,000				4,000				21,000				6,000
Total recoveries			607,000				498,000				310,000				171,000				285,000
Net charge-offs			(6,667,000	)			(4,891,000	)			(1,082,000	)			(1,234,000	)			(311,000	)
Provision for loan and leases losses			11,070,000				5,775,000				3,790,000				4,674,000				3,800,000
Balance of allowance at year-end		$	25,814,000			$	21,411,000			$	20,527,000			$	17,819,000			$	14,379,000
Ratio of net charge-offs during the period to average loans and leases outstanding during the period			(0.38	%)			(0.29	%)			(0.08	%)			(0.10	%)			(0.04	%)
Ratio of allowance to loans and leases outstanding at end of the period			1.43	%			1.23	%			1.31	%			1.35	%			1.39	%

In each accounting period, we adjust the allowance to the amount we believe is necessary to maintain the allowance at adequate levels. Through the loan and lease review and credit departments, we attempt to allocate specific portions of the allowance based on specifically identifiable problem loans and leases. The evaluation of the allowance is further based on, but not limited to, consideration of the internally prepared Reserve Analysis, composition of the loan and lease portfolio, third party analysis of the loan and lease administration processes and portfolio and general economic conditions. In addition, the historically strong commercial loan and lease growth and expansions into new markets are taken into account.

The Reserve Analysis, used since our inception and completed monthly, applies reserve allocation factors to outstanding loan and lease balances to calculate an overall allowance dollar amount. For commercial loans and leases, which continue to comprise a vast majority of our total loans and leases, reserve allocation factors are based upon the loan ratings as determined by our standardized grade paradigms. For retail loans, reserve allocation factors are based upon the type of credit. Adjustments for specific lending relationships, including impaired loans and leases, are made on a case-by-case basis. The reserve allocation factors are primarily based on the recent levels and historical trends of net loan charge-offs and non-performing assets, the comparison of the recent levels and historical trends of net loan charge-offs and non-performing assets with a customized peer group consisting of ten similarly-sized publicly traded banking organizations conducting business in the states of Michigan, Illinois, Indiana or Ohio, the review and consideration of our loan and lease migration analysis and the experience of senior

management making similar loans and leases for an extensive period of time. We regularly review the Reserve Analysis and make adjustments periodically based upon identifiable trends and experience.

The following table illustrates the breakdown of the allowance balance to loan type (dollars in thousands) and of the total loan and lease portfolio (in percentages).

		December 31,2007								December 31,2006								December 31,2005								December 31,2004								December 31,2003
						Loan								Loan								Loan								Loan								Loan
		Amount				Portfolio				Amount				Portfolio				Amount				Portfolio				Amount				Portfolio				Amount				Portfolio
Commercial, financial and agricultural		$	18,947				77.4	%		$	15,706				74.7	%		$	16,507				76.9	%		$	15,457				79.8	%		$	12,220				79.0	%
Construction and land development			4,907				14.7				3,975				17.1				2,868				14.5				1,581				10.3				1,571				11.4
Leases			29				0.1				15				0.1				30				0.1				39				0.2				26				0.2
Residential real estate			1,829				7.5				1,591				7.6				1,020				8.2				557				9.3				450				8.9
Instalment loans to individuals			102				0.3				124				0.5				102				0.3				185				0.4				112				0.5
Unallocated			0				0.0				0				0.0				0				0.0				0				0.0				0				0.0
Total		$	25,814				100.0	%		$	21,411				100.0	%		$	20,527				100.0	%		$	17,819				100.0	%		$	14,379				100.0	%

The primary risk elements with respect to commercial loans and leases are the financial condition of the borrower, the sufficiency of collateral, and lack of timely payment. We have a policy of requesting and reviewing periodic financial statements from commercial loan and lease customers, and we periodically review the existence of collateral and its value. The primary risk element with respect to each instalment and residential real estate loan is lack of timely payment. We have a reporting system that monitors past due loans and have adopted policies to pursue creditor’s rights in order to preserve our bank’s position.

Although we believe that the allowance is adequate to sustain losses as they arise, there can be no assurance that our bank will not sustain losses in any given period that could be substantial in relation to, or greater than, the size of the allowance.

Securities increased $9.3 million during 2007, from $202.4 million on December 31, 2006 to $211.7 million at December 31, 2007. During 2007, the securities portfolio equaled 10.4% of average earning assets. Purchases during 2007 totaled $22.3 million, while proceeds from the maturities, calls and repayments of securities totaled $15.2 million. We maintain the securities portfolio at levels to provide adequate pledging for the repurchase agreement program and secondary liquidity for our daily operations. In addition, the portfolio serves a primary interest rate risk management function. At December 31, 2007, the portfolio was comprised of high credit quality U.S. Government Agency issued bonds (38%), municipal general obligation and revenue bonds (31%), U.S. Government Agency issued and guaranteed mortgage-backed securities (26%), Federal Home Loan Bank stock (5%) and a mutual fund (less than 1%).

The following table reflects the composition of the securities portfolio, excluding Federal Home Loan Bank stock:

		December 31, 2007								December 31, 2006								December 31, 2005
		Carrying								Carrying								Carrying
		Value				Percentage				Value				Percentage				Value				Percentage
U.S. Government agency debt obligations		$	80,945,000				40.1	%		$	76,836,000				39.4	%		$	63,712,000				36.7	%
Mortgage-backed securities			54,619,000				27.0				53,083,000				27.2				48,237,000				27.7
Municipal general obligations			57,668,000				28.5				56,870,000				29.2				53,685,000				30.9
Municipal revenue bonds			7,662,000				3.8				7,073,000				3.6				7,081,000				4.1
Mutual fund			1,109,000				0.6				1,048,000				0.6				1,012,000				0.6
Total		$	202,003,000				100.0	%		$	194,910,000				100.0	%		$	173,727,000				100.0	%

All securities, with the exception of tax-exempt municipal bonds, have been designated as “available for sale” as defined in Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 115, Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities. Securities designated as available for sale are stated at fair value, with the unrealized gains and losses, net of income tax, reported as a separate component of shareholders’ equity in accumulated other comprehensive income. The fair value of securities designated as available for sale at December 31, 2007 and 2006 was $136.7 million and $131.0 million, respectively. The net unrealized gain recorded at year-end 2007 was $0.4 million, compared to the net unrealized loss of $1.7 million at year-end 2006. All tax-exempt municipal bonds have been designated as “held to maturity” as defined in SFAS No. 115, and are stated at amortized cost. As of December 31, 2007 and 2006, held to maturity securities had an amortized cost of $65.3 million and $63.9 million and a fair value of $66.4 million and $65.0 million, respectively.

The following table shows by class of maturities as of December 31, 2007, the amounts and weighted average yields of investment securities ⁽¹⁾:

		Carrying				Average
		Value				Yield
U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of U.S.
Government agencies and corporations
One year or less		$	0			NA
Over one through five years			35,055,000				4.92	%
Over five through ten years			45,890,000				5.24
Over ten years			0			NA
			80,945,000				5.10
Obligations of states and political subdivisions
One year or less			1,517,000				6.36
Over one through five years			10,083,000				6.92
Over five through ten years			11,784,000				6.38
Over ten years			41,946,000				6.37
			65,330,000				6.45
Mortgage-backed securities			54,619,000				5.12
Mutual fund			1,109,000				4.25
		$	202,003,000				5.53	%

Federal funds sold, consisting of excess funds sold overnight to correspondent banks, are used to manage daily liquidity needs and interest rate sensitivity. During 2007, the average balance of these funds equaled 0.4% of average earning assets, down slightly from 0.5% during 2006. The levels maintained during 2007 and 2006 are well within our internal policy guidelines, and future levels are not expected to change significantly.

Cash and due from bank balances decreased from $51.1 million at December 31, 2006, to $29.1 million on December 31, 2007, a decrease of $22.0 million. Although our cash balances were relatively unchanged, there were two primary factors resulting in a relatively large decline in our due from bank balances: in early July 2007, we initiated an image exchange program for our outgoing cash letter with our primary correspondent bank that resulted in faster collection, and in mid-September of 2007 we instituted a deposit reclassification program, impacting our reserve requirement calculation, that virtually eliminated our need to maintain deposit balances with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. The initiation of these two programs provided for a combined reduction in due from bank balances of approximately $13.0 million. The remainder of the decline in due from bank balances primarily results from the typical relatively large day-to-day fluctuations of our outgoing cash letter reflecting our commercial lending focus. Cash and due from bank balances averaged $33.1 million, or 1.6% of average assets during 2007, compared to $38.3 million, or 2.0% of average assets, during 2006.

Net premises and equipment increased from $33.5 million at December 31, 2006, to $34.3 million on December 31, 2007, an increase of $0.8 million. Purchases of premises and equipment during 2007 totaled $3.5 million, primarily reflecting a portion of the construction costs associated with our new banking facility located in East Lansing, Michigan, which opened in May 2007. Depreciation expense during 2007 equaled $2.7 million.

Source of Funds

Our major sources of funds are from deposits, repurchase agreements and FHLB advances. Total deposits decreased from $1,646.9 million at December 31, 2006, to $1,591.2 million on December 31, 2007, a decrease of $55.7 million. Included within these numbers is the success we achieved in generating deposit growth from customers located within our market areas during 2007. Local deposits increased from $633.0 million at year-end 2006, to $666.1 million at year-end 2007, an increase of $33.1 million. Out-of-area deposits decreased from $1,013.8 million at December 31, 2006, to $925.0 million on December 31, 2007, a decrease of $88.8 million. The decline in out-of-area deposits is closely associated with the $85.0 million increase in FHLB advances from $95.0 million at year-end 2006 to $180.0 million at year-end 2007. Repurchase agreements increased from $85.5 million at December 31, 2006, to $97.5 million on December 31, 2007, an increase of $12.0 million. At December 31, 2007, local deposits and repurchase agreements equaled 39.8% of total funding liabilities, compared to 38.4% on December 31, 2006.

Noninterest-bearing checking deposit accounts, comprised primarily of business loan customers, declined $0.1 million, and equaled 6.0% of average total liabilities during 2007. Interest-bearing checking accounts increased $4.5 million, and equaled 1.9% of average total liabilities during 2007. Money market deposit accounts increased $2.5 million, and equaled 0.6% of average total liabilities during 2007. Business loan customers also comprise the majority of interest-bearing checking and money market deposit accounts, although to a lesser extent than noninterest-bearing checking accounts. Pursuant to Federal law and regulations, incorporated businesses may not own interest-bearing checking accounts and transactions from money market accounts are limited. We anticipate continued overall growth of our check-writing deposit accounts as additional business loans are extended and through the efforts of our branch network and business development activities.

Savings account balances recorded a decrease of $11.6 million, and equaled 4.5% of average total liabilities, during 2007. The decline in savings account balances during 2007 is primarily due to customers opening certificates of deposit with funds from their savings accounts, as rates offered on certificates of deposit were higher than rates offered on savings accounts. Business loan customers also comprise the majority of savings account holders, although to a lesser extent than check-writing accounts. While we anticipate an increase in savings account balances as additional business loans are extended and through the efforts of our branch network and business development activities, the increase may be negatively impacted by potential continued fund transfers to certificate of deposit products.

Certificates of deposit purchased by customers located within our market areas increased $37.8 million during 2007, growing from $358.2 million at December 31, 2006, to $396.0 million on December 31, 2007. These deposits accounted for 20.3% of average total liabilities during 2007. The growth was attributable to individuals, businesses and municipalities, and includes new monies to our bank from existing and new customers as well as transfers from existing savings accounts. The increase in local municipality certificates of deposit has been facilitated by our qualifying for funds from new municipal customers and additional funds from existing customers through a combination of our asset growth and increased capital as measured by the municipalities’ investment policy guidelines, and is a trend that we expect to continue.

Certificates of deposit obtained from customers located outside of our market areas decreased by $88.8 million during 2007, and represented 52.3% of average total liabilities. At December 31, 2007, out-of-area deposits totaled $925.0 million. The decline primarily reflects our decision to replace some of the maturing out-of-area deposits with FHLB advances. Out-of-area deposits consist primarily of certificates of deposit placed by deposit brokers for a fee, but also include certificates of deposit obtained from the deposit owners directly. The owners of the out-of-area deposits include individuals, businesses and governmental units located throughout the United States.

Repurchase agreements increased $12.0 million and equaled 4.6% of average total liabilities during 2007. At December 31, 2007, repurchase agreements totaled $97.5 million. As part of our sweep account program, collected funds from certain business noninterest-bearing checking accounts are invested in overnight interest-bearing repurchase agreements. Such repurchase agreements are not deposit accounts and are not afforded federal deposit insurance.

FHLB advances increased $85.0 million and equaled 6.2% of average total liabilities during 2007. At December 31, 2007, FHLB advances totaled $180.0 million. FHLB advances are collateralized by residential mortgage loans, first mortgage liens on multi-family residential property loans, first mortgage liens on commercial real estate property loans, and substantially all other assets of our bank, under a blanket lien arrangement. Our borrowing line of credit at December 31, 2007 totaled $318.1 million, with availability approximating $118.0 million.

Shareholders’ equity increased $6.2 million and equaled 8.4% of average assets during 2007. The increase was primarily attributable to net income from operations, which totaled $9.0 million during 2007. Also positively impacting shareholders’ equity was a $1.4 million mark-to-market adjustment for available for sale securities as defined in SFAS No. 115, plus proceeds totaling $0.2 million relating to stock option exercises and our dividend reinvestment and employee stock purchase plans. Negatively impacting shareholders’ equity during 2007 was the payment of cash dividends, which totaled $4.7 million.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007 and 2006

Summary

Net income during 2007 was $9.0 million, or $1.06 per basic and diluted share, compared to net income of $19.8 million, or $2.36 per basic share and $2.33 per diluted share, recorded in 2006. The $10.8 million decline in net income represents a decrease of 54.8%, while diluted earnings per share were down 54.5%. The decline in net income during 2007 from that of 2006 is primarily the result of lower net interest income and a higher provision for loan and lease losses. In addition, net income during 2007 includes a one-time $1.2 million ($0.8 million after-tax) expense associated with the financial retirement package for former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Gerald R. Johnson Jr. which was recorded in conjunction with Mr. Johnson’s retirement effective June 30, 2007. Excluding this one-time expense, net income for 2007 was $9.8 million, or $1.16 per basic share and $1.15 per diluted share.

The following table shows some of the key performance and equity ratios for the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006:

		2007				2006
Return on average total assets			0.43	%			1.01	%
Return on average equity			5.10				12.19
Dividend payout ratio			52.16				20.34
Average equity to average assets			8.44				8.31

Net Interest Income

Net interest income, the difference between revenue generated from earning assets and the interest cost of funding those assets, is our primary source of earnings. Interest income (adjusted for tax-exempt income) and interest expense totaled $145.4 million and $88.6 million during 2007, respectively, providing for net interest income of $56.8 million. During 2006, interest income and interest expense were $138.5 million and $75.7 million, respectively, providing for net interest income of $62.8 million. In comparing 2007 with 2006, interest income increased 5.0%, interest expense was up 17.1% and net interest income decreased 9.6%. The level of net interest income is primarily a function of asset size, as the weighted average interest rate received on earning assets is greater than the weighted average interest cost of funding sources; however, factors such as types and levels of assets and liabilities, interest rate environment, interest rate risk, asset quality, liquidity, and customer behavior also impact net interest income as well as the net interest margin.

The net interest margin declined from 3.37% in 2006 to 2.87% in 2007, a decrease of 14.8%. Our net interest margin during 2005 was 3.50%. Throughout 2005 and during the first half of 2006, our net interest margin was generally on an increasing trend. From June 2004 through June 2006, the Federal Open Market Committee (“FOMC”) increased the federal funds rate by 25 basis points at 17 consecutive meetings, causing the prime rate to increase from 4.00% in June 2004 to 8.25% in June 2006. Our yield on assets increased significantly during this time period, as the interest rates on over 70% of our total loans and leases were tied to the prime rate. Our cost of funds also increased during this time period, as interest rates paid on our deposits and borrowings increased as well. However, our cost of funds increased at a slower rate than the increase in our yield on assets, with a significant portion of our interest-bearing liabilities comprised of fixed rate certificates of deposit and borrowings, resulting in a lagged increased cost of funds.

From the period of June 2006 through September 2007, the FOMC left the federal funds rate unchanged, resulting in a relatively steady yield on assets. However, our cost of funds continued to increase as maturing fixed rate certificates of deposit and borrowings, which were obtained during lower interest rate environments, were replaced or renewed at higher interest rates, resulting in a declining net interest margin. In September 2007, the FOMC started to aggressively lower the federal funds rate with three interest rate reductions totaling 100 basis points through the end of 2007, causing the prime rate to decline from 8.25% to 7.25%. With about 60% of our total loans and leases tied to the prime rate and a significant portion of our interest-bearing liabilities comprised of fixed rate certificates of deposit and borrowings, our asset yield declined at a much faster rate than our cost of funds, resulting in further compression of our net interest margin.

The FOMC continued to aggressively reduce the federal funds rate in early 2008 with two interest rate reductions totaling 125 basis points in late January, causing the prime rate to decline from 7.25% to 6.00%. This action will further compress our net interest margin for at least the first quarter of 2008. However, we do expect our net interest margin to improve if the FOMC either stops lowering the federal funds rate or lowers it less aggressively and with lower magnitudes of change. If the former occurs, we would expect a relatively steady yield on assets but a significant reduction in cost of funds as maturing fixed rate certificates of deposit and borrowings that were obtained during periods of higher interest rate environments are replaced or renewed at lower interest rates.

Also negatively impacting our net interest margin during 2007 was an increase in nonperforming assets, with a higher level of loans on nonaccrual status and a higher balance of foreclosed properties than in previous periods. A very competitive loan and deposit pricing environment, combined with a continuation of a flat to inverted yield curve, also negatively impacted our net interest margin.

The following table depicts the average balance, interest earned and paid, and weighted average rate of our assets, liabilities and shareholders’ equity during 2007, 2006 and 2005. The subsequent table also depicts the dollar amount of change in interest income and interest expense of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, segregated between change due to volume and change due to rate. For tax-exempt investment securities, interest income and yield have been computed on a tax equivalent basis using a marginal tax rate of 35%. As a result, securities interest income was increased by $1.2 million in 2007, 2006 and 2005.

		Years ended December 31,
		2007												2006												2005
		Average								Average				Average								Average				Average								Average
(Dollars in thousands)		Balance				Interest				Rate				Balance				Interest				Rate				Balance				Interest				Rate
Taxable securities		$	141,289			$	7,243				5.13	%		$	128,382			$	6,557				5.11	%		$	114,097			$	5,588				4.90	%
Tax-exempt securities			64,122				4,013				6.26				61,949				3,930				6.34				58,005				3,703				6.38
Total securities			205,411				11,256				5.48				190,331				10,487				5.51				172,102				9,291				5.40
Loans and leases			1,765,465				133,685				7.57				1,660,284				127,470				7.68				1,432,609				93,666				6.54
Short-term investments			510				20				3.92				320				12				3.75				582				14				2.41
Federal funds sold			8,239				420				5.10				9,745				482				4.95				8,156				266				3.26
Total earning assets			1,979,625				145,381				7.34				1,860,680				138,451				7.44				1,613,449				103,237				6.40
Allowance for loan and lease losses			(23,157	)											(21,464	)											(19,048	)
Cash and due from banks			33,099												38,298												36,827
Other non-earning assets			94,279												82,419												70,769
Total assets		$	2,083,846											$	1,959,933											$	1,701,997
Interest-bearing demand deposits		$	37,143			$	1,047				2.82	%		$	36,530			$	1,069				2.93	%		$	36,319			$	707				1.95	%
Savings deposits			86,009				2,977				3.46				93,046				3,328				3.58				113,945				2,934				2.57
Money market accounts			11,706				359				3.07				10,326				325				3.15				9,478				211				2.23
Time deposits			1,385,260				71,838				5.19				1,289,777				60,033				4.65				1,036,457				35,032				3.38
Total interest- bearing deposits			1,520,118				76,221				5.01				1,429,679				64,755				4.53				1,196,199				38,884				3.25
Short-term borrowings			93,307				3,493				3.74				75,885				2,867				3.78				66,814				1,795				2.69
Federal Home Loan Bank advances			118,904				6,100				5.13				121,932				5,393				4.42				131,137				4,200				3.20
Long-term borrowings			36,610				2,810				7.68				35,895				2,658				7.40				35,014				1,959				5.59
Total interest- bearing liabilities			1,768,939				88,624				5.01				1,663,391				75,673				4.55				1,429,164				46,838				3.28
Demand deposits			115,172												115,390												111,892
Other liabilities			23,838												18,371												12,352
Total liabilities			1,907,949												1,797,152												1,553,408
Average equity			175,897												162,781												148,589
Total liabilities and equity		$	2,083,846											$	1,959,933											$	1,701,997
Net interest income						$	56,757											$	62,778											$	56,399
Rate spread											2.33	%											2.89	%											3.12	%
Net interest margin											2.87	%											3.37	%											3.50	%