Mercantile Bank Corporation Named to West Michigan's 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in 2013

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., March 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercantile Bank Corporation (Nasdaq: MBWM) ("Mercantile") announced today that it has won the honor of being named one of West Michigan's 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For™.

The 2013 winning companies were assessed by an independent research firm that reviewed a number of key measures. Companies were reviewed on Compensation, Benefits and Employee Solutions; Employee Enrichment, Engagement and Retention; Employee Education and Development; Recruitment, Selection and Orientation; Employee Achievement and Recognition; Communication and Shared Vision; Diversity and Inclusion; Work-Life Balance; Community Initiatives; and Strategic Company Performance. 

The winning 101 companies will be honored by the Michigan Business and Professional Association ("MBPA") at a luncheon on Thursday, May 2, 2013 at The Pinnacle Center in Hudsonville, Michigan.  These selected companies also are vying for 11 elite awards, one granted for each category. The company that excelled in all categories will be honored with a "Best of the Best Overall" award. The elite award winners will be announced during the luncheon.

"We are honored to be recognized as an employer that is committed to achieving the same high level of satisfaction for our employees as with our customers," said Michael Price, Chairman and CEO of Mercantile.  "The ability to assemble, develop and retain a solid team has always been, and will always be, the hallmark of Mercantile's success.  While the past few years have not been easy on our industry, achieving the strengthened position we are in today would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our employees.  Nine years of making the 'Best and Brightest' list is an impressive run and we are truly grateful." 

Jennifer Lluge, MBPA President, congratulated Mercantile on making the list yet again.

"Profitability and stability are essential for businesses in today's economic climate. Companies that recognize that their employees are the key to their success achieve staying power. Our 2013 winners style their business standards to ensure employee satisfaction and they set standards for every business to aspire toward," Kluge said.  "We are very impressed by the commitment that they have demonstrated to their employees."

About Mercantile Bank Corporation
Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Mercantile Bank Corporation is the bank holding company for Mercantile Bank of Michigan. Founded in 1997 to provide banking services to businesses, individuals and governmental units, the Bank differentiates itself on the basis of service quality and the expertise of its banking staff. Mercantile has seven full-service banking offices in Grand Rapids, Holland and Lansing, Michigan. Mercantile Bank Corporation's common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "MBWM."

About "101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For™"
The "101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For™", a program of the Michigan Business and Professional Association, is presented annually in several markets: Metro Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, West Michigan and Nationally.  Nominations are now being accepted. Visit www.101bestandbrightest.com to obtain an application.

About the Michigan Business and Professional Association
The Michigan Business and Professional Association boast a statewide sphere of influence that no other organization of its kind can claim, leveraging a depth of programs and community initiatives that positively impact more than 150,000 businesses. Visit them online at www.michbusiness.org.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains comments or information that constitute forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) that are based on current expectations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from the results expressed in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include changes in interest rates and interest rate relationships; demand for products and services; the degree of competition by traditional and nontraditional competitors; changes in banking regulation or actions by bank regulators; 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 factors, including risk factors, disclosed from time to time in filings made by Mercantile with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Mercantile undertakes no obligation to update or clarify forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Mercantile Bank Corporation