BancorpSouth Expands Alabama Presence:

Announces Baldwin County Loan Production Office

Date: September 19, 2005

Contact: Mandy Mitchell

Phone: 205-939-4248

Birmingham, AL – BancorpSouth, Inc., (NYSE: BXS) subsidiary, BancorpSouth Bank announced it has expanded its presence in Alabama with the opening of a loan production office in the Gulf Shores.

Veteran banker, Philip R. Webb will direct BancorpSouth’s Baldwin County banking operations. Webb has served as in various management capacities in his 30+ years of financial services experience, including five years in the Baldwin County area. Webb is very involved in civic and community associations and has been a member of the National Association of Homebuilders for over 30 years.

Initially, BancorpSouth in Baldwin County will offer commercial real estate lending and real estate construction. The office will be located at Uptown On 20th at 229 East 20th Avenue in Gulf Shores.

BancorpSouth is a $10.8 billion-asset financial services company. The company operates over 250 banking and mortgage locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas with a staff of approximately 3,800 full-time employees. In addition to providing traditional banking services, credit cards, mortgages, trust and fiduciary services, the company provides investment services through its subsidiary BancorpSouth Investment Services, Inc. and insurance services through its subsidiary BancorpSouth Insurance Services, Inc.