Established in 1974, Sterling Bank primarily focuses on providing personal services to small and medium-sized business markets. It is a subsidiary of Sterling Bancshares Inc., a Houston-based bank holding company. Sterling Bancshares Inc. provides a wide array of consumer and commercial banking services, including demand, savings and time deposits, commercial, real estate and consumer loans, merchant credit card services, letters of credit, and cash and asset management services. In addition, it facilitates sales of brokerage, mutual funds, alternative financing and insurance products through third-party vendors.