Reston — Reston welcomed the latest addition to its business community Thursday, March 15 with the grand opening of the John Marshall Bank branch and headquarters. Members of local chambers of commerce as well as several elected officials were in attendance.

"We looked at spaces all over Fairfax, and settled on Reston because of its central locality and how wonderful and vibrant the business community is here," said John Maxwell, chairman and CEO. "We’re excited to be in Reston, which we now consider to be the heart of Fairfax County, and we continue to look forward to great things.

John Marshall Bank is the second fastest growing bank in the country, since 2008 they’ve grown from a $40 million bank to a $440 million bank at the end of 2011. They also saw 40 percent growth last year and gave out more than $120 million in loans.

Jim Corcoran, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, said he was thrilled to welcome John Marshall Bank headquarters to the area.

"The Fairfax Chamber congratulates John Marshall Bank on the opening of their new headquarters in Reston," he said. "John Marshall Bank is a longtime Fairfax Chamber member and a dedicated business in our community. Reston is lucky to get them."

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova said she was excited for the growth of John Marshall and what the new opportunity meant to both them and the county’s business community.

"This has been a tough time for the banking industry, but what we’re seeing is that the smaller community banks really recover," she said. "I want to compliment them on their location here, a short distance from the Wiehle Avenue Station, which is on its way, so this is a really exciting place to be putting roots down."

Mark Ingrao, president of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, spoke on behalf of his counterparts from other chambers about how pleased they were.

"This bank has put itself in all of our communities, and we are all blessed that this bank has decided to become a community bank for all of our jurisdictions," he said. "In the past they’ve shown their leadership in all their communities, and we know they’ll continue to do that."

Maxwell kicked off the new headquarters’ dedication to the community with a donation to the Fellowship Square Foundation, which provides affordable housing for the elderly and disabled around the Washington, D.C. area.