Our Extraordinary Hometowns: Tabor City, North Carolina

One of our honorable mention nominees in our “What’s Extraordinary in Your Hometown?” Essay Contest is Jessica Harper Davis, a First Bank Assistant Branch Manager in our Tabor City location. We loved that you can feel her personal connection to the town in every word.

Nestled down deep in the southeastern corner of North Carolina, you’ll find a charming little town I’m passionate about called Tabor City. Geographically we may be small, but we’re over populated with southern charm and friendly, smiling faces.

I’m thankful for the cold winter day in 1987 when my parents brought me home to Tabor City. I’ve lived on the same dead end street all of my life and I’m full of hometown pride. Ninety five percent of my rather large family is still rooted within city limits. In fact, if you spend just a few minutes downtown, you’re bound to run into my relatives.

My mom, Cynthia, is the face of Tabor City Chamber of Commerce. When my dad Royce isn’t busy as Mayor, you can find him with his siblings operating Tabor City “NAPA” Auto Parts, our family business for over 50 years. My grandma Mildred, a “retired” business owner, works at Tabor City Visitors Center and in the classroom as a substitute teacher. Uncle Joey is the manager of Tabor City IGA and employs a lot of local youth.

In 2006, I started at First Bank in Tabor City. I was as excited then as I am today to serve the people that I love most. People come into the bank and ask, “Are you one of those Harper girls?” I love walking into places where people call you by name, know where you live, and know who your parents and grandparents are.

So, what makes Tabor City SO special? The people! Tabor City has the friendliest, most courteous citizens anywhere. I’ll guarantee if you walk into any downtown business, you’ll be greeted with a warm smile and “Hey, how are you”. I bet someone will hold the door open and when you cross the street they’ll stop their car and motion you across.

We have quite a few gems in Tabor City. The fourth Saturday each October, we host the NC Yam Festival. Thousands visit to enjoy the parade and several food & craft vendors.

If you’d rather “catch” your next meal, go throw in a line or two at Lake Tabor or just put your boat in the water for a relaxing afternoon.

When you’re ready to visit, Yogi Bear’s Campground at Daddy Joe’s will be more than thrilled to make you feel at home in a beautiful cabin, yurt, RV or tent site.

Another perk of Tabor City is the location! We’re approximately 25 miles north of Myrtle Beach and a few hours drive to the North Carolina Smoky Mountains. You could enjoy sea breeze and cool moist mountain air in a day.

There is absolutely NO place I’d rather live, work and raise my family than in my hometown of Tabor City.

Share:

Sign up for our newsletter and be the first to know about new tips, insights, and products from First Bank.

First Bank may use this email address to contact you about products, services, and promotions.

You may be interested in...

Branch Spotlight: Combining Finance, Community Building, and Line Dancing in Florence, SC No team in banking understands the nuances of line dancing and banking quite like our Florence-Main branch. Join them for line dancing on Friday mornings! In March of 2023, we expanded our South Carolina footprint with the purchase of GrandSouth bank, adding 8 branches to the First Bank family. Our Florence-Main branch, operated by Paul Seward, Area Executive, and newly promoted City Executive, Ashley Christenbury, kicks off every Friday morning with some good old fashioned line dancing. You might think that line dancing and banking don’t have anything in common, but our team at the Florence-Main branch is here to prove you wrong. The choreography, methodical steps, camaraderie, and community-building aspects of line dancing have direct parallels with banking – and with First Bank specifically. Much like the choreography needed for a group to do the “Biker Shuffle” in unison, the moving parts needed to operate one of the nation’s most successful banks must work together seamlessly. First Bank’s mission combines financial safety and soundness with community trust and confidence. Throughout our organization’s 87-year history, we have seen recessions, depressions, and many banks come and go. Because of our commitment to being safe and sound and serving our customers, we have been awarded as a Number 1 Best-in-State Bank by Forbes, as an Annual KBW Bank Honor Roll Award winner, and one of the Top 10 best-performing public banks in the nation by S&P Global, along with many other accolades. The energy and teambuilding atmosphere cultivated at a line dance is hard to beat. As everyone works together, each dancer contributes to creating something larger than themselves. As the group grows in size and complexity, the more impressive the dance becomes. Similarly, banks that work together with their neighbors foster mutual growth, lasting impact, and impressive communities. An actively involved local bank can provide their neighbors with increased access to small business loans, mortgages, charitable donations, and overall financial wellness. When asked about her favorite part of working at First Bank, Ashley said, “First Bank’s commitment to the local communities we serve across our footprint is incredible. First Bank makes it a priority to support various initiatives on a corporate level and we are expected and encouraged to be involved 3 min read

A mother and her baby daughter pick fresh strawberries from their garden on a warm late summer morning at their home. Shot in Washington state.

Bringing Home the Veggies You’re all ready to buy local and eat local, but where to start. Have you ever considered a CSA? It might sound like a new financial or insurance product, but rest assured, this acronym is all about fresh food grown or raised right near your neighborhood. 4 min read

First Bank Celebrates Donielle Bacon During Women’s History Month Donielle Bacon, First Bank’s Area Retail Manager, is driven to overcome the societal and cultural expectations set for an African American woman. Starting out in the hospitality industry, working many years as a wait staff trainer and bartender, Bacon was able to develop exceptional customer service and cross-selling skills, aiding her as she began her unexpected career path into the banking sector. Because the job roles she held were seasonal due to the venues, Bacon began searching for a side job, which led her to work as a part-time teller for a credit union in San Diego almost 20 years ago. Throughout her time as a teller, Bacon found a passion for assisting customers with their financial needs. Over the years, Bacon has led by example and managed teams full of individuals with various backgrounds. As a branch manager for First Bank, Bacon has exemplified true leadership and courage by stepping out of her comfort zone, into a new role and successfully learning how to balance the talents and strengths of the individuals on her team. Growing up, Bacon was particularly influenced by her mother both personally and professionally. “From a young age, she always tried to push me out of my comfort zone” stated Bacon. Her mother inspired her to dream large and live life to the fullest against all odds, instilling in her the importance of being independent and embracing the gender and racial differences that she represented, instead of allowing them to hold her back. When asked about her role as a woman in a leadership position, Bacon emphasized “I used to be offended by these kinds of questions.” As she viewed herself as equal, she preferred to be asked as an individual not as a woman. While still acknowledging that we are all equal, Bacon has learned to recognize and welcome the differences. Through her experiences, she has seen first-hand how a woman’s perspective and diversity within the workplace can benefit the morale and enhance performance. As her mother’s words encourage her daily to maximize the role she plays in her team’s career, Bacon has used her values and growth mindset to employ her team to their fullest extent, fostering an environment surrounded by support and 3 min read

Cool Crops for Chilly Days: How to Plant a Fall Garden, Part 1 To get the inside dirt on gardening goodness, we talked to Julie Thompson-Adolf, who is a master gardener, South Carolina resident, and owner of Garden Delights. 3 min read

Our Extraordinary Hometowns: Tabor City, North Carolina

Ready to talk to an expert?

Ready to talk to an expert?

You may be interested in...