First Bank Spotted in Times Square

In celebration of First Bank being chosen as one of North Carolina’s best banks by Forbes for 2019, the bank’s partners at Nasdaq arranged for a congratulatory message to show in New York City’s Times Square.

Everyone at First Bank is truly honored by this recognition. Michael Mayer, First Bank President and CEO also shared his thoughts:

Our selection this year as one of North Carolina’s best banks by Forbes is really gratifying. First Bank has experienced tremendous growth in the last three years, adding more than 20 branches and increasing overall asset size from $3.4 billion to $6.1 billion. But through it all, our commitment to communities throughout the Carolinas has remained central to who we are and what we do. This recognition shows that we’re on the right track—not only in how we serve our customers, but in the financial products and the technology we provide to help them achieve their goals for their families and for their businesses.

Whether you’re looking for a personal bank account, a business loan, a new home, or solid financial advice, we’d be happy to serve you and to help you achieve your dreams.

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

Banks in North Carolina Did you know there are more than 100 First Bank locations in North Carolina? It’s true. You can find us in over 60 cities, mountains to coast. Did you know we’re one of the oldest banks in North Carolina? Yup, our roots date back to 1935 in the town of Troy, North Carolina. Did you know we’re a full-service bank? We sure are. We have checking and savings accounts for personal and business use, credit cards, loans of all types, business merchant services, insurance, mortgages, wealth management, and more. Of all the banks in North Carolina, we are confident you won’t find the personal level of customer service, complete selection of services, and convenient array of locations that you’ll find with First Bank. We take advantage of technology to bring our customers the added convenience of online, mobile, and digital banking services to enhance the First Bank experience.* We even connect with our customers through our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube channels! Not Like the Other Banks in North Carolina You’re likely to find three types of banks in North Carolina. First, you’ll find the large national banks. They don’t have the capacity to get to personally know their customers and specifically cater services to those needs. The second are smaller local banks that aren’t equipped with the selection of services that bigger banks can offer. The third type of bank in North Carolina is First Bank, which offers the best of both worlds. We are small enough to provide the friendly customer service and personal care of a local bank and big enough to provide all the services and products of the bigger banks. So get to know First Bank, and we’ll be pleased to get to know you right back. 2 min read

5 Ways to Protect Your Home for Hurricane Season Summer is hard to beat with the warmer weather, longer days, family vacations, and backyard parties. But if you live anywhere near the coast, summer means more than beaches and barbecues. You also need to prepare for hurricane season. 3 min read

Farmer with wooden box full of ripe vegetables

Cool Crops for Chilly Days: How to Plant a Fall Garden, Part 2 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. Below, in part 2 of this series, she shares some additional tips and tricks to stay green all winter long. Planning and Planting for Spring Vegetables aren’t the only plants to consider for your fall garden. “Fall is for planting, and it is a particularly good time to plant trees and shrubs,” says North Carolina gardener, Helen Yoest, author of Gardening with Confidence and Plants with Benefits. “This autumn, I’m adding 5 more highbush blueberries for my Raleigh garden, along with another fig tree.” Have a smaller space? With newer, dwarf varieties available, fruit trees and bushes can grow in containers on a balcony or patio, perfect for land-challenged homeowners. Along with fruits and vegetables, fall is an ideal time to add to the herb garden. “It’s also garlic planting time in my area,” says Yoest. “I plant starter bulbs in whisky-barrel containers.” Yoest also recommends buying garlic bulbs for planting purposes, as store bought garlic is typically treated with a growth inhibitor, preventing the bulbs from sprouting. Rebecca McKinney, Executive Director of the South Carolina Organization for Organic Living, agrees that fall is the perfect time for alliums. “Perennial alliums are my favorite vegetables,” she says. “I especially love perennial leeks and Egyptian walking onions. Although they take a little more effort than true perennials, if you manage the planting and spacing of the bulbuls, you’ll always have a steady supply.” Immediate Garden Gratification While planting garlic and leeks requires patience until harvesting next summer, you can enjoy almost immediate gratification by creating a beautiful, edible container filled with quickly maturing crops. Use the container design principle of “thriller, spiller, and filler.” Rainbow Swiss chard or Tuscan kale provides an eye-catching, tasty “thriller”—plant it in the center of the container. Add a variety of lettuces around the chard or kale as the “filler.” Lettuce is available in many beautiful colors and textures, such as the heirloom ‘Forellenschluss,’ with its red speckles on bright green leaves. ‘Tom Thumb’ peas serve as a “spiller,” with their dwarf vines, pretty blooms, and crisp pods. To add 4 min read

First Bank Spotted in Times Square

Ready to talk to an expert?

Ready to talk to an expert?

You may be interested in...