Skip to main content
_FB_2018-Icons-finalized-cleaned-up_new_FB_2018-Icons-finalized-cleaned-up_newGroup 9
Back
Scroll to top

Branch Spotlight: Combining Finance, Community Building, and Line Dancing in Florence, SC

Across The Carolinas 3 min read

Ready to talk to an expert?

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 in our communities on a local level. This is truly important to me as I enjoy giving back and serving and helping others.”

Ashley and her team invite you to stop by their branch to ask about their Friday morning line dancing plans… and also your financial needs.

View all of their line dancing videos on the @LocalFirstBank Youtube page.

Ready to talk to an expert?

Share:
First Bank’s Good To Know Logo
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...

Close up image of fresh produce. How Local Produce Leads to Local Innovation When you take a bite of an apple or dig into some leafy greens, do you ever think about where they came from and how they were grown? With the wealth of information available via the Internet, wary consumers in North Carolina (and beyond) are getting invested in and engaged with where and how their food is produced, from the chemicals involved to the methods used to get the goods from the farm to their forks. It’s no surprise that many are finding it’s often more beneficial for their bodies, their families, and their communities to purchase food products from local farms. Paul Jones, Media Marketing Specialist of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, explains that the interest in organic, locally grown food is nothing new in North Carolina. “Agriculture has such a rich heritage in North Carolina and continues to be the state’s top industry,” he explains. “I think both those factors contribute to our strong interest in local food.” But the rebirth of the farm-to-table movement nationally has been “tremendously beneficial” to farms that dot the state, says Jones. One such business is Pine Knot Farms located in Hurdle Mills, North Carolina. Pine Knot Farms: Organic Original The Orange County farm was originally built for large tobacco crops but is now known more for its certified organic vegetables including collards, kale, and sweet potato greens. Owner Stanley Hughes and his wife, Linda Leach Hughes, are proud to carry on the century-old tradition of organic farming that started when Stanley’s grandfather purchased the land in 1912. “Back in the day, they were farming organically, but there was no term for it,” says Linda. “It was just the way things were done. This land is over 100 years old and has never had any chemicals on it.” Stanley says that the local movement has led to increased demand of Pine Knot’s organic products. “We’ve seen an increase of 15-25% a year in the last 10 years because folks are more educated about what they eat.” Buying Local Helps Local Economies And they are not alone. The Hughes say they have seen many other farms benefiting from consumers who keep their food spending within the community. “It’s helped them to maintain 5 min read