Georgia bank buys property for SC expansion

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A banking company based in Sardis, Ga., has plans to expand throughout South Carolina and will begin with a branch at 101 Cleveland St., in Greenville. The Southern Bank bought the property and plans to open this summer, according to a news release. 

The land and a 575-square-foot structure was purchased from local investors for $562,500 and will undergo an estimated $675,000 in renovations, furnishings and equipment, the news release said. 

Renovations on the Greenville property will add another 439 square feet of space, including two drive-thru lanes, office spaces, a safekeeping room with deposit boxes, and a staff break room and restroom, the release said. The overhaul will also add new brick, windows, doors and roofing to the structure’s exterior. 

The Georgia-based company aims to fill what it calls a community banking gap in South Carolina, beginning with more locations in the Upstate. 

“The Southern Bank looks forward to serving the Greenville market with local hometown banking,” Scott Frierson, president of The Southern Bank, said in the release. “Not only is this the site of our first South Carolina branch, but also the former location of Carolina First Bank, an office I helped open many years ago. We are eager to welcome the Greenville community into our newest branch this summer.” 

With more than $145 million in total assets, the bank currently operates branches in Gibson, Hephzibah, Sardis and Waynesboro, Ga.