Florence, SC (August 18, 2009) - First Reliance Bank solidifies its place as the most convenient and friendly bank in South Carolina. The Bank has been named one of the Best Places to Work in SC for 2009. This is the fourth consecutive year of receiving this recognition. Associates enjoy working at the Bank and delivering a differentiated level of customer service. This is evident based on a Customer Satisfaction Score of 97%. Outranking most of the biggest names in the financial industry, First Reliance has achieved a customer satisfaction score that is 20 points higher than the industry standard of 78.

According to an independent Customer Satisfaction Survey ,the bank's service and convenient products ranked above the industry average in most categories, including below average teller and drive thru wait times, extended hours of operation, and offering a wide range of products and services. Not only are 97% of the bank's customers satisfied with the service they receive at the bank, 85% of the bank's customers would refer the bank to family and friends.

"We are honored to receive such high recognition from both our customers and our associates," commented Rick Saunders, CEO of First Reliance Bank. "These results demonstrate First Reliance's commitment in delivering the highest level of customer service in the financial industry, while recruiting and developing great, talented people who are aligned with our company's vision, mission, and values. A strong culture is the foundation from which we were established, and is critical to building a great company, one that is able to survive and succeed despite tough economic environments. While the financial industry is facing challenging times, our recognition as one of the "Best Places to Work in SC" in conjunction with 97% of our customers being satisfied with our service, demonstrates the strength of our culture."

The "Best Places to Work in South Carolina" is sponsored by SCBIZ in partnership with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) - South Carolina State Council, the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, SCJobnetwork.com, and is managed by Best Companies Group. First Reliance Bank was identified as one of The Best Places to Work in South Carolina for their commitment to being a top employer in South Carolina, benefiting the state's economy, it workforce, and businesses. Companies from across the state entered the two-part process to determine the Best Places to Work in South Carolina. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. First Reliance has been a recipient of this award in 2006, 2007 and 2008 previous to receiving this award in 2009.

ABOUT FIRST RELIANCE BANK
First Reliance Bank, founded in 1999, has assets of approximately $696 million, and employs over 145 highly talented associates. The bank serves Columbia, Lexington, Charleston, and Florence markets in South Carolina. The bank has been recognized for its success including being the only company ever to be named to The Top 25 Fastest Growing Companies™ in South Carolina four times including 2002, 2004, 2005, and 2006 (SC Chamber/Elliott Davis). In June 2007, the bank was added to the Palmetto 25, a list of S.C.'s largest publicly held companies. In 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 the bank was also recognized as One of the Best Places to Work in South Carolina by the SC Chamber of Commerce. First Reliance Bank offers a unique Hometown Heroes package of benefits to serve those who are serving our communities, a Customer Service Guaranty, Totally FREE Checking, Totally FREE Business Checking, FREE Coin Machines, a Worldwide NO FEE ATM Network, and a 5 Way Mortgage Service Promise. It also offers 8-8 Extended Hours in all of their Florence, Charleston, and Columbia/Lexington locations and is open on most traditional bank holidays. Its Easy to Do Business With™ standard has earned the young bank a customer satisfaction rating of 97% (Lamothe & Associates, Inc., Research Firm). First Reliance Bank is traded as FSRL.OB.
Information about the Company is available on the company's website at www.firstreliance.com.