FLORENCE, South Carolina, December 15, 2011 - Julius (Cass) Parris is now a member of First Reliance Bank’s Board of Directors. Parris, along with other members of the First Reliance Bank board, brings a unique perspective to the development of board policies and goals. He has more than 40 years of business experience, primarily in helping organizations to refine their brands and understand and exceed customer expectations.

"We are proud to have Cass as our newest board member," said Rick Saunders, president and CEO of First Reliance Bank. "Our Board has a good mix of knowledge and experience. Cass brings a great background in business and branding, and he'll be able to add valuable insights into how we are viewed in the community and how we can do better. First Reliance Bank works hard to convey that 'there's more to banking than money' and I’m confident that he will help ...

FLORENCE, South Carolina, December 1, 2011 - First Reliance Bank has announced that Kaesi Boyce of Florence, a student of Francis Marion University, is the recipient of the 2011/2012 First Reliance Bank Scholarship.

The First Reliance Bank Scholarship recognizes and assists outstanding area students who are pursuing a degree in business or finance. Administered through the Francis Marion University Foundation, the scholarship program has been helping area-wide students to meet their academic financial obligations since 2010. Boyce, a business major, is the second student to be awarded the scholarship.

"First Reliance Bank believes in encouraging continuous personal improvement and the Francis Marion scholarship program is one way that we can make a difference with our community's youth," said Rick Saunders, president and CEO of First Reliance Bank. "Making your way through school can be challenging — especially if you're committed to staying at the top of your class. We're proud ...

Kenneth R. Cox, Brings 23 Years Of Industry Expertise And First Reliance Bank’s "BETTER" Philosophy To Carolinas Association
FLORENCE, South Carolina, November 18, 2011 - Kenneth Cox, executive vice president of Mortgage Banking at First Reliance Bank, has been named president of the Mortgage Bankers Association of the Carolinas, Inc. He will be utilizing his vast experience and First Reliance Bank’s "customer first" philosophy of providing a "BETTER" banking experience to lead the association. During his tenure, he has seen how the application of these ideas have been crucial in upholding the association’s mission to protect the interests of mortgage bankers throughout North and South Carolina.

Cox has 23 years experience in the banking industry, including the past five years at First Reliance Bank. Known for offering an incredible customer experience, distinctive customer programs, and unmatched convenience, First Reliance Bank has a solid reputation of putting the needs of customers ...

The Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption Honors First Reliance As One Of The Top 100 For Its Adoption Benefit Policies
 September 20, 2011, Florence, S.C. — First Reliance Bank believes it is important to find loving homes for adoptive children. The efforts of the Bank continue to attract the attention of the Dave Thomas Foundation, which has ranked First Reliance Bank as one of the Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces in the United States for four consecutive years.

The 2011 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces list was announced by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption on September 19, 2011 and is published in the September edition of Employee Benefit News, a leading source of information for benefits decision makers.

The Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces are selected after an analysis of company adoption benefits compiled through a Dave Thomas Foundation survey of approximately 500 U.S. employers. The two determining factors considered are the provision of ...

By: Gavin Jackson FLORENCE, South Carolina, October 05, 2011 - Florence School District 1 received $5,000 from First Reliance Bank and the Florence Breakfast Rotary Club with 112 strings attached. The district will be buying 28 new violins (which have four strings each) to split between Lester Elementary School third-graders and Dewey L. Carter Elementary School sixth-graders, allowing each student in the classes to have access to a violin without the need of having students purchase or rent them. "Many children here don't have the opportunity to get a violin," First Reliance Bank Community Development Officer Joan Billheimer said. Since the program’s start, Billheimer said, she has seen an impact. "We saw an appreciation from the parents. We got letters from the parents who said they could never afford a violin for their child," she said. First Reliance Bank has been the main sponsor of this program since its inception ...

First Reliance's Hometown Heroes Program Raises Money For Supporting Charities
FLORENCE, South Carolina, February 8, 2011 - First Reliance Bank announced today that it is making contributions to several organizations on behalf of customers who are members of the bank's signature Hometown Heroes program.

In September 2008, First Reliance Bank began offering customers a Hometown Heroes signature program which recognizes and provides special financial products and rewards to Heroes in our community- teachers, police, firefighters, medical professionals, military, and employees of churches and not-for-profits, people who help us and protect us every day. This program is the bank's way of saying thank you, and it has been a great success.

As a benefit of the program, First Reliance donates $5, for every Hometown Heroes checking account opened, to an organization which supports these Heroes. The program has been very successful for the bank. Organizations that will receive contributions include: American ...

FLORENCE, South Carolina, May 6, 2011 – First Reliance Bank is pleased to announce James R. Lingle, Jr. (Jay) has joined its board of directors.

"We welcome the addition of Jay Lingle to our board and the experience he brings as CEO of a successful business that provides services to consumers and businesses. Mr. Lingle understands small business and the importance of offering exceptional customer service," said Rick Saunders, First Reliance Bank CEO.

Mr. Lingle is a licensed CPA and Property and Casualty Insurance Agent in South Carolina. He is currently the founder, President and CEO of iFinancial Holdings, Inc. which provides business consulting, property and casualty insurance coverage and other services to consumers and businesses. Prior to forming iFinancial Holdings, Inc. in 2009, he helped form a warranty finance company for Interstate National Dealer Services and from 1984 – 2008, he was President and CEO of a company founded ...

Dear Valued Customer, As we move forward into 2011, I wanted to take a moment to share a few thoughts with all of our customers. From our beginnings eleven years ago, First Reliance Bank has been driven by one powerful purpose: “To Make the Lives of Our Customers Better.” We defined a set of seven core values designed to generate everyday actions that will inspire customers to want to bank with us. We set out not to be just another faceless bank. We’ve dedicated ourselves to fulfilling our Customer Value Promise: “We offer an incredible customer experience, distinctive customer programs, and unmatched convenience.” Our passion is inwardly directed as well and includes a commitment to deliver an incredible work experience for everyone working at First Reliance Bank. In that light, I am happy to share with you that our bank was named One of the Best Places to Work in ...

March 29, 2011, Lexington, S.C. - Stan Carter has joined First Reliance Bank as a Residential Lending Specialist for the Lexington, S.C. area.

Carter will join the Mortgage Department at First Reliance Bank which assists customers with the assessment of their lending needs and then helps them to determine which bank products can best meet their needs. He is the newest member of the Lexington branch's mortgage team whose mission is to provide outstanding customer service while helping customers to explore and understand their mortgage options.

"We're very happy to have Stan add his experience to our lending team," said Rick Saunders, president and chief operating officer of First Reliance Bank. "His contributions will help us to deliver on our purpose to make our customers' lives better through knowledge of our products and his welcoming manner."

Carter, a resident of Lexington, acquired extensive experience in insurance and mortgage banking over ...

Bank Attributes Rating to Its Purpose of Provide Better Customer and Employee Experiences
FLORENCE, South Carolina, February 8, 2011 -First Reliance Bank's commitment to making its customers' lives better has resulted in the customer's giving the bank a 99% customer satisfaction score in a 2010 independent customer survey. The bank consistently receives high scores from its customers and had a 98% customer satisfaction in 2009. The 2010 rating is 23 points higher than the average national bank satisfaction score and 19 points higher than the average for community banks according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

According to Rick Saunders, CEO and President, First Reliance Bank’s unique culture of customer-centric banking begins with highly engaged associates who are passionate about the bank’s purpose, to make the lives of our customers better. “Culture is a reflection of how people act and a company’s brand. Our culture is simply the result of ...