OUR STORY
We've come a long way.
Over the course of nearly two decades in the Florence, South Carolina banking community, Rick Saunders, his brother Paul Saunders, and their colleague, Dale Porter, came to share a dedication to forming strong and lasting relationships with their customers by building trust and providing real value in the community. In short, the three became known as trustworthy, dependable bankers—people you could always count on.
During a time when many banks were going through mergers and acquisitions they began noticing trends that were creating not only a negative customer experience but also a negative employee experience. They saw a need to build a bank that would improve the lives of its customers and associates and better the communities that it served. In 1999, the idea of First Reliance Bank was born.
This commitment to culture has been recognized with accolades such as being named a "Best Place to Work in South Carolina" for 19 consecutive years and a "Best Adoption-Friendly Workplace but the Dave Thomas Foundation.
Today, First Reliance has expanded beyond its hometown of Florence to serve communities throught South Carolina and North Carolina.
First Reliance Bank continually strives to provide a better banking experience and believes " There's More to Banking than Money®".
From the founder…
Accomplishments that speak for themselves
What’s in a brand?
A brand is a lot more than a name, a logo, or a couple of colors. It’s a way of thinking. A way of acting. A promise you love keeping!
At First Reliance Bank, our brand is the essence of who we are. To the world around us, it expresses itself in ways that consistently and authentically shows the world who we are—what we’re all about. Internally, it reminds us who we are and how that translates into the way we treat people.
When we live up to our brand, we communicate to everyone we touch—potential and current customers, local businesses, family, friends, and our community—who we are and what we stand for. And better yet, we make them feel like they can connect with us.
Authenticity is at the heart of the First Reliance Bank. We’re down-to-earth, approachable people, who make connections with our customers and our community—showing with every interaction that we understand what’s important to them.
We speak with confidence. So we don’t need gimmicks or shouting. We simply speak honestly.
When we talk about the value we bring to your life, we speak with intelligence and caring.
We’re passionate about our accomplishments, about doing whatever we can to make our customers’ lives better.
