Ameris Bancorp

Ameris Bancorp is an American bank holding company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Through its bank subsidiary, Ameris Bank, the company operates full-service branches in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, and mortgage-only locations in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Tennessee. The company offers online and mobile banking options for both consumers and businesses.

History

The company was founded on October 1, 1971 in Moultrie, Georgia as American Banking Company by Eugene M. Vereen, Jr. The bank started with one location and $1 million in capital. Vereen said he "envisioned a bank for the future" that "set out to create a collective mindset that doesn't rely on tired banking norms or cookie-cutter solutions."[2]

In 1979, the company acquired Toney Brothers Bank in Doerun, Ga. In 1980, ABC Holding Company was formed as a parent company to American Banking Company before changing its name to ABC Bancorp in 1986. Sixteen years after its founding, ABC Bancorp became a public company in 1987 via an initial public offering and in 1994 began trading on the Nasdaq. The company changed to its current name of Ameris Bancorp in 2005.[3]

Expansion in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic United States

products	Retail banking Small business financing Commercial banking Mortgage

revenue	$1.08 billion (2024)

net income	$358.7 million (2024)

assets	$26.3 billion (2024)

equity	$3.75 billion (2024)

num employees	2,710 (March 2025)

homepage	amerisbank.com

footnotes	‡R1R‡

What started as a regional bank in South Georgia began its expansion into neighboring states in 1996 when it branched into Alabama. Four years later, the bank expanded into Florida. In 2006, the bank expanded into South Carolina and into North Carolina in 2020. The bank now maintains 166 full-service branches in those five states combined, with additional mortgage-only locations in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Tennessee.[4]

Mergers and Acquisitions

Since 1979, Ameris Bank has successfully completed 35 mergers and acquisitions. That includes the $24.5 million acquisition of Prosperity Banking Company in 2013,[5] the $37.3 million acquisition of Coastal Bankshares in 2014,[5] the $50 million acquisition of Merchants & Southern Banks of Florida in 2015,[6] the $96.4 million acquisition of Jacksonville Bank in 2016,[6] the $169.3 million acquisition of Atlantic Coast Financial in 2018,[7] the $397.1 million acquisition of Hamilton State Bank in 2018[6] and the $869.3 million acquisition of Fidelity Southern Corporation in 2019. During the Fidelity acquisition, Ameris appointed Fidelity CEO H. Palmer Proctor, Jr. as CEO and updated its brand to incorporate Fidelity's recognizable Lion logo.[6][8]

Between 2009 and 2012, in transactions organized by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the company acquired American United Bank,[9] United Security Bank,[10] Satilla Community Bank,[11] First Bank of Jacksonville,[12] Darby Bank & Trust,[13] Tifton Banking Company,[14] One Georgia Bank,[15] High Trust Bank,[16] Central Bank of Georgia,[17]

In 2021, Ameris acquired Balboa Capital, an online provider of business lending solutions to small and mid-sized businesses nationwide.[19]

Ameris Bank (subsidiary)

Ameris Bank moved its executive team to Jacksonville, Florida in 2016,[20] where they remained for three years before moving to their current headquarters in Atlanta in 2019.[20] The company expanded commercial banking across the southeast in 2020. Ameris Bancorp's common stock began trading on the NYSE on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, and continues to be traded under the ticker symbol "ABCB."

Awards and recognition

Ameris Bank has received several notable recognitions for customer service, business banking, and company culture. Of note, in 2025, Ameris Bancorp was recognized on Forbes’ list of America’s Best Companies 2025. This inaugural Forbes list is developed from a comprehensive analysis of more than 60 metrics including customer sentiment, public trust, cybersecurity, employee satisfaction, workforce stability and financial strength. Ameris was named a Top 100 Inspiring Workplaces for North America, which recognizes organizations that have created a positive and inspiring culture resulting in increased engagement, productivity and overall success. Ameris Bank was also recognized with five Greenwich Excellence Awards for Small Business Banking. Among more than 500 banks evaluated, Ameris Bank is one of 39 cited for Distinctive Quality in Small Business Banking nationally.

Ameris has also been recognized as one of Atlanta’s Top Workplaces for “offering a nurturing environment where teammates are empowered to use their diverse perspectives to help customers.” In addition, the bank was also named one of Jacksonville Top Workplaces for 2024 by the Florida Times-Union.

industry
type	Public
traded as	nyse: ABCB S&P 600 component
predecessors	American Banking Company ABC Holding Company ABC Bancorp
founder	Eugene M. Vereen, Jr.
foundation	October 1, 1971 (as American Banking Company) December 18, 1980 (as ABC Holding Company) Moultrie, Georgia
location city	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
area served	Georgia Alabama Florida South Carolina North Carolina Tennessee Virginia Maryland
key people	H. Palmer Proctor, Jr. (CEO) James B. Miller, Jr., chairman Nicole S. Stokes (CFO) Lawton E. Bassett III (president)

History

Expansion in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic United States

Mergers and Acquisitions

Ameris Bank (subsidiary)

Awards and recognition

Operations

Personal Banking and Mortgage Services

Small Business and Commercial Banking Services

Charitable Efforts

Community Involvement and Sponsorships

The Ameris Foundation

Leadership

Headquarters & Locations

External links

References