Press Release

For Immediate Release
March 8, 2002
Contact: Marketing
(864) 942-1500

Countybank Introduces New Identity

Bank leaders reinforce commitment to serving community of Greenwood
with expanded portfolio of services

Greenwood, SC — As part of a long-term strategic planning process, Countybank has introduced a new brand identity designed to reflect its commitment to meeting the changing needs of consumers and businesses in the Greenwood area. The identity rollout is the first in a series of announcements to be made this month laying the foundation for a new banking model at Countybank.

The company’s new logo, colors, and signs are reflective of Countybank’s past and its ambitious plans for the future. Countybank is still locally owned and operated and is dedicated to remaining independent. The difference, according to its leaders, is in the organization's more modern approach to community banking.

At a time when mega-mergers are the trend in banking, Countybank stands by the original vision of its founders to remain a community bank dedicated to providing sound financial services for the citizens of Greenwood. "Instead of following in the footsteps of other banks, we saw this as an opportunity to look for new and more meaningful ways of serving customers in a different way," said R. Thornwell Dunlap, III, president and CEO.

"We knew we had to take a few steps back before moving forward. We wanted to be able to offer an expanded array of services but also to maintain the high levels of customer service and personal attention the bank has been known for since 1933," said Dunlap.

This multi-step process began with expanding the organization’s traditional banking services to more fully meet the needs of today’s consumer, resulting in a portfolio of financial services unmatched by other community banks. This portfolio now includes dedicated divisions for both trust and mortgage services, along with the formation of subsidiary companies specializing in investment planning and insurance services.

"With these expanded service lines in place, our next step was to look inward and develop strategies to better serve our customers and unify the organization," said Dunlap. "We took a close look at our culture, products, internal systems and personnel. After months of strengthening these areas, we found our company had truly changed. We believe the time has now come to present those changes to our customers and the whole community."