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ATLANTA – Ameris Bank (Nasdaq: ABCB) celebrates the 50^th anniversary of its founding on October 1, 1971. The Atlanta-headquartered bank is paying homage to its hometown roots this week with a series of events in Moultrie, Georgia, the site of its first branch. The bank has grown from one location and 20 employees to more than 200 locations in eight states supported by 2,700 teammates.

“We are humbled and honored to celebrate 50 years in business growing alongside the communities we serve,” said Ameris Bank CEO Palmer Proctor. “This milestone would not be possible without the tireless commitment of our Ameris teammates. The past is what built us, and the future is what drives us.”

Ameris began as American Banking Company on October 1, 1971 in Moultrie, Georgia with $1 million in capital. Founder Eugene M. Vereen, Jr. envisioned a bank that could think outside-the-box with a solutions-oriented mindset to best serve its customers. That vision resonated with the community, and before long, the company expanded through South Georgia and the Southeast.

The company has grown both organically and by way of many mergers and acquisitions since 1979. That list includes Prosperity Banking Company in 2013, Coastal Bancshares in 2014, Merchants & Southern Banks of Florida in 2015, Jacksonville Bank in 2016, Atlantic Coast Bank in 2018, Hamilton State Bank in 2018 and the acquisition of Fidelity Bank in 2019. Today, Ameris Bank manages more than $22 billion in assets.

Across its markets, Ameris Bank gives back to its communities. As part of the Georgia HEART Hospital Program, Ameris donated $2 million in financial support to 19 rural hospitals across the state in March. The bank has donated more than $6 million in total to the program since 2018. Additionally, Ameris launched Helping Fight Hunger, a company-wide food drive in 2010. This project unites all banking locations, support departments, customers and communities to collect as many nonperishable food items as possible each October. Since its inception, more than 9 million food items and $900,000 have been donated to support food banks throughout the Southeast.

“We started out as one branch reaching one community, and now Ameris Bank is privileged to serve 300,000 customers and 66,000 businesses in multiple high-growth markets,” Proctor said. “We have come a long way in a half-century, and ensuring we deliver personalized touch and catered solutions to our customers always will be paramount in our focus. As our company motto states, no matter your financial goals in life, we believe it’s possible, together.”

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About Ameris Bank

Ameris Bank manages more than $22 billion in assets and more than 200 financial centers across the Southeast. Headquartered in Atlanta, Ameris Bank is fiercely committed to bringing financial peace of mind to the communities it serves. A subsidiary of Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ: ABCB), Ameris Bank offers a full range of financial services, including traditional banking and lending products, treasury and cash management, wealth management, insurance premium financing, and mortgage and refinancing solutions. Learn more about Ameris Bank and its full range of financial services at www.amerisbank.com.