For a bank that’s grown organically over the past 22 and a half years, Southern First’s towering new headquarters at 6 Verdae Blvd. in Greenville are a far cry from the triple-wide trailer the company started with in 2000.
At that time, Greenville First Bank, the company’s original name, worked out of its humble headquarters on 112 Haywood Road. But as the company grew, doubling in size every four to five years, it continued to focus on serving others, said CEO Art Seaver.
“We’ve always outgrown the investments we’ve made,” said Seaver, who’s been helming the company since it began.
The new headquarters were constructed to avoid looking like a bank and instead embraced more forward-thinking architecture. Tellers’ booths aren’t immediately apparent in the lobby, for example, and there is a small cafe to the left as one walks in.
And while it might seem like odd timing to construct a 107,000-square-foot, five-story building on seven acres when remote work has become so ubiquitous, Seaver said it’s part of the company’s culture.
“There’s a team aspect to it,” he said.
The goal was to make the building seem as friendly and as inviting as possible, with a building that has in large part a glass exterior. With the open office spaces, one can see from one end to of the building to the other. Seaver still believes the best way to serve customers and provide the best experiences is when team members work together in person.
“We want everyone to enjoy the outside view,” he said.
The building is also designed with public accessibility in mind. There’s a large conference area outside under fans that Seaver hopes will be popular even in the middle of summer. There’s also a large conference area inside that’s open to the public.
In addition, the cafe in the lobby is run by Southern Pressed Juicery, the juice shop run by Table 301 (which has no relation to Southern First, despite the shared “Southern” monicker).
Outside the bank are a number of automated machines that may seem like ATMs at first glance, but they’re what Seaver calls ITMs, or interactive teller machines. Where ATMs are merely push-button units that have been around for decades, ITMs are fully interactive experiences that are are equipped for video banking with live tellers if need be.
Seaver said the experience is all about what the customer wants to do — whether it’s conducting banking virtually through apps or working directly in-person with a banker.
As the headquarters open to the public, Southern First is No. 5 in Greenville County for market share, in the same class as heavyweights Truist, Bank of America and Wells Fargo, which the bank has achieved without selling to a larger bank or acquiring other banks.
“We want to continue to impact lives in the Southeast,” Seaver said. “We don’t want to sell this bank.”
Southern First Bank HQ stats
- Company founded: Jan. 10, 2000
- Address: 6 Verdae Blvd., Greenville
- Land: 7 acres
- Square footage: 107,000 square feet
- Number of employees at location: About 170
- Total employees: About 300
- Other markets: Columbia, Charleston, Raleigh, N.C., Atlanta, Greensboro, N.C., Summerville, and Charlotte, N.C.
- Total assets: $2.9 billion
