It was 1896, Grover Cleveland was President, William Yates Atkinson was Governor and the first chartered location of Planters First Bank was officially opened in Hawkinsville.
The capital, deposits, and banking team grew as the Bank survived two world wars, the depression, recession, and bad crop years. During the Great Depression, the Bank kept its doors open while banks here and across the nation were failing. After this, the Bank continued to merge and acquire banks across Middle Georgia. As of January 1, 2000, Cordele Banking Company, Cordele, Georgia, Planters Bank, Hawkinsville, Georgia, Pineview State Bank, Pineview, Georgia, First State Bank of South Georgia with offices in Ocilla and Fitzgerald, Georgia, all operated under separate charters. Immediately after, plans were developed to construct an Operations Center in Cordele and convert all banks under one name. Planters First Bank was born from the name of Planters Bank and First State Bank of South Georgia.
All of us here at Planters First Bank are proud of our 125-year banking legacy and are even more excited about our future. We remain dedicated to the development of our long-term goals while continuing to look for new opportunities that fit our mission and values. We are always looking for ways to make your community bank stronger and better diversified. As technology and the times have changed, so has the Bank, but one thing has and will always remain- our commitment to being "The Best Community Bank in Middle Georgia."
Click here to see important happenings in 1896. (PDF)
Printable Press Release (PDF)