The First Carolina Way

Since First Carolina Bank was established in 2012, one main concept has driven our business: we do the day-to-day things in banking extremely well. We are committed to providing this level of service to you, and we hope that you experience it in each and every interaction you have with our bankers.

Last year, one of our board members suggested that we supplement our commitment with core values, and it was important to us that we selected values that were genuine and meaningful to our team.

And so, we collected suggestions - all of our employees, from top to bottom, were given the opportunity to share - and we looked for common themes in addition to unique terms that we thought define our business. In our team members' own words, what does it mean to be a First Carolina banker?

Out of nearly 70 different terms offered, four stood out: enterprising, intentional, responsive, and considerate.

Our President and CEO, Ron Day, discussed these four words in one of last year's shareholder letters, and an excerpt is included below:

As part of an ongoing strategic focus and accountability process, we recently adopted a refreshed set of core values to guide our activities and to inform customer, employee, and shareholder expectations of the Bank as we interact, develop each other, and do business together. These tenets are as follows:

Enterprising: We have a do-business attitude and are extremely resourceful in finding ways to work with customers.

Intentional: We do what we say we are going to do, and we are thoughtful about the impacts of our actions, both internally and externally.

Responsive: We strive for frictionless banking experiences, answering the bell directly and quickly and working to exceed expectations in every service level in our business.

Considerate: We lean into community needs in the markets we serve and conduct ourselves in a professional manner in every interaction we have with customers, shareholders, fellow coworkers, and those who regulate our industry.

This year, we’re rededicating ourselves to these core values and formally recognizing them as “the First Carolina Way.” Throughout the year, you’ll see the First Carolina Way discussed on our social media platforms and in our newsletters, and we’ll be recognizing employees who bring the values to life as “First Carolina Waymakers.” You may even hear our branch teams answering the phone or greeting you in the lobby a little differently, but you’ll still receive the same kind of service you know and love. It’s all a part of the First Carolina Way.

So, tell us, what can we do extremely well for you this year?