Nantahala News

Select Bank & Trust completed the purchase from Entegra Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank, of three branches in western North Carolina, the company said in mid-April. 

The three locations reopened as branches of Select Bank & Trust on April 20.

The holding company for Select Bank & Trust Company assumed the deposits, majority of the loans, equipment, property and other selected assets associated with the branches located at 473 Carolina Way, Highlands; 498 East Main St., Sylva; and 30 Hyatt Road, Franklin. The three North Carolina branches are located in western North Carolina southwest of Asheville.

“It is a tough time in our nation and world right now and we hope to continue to be a source of assistance and education for our customers, footprint wide. We are extremely proud of our employees and our newest employees for making this transition during this difficult time in our communities,” Select Bancorp CEO William L. Hedgepeth said in a company statement. “We ask our new customers to be patient with us as we work through this transition with somewhat limited resources due to the novel Coronavirus pandemic.

The branch lobbies will remain closed with the public health and safety concerns related to COVID-19. Customers can continue to use the drive-thru Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Customers can obtain banking services by appointment and telephone, ATM and digital banking until further notice.

“Our goal for some time has been to further expand the markets we serve and enter new markets. These branches will serve as an expansion of our footprint into western North Carolina,” Hedgepeth said in a company statement. “This strategic acquisition fits nicely with our recent opening of a full-service branch in Cornelius, North Carolina [Charlotte area] and the opening of loan production offices in Winston-Salem and Durham, North Carolina.”