A hometown bank recently celebrated its 80th anniversary.
Founded in Sardis in July 1945 as the Bank of Sardis, The Southern Bank was floundering in the mid-1980s until Preston Conner, the father of Sean Conner, the current vice president of operations, joined the company.
“Dad took over in 1985, and in 1987, we expanded into Waynesboro,” said Sean Conner, who started with the bank as a teller about 30 years ago. Preston Conner retired in December 2021.
The move to Waynesboro would be the first of many expansions and brought the first of several name changes. Since then, The Southern Bank has opened branches in Hephzibah and Gibson where if filled the void left when the town’s only bank shuttered.
Growth has extended to South Carolina with branches opening in recent years in Greenville and Spartanburg as well as in Aiken last year. Other locations are planned for Myrtle Beach and Greer.
The bank’s central hub is still in the town of Sardis and the main office is a former residence built in 1905. The former dining room is Sean Conner’s office.
The bank’s longevity can be attributed to many factors, but knowing your customers and building relationships with them is one of the keys.
“Having a small bank, having a community bank is about the relationship you have with people,” Sean Conner said. “You go to church with them; you see them in the grocery store. Our customers are not just a number.”
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. She’s won multiple Georgia Press Association awards and received the 2018 Greater Augusta Arts Council’s media award. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
