Staff Report
Published Nov. 18, 2012

Greenville-based CertusHoldings Inc. expanded its reach in Georgia Friday by acquiring Hometown Community Bank from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

CertusHoldings is the parent of CertusBank.

Hometown, of Braselton, Ga., had $124.6 million in assets and $108.9 million in deposits. The bank was closed Friday by the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance, which appointed the FDIC as receiver.

CertusBank has sought to expand its footprint in Georgia. In June, the Greenville-based bank bid unsuccessfully with the FDIC to buy the failed Security Exchange Bank of Marietta, Ga. In October, CertusBank acquired Quadrant Financial Inc., a provider of loans backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration and a subsidiary of the First Chatham Bank of Savannah.

Also this year, CertusBank expanded into the Charleston market, launched a wealth management division and acquired Charlotte-based Myers Park Mortgage Inc.

CertusBank has $1.8 billion in assets and operates 31 branches in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida.