STUART, Fla., April 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- First National Bank
and Trust Company of the Treasure Coast, the banking subsidiary of Seacoast
Banking Corporation of Florida (Nasdaq: SBCF), announced today that it will
change its name to Seacoast National Bank effective immediately.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050916/SEACOASTLOGO )
"Our expansion into northern Palm Beach and Brevard counties, combined
with our mergers with Century National Bank in Orlando and Big Lake
National Bank in six counties in south central Florida, signaled a need for
the change," said Dennis S. Hudson, III Chairman and CEO. "With our
expansions beyond the Treasure Coast, First National Bank and Trust Company
of the Treasure Coast no longer reflects the markets we serve. Tying the
bank's name closer to the holding company simply makes good sense.
"First National Bank is one of, if not the most common name in banking
and our franchise is anything but common. We pride ourselves in offering
consumers and businesses the third alternative in banking: A unique
combination of the sophisticated financial services expected at the large
mega banks, delivered with the personal service you expect from a community
bank."
This is not the first name change the Bank has made in its eighty year
history.
* The Bank was originally chartered in Sebastian, Florida as Indian
River County Bank in 1926.
* When it was moved to Okeechobee in 1930 the name was changed to
Citizens Bank of Okeechobee.
* After moving to Stuart in 1933, the name changed to Citizens Bank of
Stuart.
* In 1958, after establishing a trust department and changing its
charter from state to national, the Bank changed its name to First National
Bank of Stuart with trust powers.
* In 1970, the name was changed to First National Bank and Trust
Company of Stuart.
* The holding company, Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida, was
established in 1983.
* With the bank's expansion beyond Stuart, the name changed to First
National Bank and Trust Company of the Treasure Coast in 1988.
With the evolution to Seacoast National Bank, expect to see new signs
over the next several months, but the "sails in the wind" logo will remain.
Adopted as the bank's logo in 1981, the sails are a graphic interpretation
of a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox that reads:
"One ships drives east,
another drives west
with the selfsame winds that blow.
'Tis the set of the sails
and not the gales
that tells us the way to go."
"I do not believe there is a better way of describing the culture of
our bank than this poem," said Jean Strickland, President of Seacoast
National Bank. "We strive every day to do what is right for our customers
and shareholders over the long term and not participate in fads that come
and go in our industry. We see this as a natural evolution in our history
that will serve us well into the future. We are very proud of our team of
professional bankers and the new name fits the dynamic nature of the bank
and the people who work here."
With 30 branches and $2.5 billion in assets, Seacoast National Bank is
one of the largest independent banks headquartered in Florida.
SOURCE Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida
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Related links:
http://www.seacoastbanking.net
Photo Notes:http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050916/SEACOASTLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
Dennis S. Hudson, III, Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer, +1-772-288-6086, or Jean Strickland, President
and Chief Operating Officer, +1-772-288-6066, both of Seacoast
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