Our Story

We were built by people who believed in us. In 2005, our Board of Directors met to discuss the formation of a community bank to serve, at first, people in the Rocky Mount–Tarboro area. There was a need. Within six months, local citizens overwhelmingly responded, raising $13.6 million in capital. After receiving approval from the North Carolina Banking Commission and the FDIC, Providence Bank was chartered as a commercial bank. We opened our doors on March 14, 2006, with 12 employees, a corporate office, and one full‑service branch on Sunset Avenue in Rocky Mount.

As Providence grew, so did our reach into nearby communities. In 2007, we opened a loan production office in Tarboro, followed by a full‑service downtown branch in 2009 in response to strong local demand. Meanwhile, in 2008, we opened a second Rocky Mount branch on Winstead Avenue and consolidated our corporate office there. Our expansion continued with the opening of a full‑service branch in Nashville in 2014. In 2018, we acquired Cornerstone Bank in Wilson, which became our fifth branch. Two years later, in 2020, we opened our sixth full‑service branch—this time in our state capital, Raleigh.

In 2024, Providence expanded again through the acquisition of Coastal Bank & Trust. This growth extended our footprint to the coastal communities of Holly Ridge, Jacksonville, Morehead City, and Richlands. Bringing these markets into the Bank deepened our presence in coastal North Carolina and allowed us to serve more communities where local service is especially meaningful.

One of our greatest assets is our employees. Our team has grown alongside the Bank, and they continue to excel in banking and financial knowledge and in exceeding customer expectations. Our employees are responsive to our customers’ needs and requests and dedicated to providing superior customer service. Banking and lending decisions are made locally, which allows us to respond to needs quickly and efficiently. Providence Bank is built on the collective strength of everyone who works here.

We know the region we serve—the heart of the vibrant coastal and piedmont markets of North Carolina. Most of our management team, Board, and staff grew up here. Because of that, we serve our families, our friends, our neighbors—new and old, businesspeople we have known, and those we get to know…it’s home. Employees who aren’t from this area came because they understand what life is like here and what we, as a Bank, mean to the communities we serve. Everyone on our team joins the Bank in being committed to improving the quality of life here through volunteering and assisting those whose mission is to help others.

Providence Bank is built on North Carolina values and a bit of down‑home goodness.