United Community Bank Breaks Ground on New Greenville Headquarters
Mar 29, 2022 04:05PM ● By David DykesBy David Dykes
Gov. Henry McMaster presented Lynn Harton, United Community Bank’s chairman and CEO, the Order of the Palmetto award Tuesday, March 29, 2022, just before bank officials officially broke ground on United’s new headquarters in downtown Greenville.
The Order of the Palmetto is the state of South Carolina’s highest civilian honor presented in recognition of a lifetime of extraordinary achievement, service and contributions on a national or statewide scale.
An individual must be nominated for the Order of the Palmetto, and the once-in-a-lifetime award is presented only to natives or residents of the state of South Carolina.
The award surprised Harton, who thought his afternoon primarily would involve the ceremonial groundbreaking and a subsequent reception.
“United Community Bank establishing their new headquarters in South Carolina will not only create new jobs in the short term but will pave the way for a stronger economy for years to come,” McMaster said. “This announcement would not have been possible without the efforts of Mr. Lynn Harton and his recognition of South Carolina as the ideal place to do business. This project is just one more example of his continued commitment to his community and South Carolina as a whole, which is why I’m proud to present him with the Order of the Palmetto.”
McMaster, David H. Wilkins, former U.S. ambassador to Canada and former South Carolina House Speaker, Greenville Mayor Knox White and other community and business leaders gathered along East Camperdown Way for the groundbreaking.
The bank officially moved its headquarters to Greenville in 2021. Georgia-based United Community Banks, Inc. (NASDAQ: UCBI) is the financial holding company of United Community Bank.
United first established operations in Greenville in 2012 and has grown steadily since, with approximately 650 employees in the state as of December 2021.
It is one of the largest full-service financial institutions in the Southeast, with $24.4 billion in assets, and 190 offices in South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Bank officials say the headquarters, on 4.2 acres near Falls Park and the Liberty Bridge, should be completed in spring 2024.
The building will include 118,000 square feet of office space, including a retail branch on the first floor.
The total investment is $70 million, and more than 300 employees will work in the building, bank officials said. They said 227 jobs will be created as the company grows and expands in Greenville.
“Today, we are taking a big step forward by celebrating the move of our headquarters to Greenville and a new building overlooking Falls Park – the heart of the city – where we can continue to grow for years to come," Harton said. "We are excited for what’s ahead for this state, this community and our company. We look forward to growing together."