FirstBank Opens Loan Office in Downtown Florence

FLORENCE, Ala. (May 26, 2015) – Tennessee-based FirstBank will open a loan production office this summer in downtown Florence in the historic Rogers Building to be headed by veteran banker Steve Nesbitt, who joined FirstBank in January as the Quad Cities city president.

The move is part of FirstBank’s growth plans in North Alabama, and follows the opening last year of a full-service branch office in Huntsville. The lease agreement is effective June 1, and the office is expected to open in July.

“We are looking forward to providing loan services to The Shoals and to bringing FirstBank’s style of community banking, which emphasizes personalized customer service and local decision-making, to the area,” said Jim Owens, Huntsville area president of FirstBank. “Steve Nesbitt is an exceptional banker who has deep ties to the community, and he will do a great job building a growing base of customers.”

The loan office will be located on the mezzanine level of the Rogers Building, which was built at the corner of North Court Street and West Mobile Street after a fire destroyed the original structure that housed Rogers Department Store in 1910. The 27,000-square-foot art deco building is now home to MSCO, Inc. (the parent company of Martin Industrial Supply), Jos. A. Banks clothing store, Alabama Outdoors and a YUMM restaurant.

Nesbitt, who has more than 37 years of banking experience and is an active member of The Shoals community, looks forward to serving FirstBank’s customers in the heart of downtown Florence.

“The Rogers Building is the perfect location for establishing and growing our presence in the Quad Cities, and I’m looking forward to leading that effort,” Nesbitt said. “We are excited to follow the legacy of the Rogers family in being part of the growth and success of downtown Florence.”

The building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage, was home to Rogers Department Store for many years and is a staple in downtown Florence.

In 2012, the historic building was purchased by MSCO and underwent a $3.5 million renovation. The city of Florence joined the project by building a $65,000 covered walkway from the city’s parking deck to the mezzanine level. Most of the building’s existing architectural elements remain intact.