News & Information

Carolina Alliance named Small Business of the Year by the March of Dimes
Bank’s building design and landscape tops in City
Canned Food Drive
ReGenesis Bank to School
Healthy Smiles
United Way Scavenger Hunt
Opening Donation
In the News

Carolina Alliance named Small Business of the Year by the March of Dimes

Carolina Alliance has been recognized by the March of Dimes as its Small Business of the Year for its outreach and fundraising efforts.

The award reflects Carolina Alliance’s organizational commitment to the March of Dimes and March for Babies in the Spartanburg community, and the collective contributions of the 31 Bank employees, who have dedicated more than 100 man hours and resources for the organization.

“Since our inception, Carolina Alliance Bank has taken great pride in its talented staff who have committed themselves to reaching out to organizations that provide vital resources and support to our community," said John Poole, president and CEO of Carolina Alliance Bank. "We are honored to receive this recognition from the March of Dimes for our ongoing commitment and passion to community service and giving back to the Spartanburg community.”

Selected highlights of Carolina Alliance’s contributions to the March of Dimes:

• Raised approximately $4,200 for the March for Babies
• Planned a Hot Dog Luncheon which drew customers from throughout the Spartanburg area, and from which proceeds were donated to the March of Dimes.
• Held a Bake Sale which included Bank staff baking and selling homemade specialties and with all benefits donated to the March of Dimes.
• Bank Vice President Senior Mortgage Officer Carolyn MacIntosh volunteers as the Spartanburg March of Dimes Chairman of the Board.

Bank’s building design and landscape tops in City

Carolina Alliance was named by the City of Spartanburg’s Planning Commission as one of just eight Excellence in Design award winners for 2008.

In its 12th  year, the Excellence in Design program recognizes business (and public spaces) whose work showcases the unique and different, in addition to going over and beyond what the City ordinances require. Recipients also must adhere to high standards of excellence in the areas of building and landscaping.

Canned Food Drive

ReGenesis Back to School

Carolina Alliance held a school supply drive to collect items for the ReGenesis Community Health Center's Back to School Health Fair. Staff and customer participation was great and two large boxes of school supplies were collected which contained everything from notebooks and pens to dictionaries and crayons. Janice Addington, left, and John Poole, middle, both of Carolina Alliance presented Anita Jennings of ReGenesis Community Health Center with the items.

Healthy Smiles

Carolina Alliance Vice President and Senior Mortgage Lender Carolyn MacIntosh and Janice Addington, Vice President Lending and Human Resources, presented Dr. Jack Keith of Healthy Smiles of Spartanburg County and Lynn King, community outreach coordinator of Healthy Smiles of Spartanburg County with coloring books and crayons for the young dental patients. This was part of the United Way’s Week of Caring.

United Way Scavenger Hunt

As part of the United Way’s Week of Caring 2008 the Second Annual Sparkle City Scavenger Hunt with the Boys & Girls Club of the Upstate was held. Among the participants were Carolyn MacIntosh, Vice President and Senior Mortgage Lender and Carolina Alliance Board member Byrd Miller. They, along with other Spartanburg County leaders were each paired with a young person. These teams of two then competed in a scavenger hunt that took them all over downtown Spartanburg. The event ended with a pizza dinner.

Opening Donation

John Bauknight, representing the Charles Lea Center Foundation, was presented with a ribbon of 25 $20 bills by Carolina Alliance President and CEO John Poole at the bank’s ribbon cutting. The Charles Lea Center Foundation received the $500 gift as part of the Carolina Alliance’s opening celebration.
Bauknight is President of Longleaf Holdings, Inc., and he currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Charles Lea Center Foundation.  The mission of The Charles Lea Center Foundation is to raise awareness about the Charles Lea Center and to provide funds primarily from the private sector to assist the Center’s mission of improving the quality of life for those with disabilities and special needs in Spartanburg County.  The Charles Lea Center serves over 1,400 individuals through day, vocational, and residential programs, service coordination, rehabilitation supports, advocacy and family supports.

In the News

Carolina Alliance continues to make its mark on the Spartanburg community and in the past few months has been recognized for its efforts.
In June Carolina Alliance was presented with the Outstanding Leadership Giving Award for the second year in a row at the United Way Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony. This award is presented to the company with the highest percent of leadership givers, which are those who give $1,000 or more.
Earlier this year Carolina Alliance was selected as a finalist in a contest sponsored by a Wofford College Ethics and Business Class in an effort to recognize Spartanburg’s best business. The class developed the best business award to recognize local companies "who are doing well and doing good." The selection process involved the creation of a survey and nomination form to gather input from the community on the character of local businesses. After compiling the results, students narrowed the choices down to four companies, met with company representatives and selected a winner.
Spartanburg-based, and Carolina Alliance customer, Longleaf Holdings USA LLC was recognized as Spartanburg's Best Business.