Seacoast Bank Purchases Receivables Funding Group

STUART, Fla., May 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida (NASDAQ: SBCF), a bank holding company whose principal subsidiary is Seacoast Bank, has purchased certain assets, factored receivables, and employee expertise of First Growth Capital (FGC), the Commercial Accounts Receivable Funding and Small Asset Based Facility group, a division of FCC, LLC.

The transaction expands Seacoast's current receivables funding capabilities, providing its business customers additional options to improve their working capital and cash flow positions. FGC currently provides invoice financing and small asset based facilities to companies with annual business-to-business domestic sales between $2 million and $250 million.  

"When a company needs cash to operate and grow, a slow invoice turnaround can tie up valuable working cash needed to invest back in to one's business. We're constantly exploring new ways to help our customers simplify the financial aspects of their businesses so they can focus on growth," said Seacoast  EVP & Commercial Market Executive, Charles K. Cross Jr. "Whether a loan or an accounts receivable funding arrangement helps them meet their goals, we want our customers to feel in control and confident about their company's future. The lift-out of First Growth Capital and its entire team enables us to build upon our full suite of financing options for our business customers."

As part of the acquisition, Jay Atkins, former Executive Vice President and President of First Growth Capital, joins Seacoast Bank as Executive Vice President and President of the new division, which is named Seacoast Business Funding.

A leader in the industry, Atkins is a nationally recognized speaker and trainer for International Factoring Association (IFA), where he has consistently been rated an A+ lecturer and presenter by students and attendees. He holds a B.A. in finance from the University of Charleston.

About Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida (NASDAQ: SBCF)

Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida is one of the largest community banks headquartered in Florida with approximately $3.2 billion in assets and $2.6 billion in deposits as of March 31, 2015.  The Company provides integrated financial services including commercial and retail banking, wealth management, and mortgage services to customers through 42 traditional branches of its locally-branded wholly-owned subsidiary bank, Seacoast Bank, and five commercial banking centers.  Offices stretch from  Ft. Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach north through the Space Coast of Florida, into Orlando and Central Florida, and west to Okeechobee and surrounding counties. 

Important Information for Investors and Shareholders
This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida ("Seacoast") will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") a registration statement on Form S-4 containing a proxy statement of Grand Bankshares, Inc. ("Grand") and a prospectus of Seacoast, and Seacoast will file other documents with respect to the proposed merger. A definitive proxy statement/prospectus will be mailed to shareholders of Grand. Investors and security holders of Grand are urged to read the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents that will be filed with the SEC carefully and in their entirety when they become available because they will contain important information. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the registration statement and the proxy statement/prospectus (when available) and other documents filed with the SEC by Seacoast through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Seacoast will be available free of charge on Seacoast's internet website or by contacting Seacoast.

Seacoast, Grand, their respective directors and executive officers and other members of management and employees may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of Seacoast is set forth in its proxy statement for its 2014 annual meeting of shareholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 8, 2014 and its Current Reports on Form 8-K. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitations and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available.

Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is intended to be protected by the safe harbor provided by the same.  These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: failure to obtain the approval of shareholders of Grand in connection with the merger; the timing to consummate the proposed merger; the risk that a condition to closing of the proposed merger may not be satisfied; the risk that a regulatory approval that may be required for the proposed merger is not obtained or is obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated; the parties' ability to achieve the synergies and value creation contemplated by the proposed merger; the parties' ability to promptly and effectively integrate the businesses of Seacoast and Grand; the diversion of management time on issues related to the merger; the failure to consummate or delay in consummating the merger for other reasons; changes in laws or regulations; and changes in general economic conditions. For additional information concerning factors that could cause actual conditions, events or results to materially differ from those described in the forward-looking statements, please refer to the factors set forth under the headings "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Seacoast's most recent Form 10-K report and to Seacoast's most recent Form 8-K reports, which are available online at www.sec.gov. No assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what impact they will have on the results of operations or financial condition of Seacoast or Grand.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141218/165377LOGO

SOURCE Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida

Related Links

http://www.seacoastbanking.net