ATLANTA, Ga. – Ameris Bank is ranked number 28 on Forbes’ 2021 America’s Best Banks list. 

This ranking is a testament to the bank’s resiliency and dedication to local market leadership, building and strengthening customer relationships and helping foster economic growth, according to a press release from the bank. 2020 was a record financial year for Ameris Bank, the press release said, as the bank grew its balance sheet to over $20 billion in assets for the first time in its history. 

“This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication that our employees continue to demonstrate to our customers, and our perseverance through this past year with the pandemic,” said Ameris Bank CEO Palmer Proctor. “We are committed to always being a valued community member, and this new ranking emphasizes the trust our customers have in us and our incredible growth as a company.” 

Despite the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including a drop in employment and economic conditions, Ameris Bank remained strong, agile and ready to best serve its customers, the bank said. It swiftly deployed work-from-home capabilities, adapted to by-appointment banking and increased drive-thru servicing capabilities. The bank saw an increase in online and mobile banking usage, Zelle transactions for person to person transfers and access into the bank’s online Personal Finance Manager tool. 

In 2020, Ameris Bank administered loans to 8,812 businesses totaling over $1.1 billion through the Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). To apply for the PPP program in 2021, businesses should visit amerisbank.com/SBARelief. Ameris Bank’s mortgage division provided financing for 30,033 homes (over $9.8 billion in loans) in 2020. 

“2020 was a year unlike any other,” Proctor said. “Personal and professional challenges were presented, yet we remained opportunistic, adapted without pause and overcame all obstacles. Our team’s focus on continuing to deliver exceptional service to our customers and to each other produced many successes and amazing results – all recognized in our Forbes’ America’s Best Banks ranking.” 

The data for this Forbes’ America’s Best Banks list was provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence, but Forbes created the rankings and only chose to review the 100 largest publicly traded banks. Forbes’ list ranks the banks based on three factors: growth, credit quality and profitability.