First Bancorp recognized as SM-All Star

First Bancorp has been recognized as one of the 30 best performing small-cap banks in the country in the the 2009 Sandler O’Neill SM-All Stars list.

The objective of the SM-All Stars is to identify the top performing small-cap banks and thrifts in the nation.

First Bancorp is a bank holding company headquartered in Troy, N.C., with total assets of about $3.5 billion. Its principal activity is the ownership and operation of First Bank, a state-chartered community bank that operates 98 branches, with 10 branches in South Carolina (in Cheraw, Dillon, Florence, Latta, Jefferson, Myrtle Beach and Little River), 83 branches operating in the central piedmont and coastal regions of North Carolina and five branches in Virginia, where First Bank does business as First Bank of Virginia.