President and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Blair will take the helm in April at the company’s annual shareholders meeting while Kessel Stelling will transition to a new role as executive chairman.
The Georgia lender has hired bankers away from Wells Fargo to build a new ag lending team that will look to capitalize on soaring lumber demand in its home state.
Banks have managed to steer around trouble spots in energy, hotel and mall-related credits. But fears of further deterioration, an eviction wave or more job losses are keeping lenders circumspect.
A federal judge in Florida ruled that lenders are not required to make payments to borrowers' attorneys and accountants unless they struck upfront agreements to do so. The decision has implications for a slew of related lawsuits.
