B. FRANK JAMES JOINS FIRST RELIANCE BANK AS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Welcomed By The First Reliance Bank Team, James Is Dedicated To Assisting Local Businesses To Grow And Prosper

August 5, 2011, Florence, S.C. - B. Frank James has joined First Reliance Bank as senior vice president, business development, for the Florence, S.C. area. In his new role, he will be reaching out to businesses throughout the area and introducing them to First Reliance Bank's business products and services.

James began his banking career in Columbia, S.C. in 1972, but he has spent much of his life in Florence as a leader of both business and civic organizations. His long track record includes successfully leading the Florence-area business development efforts of BB&T.

In 2010, the S.C. Department of Commerce and the legislature recognized James for his "exceptional efforts to bolster community and economic development activities in South Carolina," and named him an Ambassador for Economic Development as part of South Carolina's 19th Annual Industry Appreciation Week.

As the current vice chairman of the Florence County Economic Board and past chairman of the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce, James is well-known around Florence. A dedicated champion of business growth and jobs creation for the community, he currently serves on the boards of directors of Florence-Darlington Technical College Foundation and McLeod Fellows. A member of the Francis Marion University Society and a former president of the USC Florence County Gamecock Club, he also volunteers his time serving on the boards of local chapters of the American Heart Association and the National Kidney Foundation.

"Frank is a wonderful addition to our First Reliance team," said Rick Saunders, president and chief operating officer of First Reliance Bank. "He has worked tirelessly to improve the financial health of businesses area-wide and, at First Reliance, he'll be able to offer businesses the tools they need to prosper."

A graduate of Gardner Webb University and the University of Virginia School of Bank Management, James, along with his wife Paula, has two sons and seven grandchildren.

ABOUT FIRST RELIANCE BANK
First Reliance Bank, founded in 1999, has assets of approximately $500 million, and employs over 135 highly-talented associates. The bank serves the Columbia, Lexington, Charleston, Mount Pleasant and Florence markets in South Carolina. The bank has been recognized as "One of the Best Places to Work in South Carolina" by the SC BIZ for five consecutive years and was named 2009 Lender of the Year by the South Carolina Housing Authority. First Reliance Bank offers a unique Hometown Heroes package of benefits to serve those who are serving our communities, Check 'N Save, a community outreach program for the unbanked or under-banked, a Customer Service Guaranty, a Mortgage Service Guaranty, FREE Coin Machines, and a Worldwide NO FEE ATM Network. It also offers 8-8 Extended Hours in all of their Florence, Charleston, West Columbia and Lexington locations and is open on most traditional bank holidays. Its commitment to making customers' lives better, and the idea that "There's More to Banking Than Money" has earned the young bank a customer satisfaction rating of 99% (2010 results from an outside survey firm) and the number one market share in its headquarters City of Florence, SC. First Reliance Bank is traded as FSRL.OB. Information about the Company is available on the company's website at www.firstreliance.com.