Exhibit 99.1


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                              CONTACT: Frank W. Wingate
October 11, 2001                                            President, CEO
                                                            (864) 297-6333




                NEW COMMERCE BANK ANNOUNCES NEW SENIOR LEADERSHIP
             Frank Wingate selected as bank's new president and CEO.


GREENVILLE, SC - The Board of Directors of New Commerce BanCorp, holding company
for New Commerce Bank, today announced the appointment of Frank W. Wingate as
president and chief executive officer, and director of both the holding company
and bank.

Wingate, a banking veteran of 17 years, brings a wealth of experience including
retail banking, commercial banking and various executive management positions.
He has served in senior capacities at financial institutions in both Georgia and
South Carolina including the organizing president and chief executive officer of
The Community Bank of Greenville.

"We feel very fortunate to have Frank Wingate return to the Upstate," said Marsh
Collins, chairman of the board for New Commerce Bank. "We went through an
exhaustive search to find the right person for this job and thoroughly believe
Frank is the ideal candidate. He will serve our clients and our community well."

Wingate is a native of Cornelia, Georgia and a graduate of Clemson University.
He also successfully completed the program of work at The Graduate School of
Banking of the South at Louisiana State University. He is married and has two
daughters.

New Commerce Bank operates two locations in Greenville County. The Bank's main
office is located on East Butler Road at I-385, and its branch is located on
Woodruff Road at Batesville Road.

Certain statements in this news release contain "forward-looking statements"
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such
as statements relating to the future plans and expectations, and are thus
prospective. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties
and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from
future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.