Financial Service Provider Banks on the Upstate

United Community’s Greenville HQ Reflects Upstate’s Momentum

When financial services provider United Community set out to relocate its corporate headquarters, the leadership team had more than square footage and signage on their minds. They wanted to plant roots. And they decided to bet big on Upstate SC, establishing their new HQ in the heart of downtown Greenville with a $65 million investment and 227 new jobs.

“We knew we had a commitment to the community,” says Michelle Seaver, United Community’s Market President for Greenville, Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties. “But when you have a building like this, it really shows it.”

Now celebrating its 75th anniversary, United Community has grown from a small bank in Georgia to a nearly $30 billion regional bank operating across six Southeastern states. With more than 400 employees in the Upstate, opening its headquarters in downtown Greenville marked a milestone both for the bank and the city’s evolving talent landscape.

A Headquarters Built for People

The headquarters building tells a story, a recent addition to the Greenville skyline with seven stories and 118,000 square feet. The building is the first WELL-certified office in South Carolina, emphasizing fresh air, natural light and even healthy food options. It also reflects the company’s culture around collaboration.

“We are an ‘at work’ company,” Michelle says. “We think there are great things that we can accomplish when we come together. So, we built a building where people want to come to work.”

That workplace mindset is part of the bank’s larger approach to business: putting people first, building trust and leading with transparency. It’s also a message that resonates when speaking to companies considering the Upstate as a home for their own operations.

When meeting with prospect companies, United Community shares the story of why they chose Greenville for their headquarters, and how the region’s talent pool is working for them. According to Seaver, being based in the Upstate gives the bank a competitive edge in attracting top-tier local talent, especially those looking to build meaningful careers without leaving the region.

Sharing the Upstate’s Story with the World

The growth that United Community is seeing isn’t happening in a vacuum. It’s built on decades of public-private collaboration and shared vision. For Seaver, the Upstate SC Alliance plays a key role in that ecosystem.

“We’re fortunate to have an organization like Upstate Alliance that’s really focused on growing our business culture,” she says. “The public-private partnership that we have here in the Upstate is special. Not everybody has the cooperation and the partnerships that we have.”

United Community has been an investor in the Alliance since acquiring The Palmetto Bank in 2015, which already had a longstanding relationship with the organization. Seaver was no stranger to the Alliance, having gone through Leadership Greenville with Upstate SC Alliance President & CEO John Lummus long before the merger.

From sponsorships to participation in flagship events, United Community has continued to lean into the relationship, plugging into the Alliance’s work to welcome international business, connect employers with talent, and advocate on behalf of the region’s businesses.

Talent, Advocacy & Big Picture Connections

During the Upstate Alliance’s 2023 Move Up College + University Immersion Tour, more than 35 representatives from college career service offices participated in a hard-hat tour of the United Community headquarters construction site. It was a key program element that showcased employers – and career opportunities – in financial services, architecture, construction and engineering.

In the summer of 2025, Seaver participated in a Greenville Chamber / Upstate Chamber Delegation trip to Washington D.C. alongside representatives from the Upstate Alliance, who sponsored the trip. She joined meetings on Capitol Hill coordinated by the Upstate Alliance, presenting a chance to thank our federal Senate and House representatives for their work on behalf of the region and to relay updates from the economic development community.

“The opportunity to network with both local and regional attendees was truly invaluable,” Seaver says. “I especially appreciated hearing directly from our state representation in Washington, D.C., as well as the insightful remarks from the Treasury Secretary.”

Shortly after the trip, an Upstate-based client mentioned that tariff uncertainty is a challenge for its ability to forecast. Seaver had an a-ha moment, seizing the opportunity to help connect her client with the Alliance and ultimately to representatives with the offices of Senators Graham, Scott and Representative Timmons, to explore whether there might be any remedies available.

“Having access to additional tools and resources was incredibly valuable. These insights will help us strengthen our client relationships and continue delivering meaningful impact,” she says.

The company also sends its credit team to the Alliance’s Annual Meeting to help them better understand how to prepare for future economic opportunities.

“Our team members are right here in Greenville, but they may not all have the same exposure,” Michelle says. “So really giving them exposure to some of the data that is shared at that Annual Meeting has been really important and strategic for us internally.”

Working alongside international companies has also added value. Through Alliance events, United Community has built relationships with globally headquartered clients and expanded its understanding of the types of businesses that locate within the region.

“The opportunity to interact on the international stage is nice,” she says. “We do have a client with an international presence that we are banking here locally, who we met through the Upstate Alliance.”

Looking Back and Building Forward

As United Community celebrates 75 years and looks to the next chapter, its headquarters is more than a symbol of growth — it’s a signal of intent. The bank is here to grow, and it’s betting that the Upstate will continue to be the kind of place where business thrives and people prosper.

And when companies ask, “Why Greenville?” Michelle doesn’t hesitate.

“It just keeps getting better.”

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This profile is part of a series on benefits of investing with the Upstate SC Alliance, highlighting both the role that private business plays in economic development and the value that companies can find by supporting our mission.