In 1985, NCBC made an arrangement with Kroger, which resulted in NBC branches being located inside grocery stores in Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama.
In 1994, NCBC began a consulting subsidiary and entered the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, market.
In 1995 and 1999, U.S. Banker named NCBC the number one financial institution of the top 100 in the United States.
[6] In 1999, BankINVESTOR named NCBC the top financial institution in the United States in terms of five-year results.
That same year, NCBC bought First Financial Corporation of Mount Juliet, Tennessee, and entered the Charleston, West Virginia, market.
[7] Wachovia Securities vice president John B. Moore pointed out that NCBC "is the first major out-of-state bank to come into North Carolina, which is a highly competitive, very concentrated market.
"[7] Unlike CCB, which grew by buying other banks, NBC added new markets, with a strategy of one free-standing branch for every three in-store locations.
[12] Also in 2001, NCF bought First Vantage Bank of Knoxville, Tennessee, and announced a plan to locate ten branches inside Bi-Lo stores in South Carolina.
NCF chief operating officer Richard Furr would head the Carolinas group.
Scott Edwards, chief administrative officer, would become head of credit for the Carolinas and be based in Durham.
Robert Jones would succeed the retiring Richard Glover as Triangle-area president.