Southern States Bancshares is a community bank holding company headquartered in Anniston, Alabama, operating through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Southern States Bank. The bank serves small and medium-sized businesses and individuals across Alabama and Georgia, with 15 branch offices spanning markets including Anniston, Auburn, Birmingham, and Huntsville in Alabama, as well as the Columbus and greater Atlanta MSAs in Georgia, plus two loan production offices in the Atlanta area. Like most community banks, Southern States earns primarily through net interest income — the spread between what it earns on loans and investments and what it pays on deposits. Fee income supplements NII through gain-on-sale revenue from residential mortgage originations, SBA/USDA loan origination fees, and deposit service charges. Southern States has grown through a mix of organic expansion and acquisitions, including Columbus Community Bank in 2015, East Alabama Financial Group in 2019, and Century Bank of Georgia in 2024. The strategy blends stable core deposit markets in rural Alabama with higher-growth metropolitan markets, particularly Atlanta. Southern States positions itself around relationship-driven service and local decision-making — the classic community bank value proposition for customers who prefer direct access to local bankers over dealing with large regional or national institutions.