Charles Perkins of Five Points Carolina First
Star Profile
Story and Photo by John Temple Ligon

Charles Perkins

The Five Points branch of Carolina First Bank, situated at the corner of Saluda Avenue and Blossom Street, is directly across the street from the Kenny's site. The six- story multi- purpose parking/ retail/residential compound is about to begin construction as it leaves controversy behind. What's ahead, as a banker would see it, is a lot going on.

In this case, the banker who sees the most going on is Charles Perkins, vice president at Carolina First and branch manager in Five Points.

Perkins was born in Lancaster, S.C. where he grew up with his mother and her parents. By the time he was enrolled in Lancaster High School, the mascot had shifted from the Blue Hurricane to the Bruins.

Perkins played four years of varsity soccer as the goal keeper with the Bruins. He dropped football in the tenth grade. His senior- year soccer team made the state playoffs, but they were trounced by Spring Valley in the first round.

For his first two years of college, Perkins stayed in Lancaster and attended the town's USC branch. While studying at USC- Lancaster, he worked part- time in the Springmaid Federal Credit Union as the inter- office mail delivery driver.

He matriculated to the Columbia campus for his next two years for a degree in finance. His part- time student job in Columbia was with the Fort Jackson Credit Union at the main office on the post.

With his four- year degree in finance and his parallel four years with the credit unions, Perkins went directly into consumer finance in 1992, even though banking hadn't recovered from the recession of 1991 and early 1992. He joined Safeway Finance in its Lexington Office.

Perkins moved up to management in the first six months. After another seven years, Perkins was a training director for the firm's offices in South Carolina, Alabama, and Illinois. Along the way, Safeway was bought by Washington Mutual Finance, and Washington Mutual Finance was bought by Citi Financial, part of Citi Group.

For Citi Financial, Perkins was the district manager over 40 employees in the Midlands, Charleston, Rock Hill, and Aiken. About the same time, he met his wife, Emily, at St. Patrick's Day in Five Points.

She was a Columbia College graduate teaching elementary school in Dalton, Ga., and the two alternated weekends between Columbia and Dalton. She soon moved to Columbia, and they married. They have two girls, ages six and two, and Emily teaches at Dutch Fork Elementary.

Perkins joined Carolina First Bank and took charge of the Five Points branch in the fall of 2006. He enjoys his job, of course, but what he enjoys more is not having to travel all over the state. He can now spend his early evenings with his girls in the backyard.

His arrival at the Five Points branch was fortunately about the time the beautification construction was close to completion. Another construction project is about to begin, but Perkins sees it as a positive step. Albeit controversial, the city- financed public parking has to help the Carolina First visitor condition. The additional activity among the new drug store, another bank's branch, and the top- floor housing is seen as all positive.

Perkins is glad his full- service bank branch is in on the Five Points growth curve. As manager, he is in the running for one of three contested board seats of the Five Points Merchants Association.