Heritage Financial Group Inc (HBOS)

[Enterprising Investor]

HBOS Announces Three Key Additions to Its Mortgage Division Leadership Team (8/06/12)

ALBANY, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Heritage Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: HBOS), the holding company for HeritageBank of the South, today announced the addition of three veteran industry leaders to the Company's management team for its mortgage division, located at 11675 Rainwater Dr., Suite 150, Alpharetta, GA 30009 (770-663-1203). Stephen M. Cannon, formerly Vice President of Business Development for LoanSouth Mortgage in Atlanta, and J. Brent Harrell, previously Director of Wholesale and Correspondent Lending for Fidelity Bank Mortgage in Atlanta, have joined HeritageBank Mortgage in the newly created positions of division Co-Presidents. Additionally, Patrick Huefner, who also previously was with Fidelity Bank Mortgage as Vice President, joins HeritageBank Mortgage as Executive Vice President – Director of Secondary Market Operations.

Together with Bernard M. Catall, Group Vice President of Mortgage Operations, Cannon, Harrell and Huefner will round out a seasoned management team for HeritageBank Mortgage and provide a foundation of experience for future expansion.

Commenting on the announcement, Leonard Dorminey, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are very pleased to welcome Stephen, Brent and Patrick to our company and HeritageBank Mortgage. This marks another significant step in strengthening our management team and positioning our mortgage operations for accelerated growth. With the addition of this new talent and experience, we expect to expand HeritageBank Mortgage aggressively by adding retail mortgage originators and developing new capabilities, like wholesale and correspondent mortgage services."

According to Dorminey, another aspect of the Company's plan to capitalize on growth opportunities for HeritageBank Mortgage will be the formation of an advisory board to provide input for management on market intelligence, new business development and strategic matters. The initial appointee to this board will be Robert S. "Bob" Cannon, a 25-year mortgage industry veteran in the Atlanta market. Cannon was an original co-founder of BancMortgage Financial Corp. in Atlanta in 1996 and served as its President at the time of his retirement in 2006.

Stephen Cannon brings more than 14 years of experience in the financial services industry to HeritageBank Mortgage and has worked in the mortgage industry since 2003. In 2009, he co-founded Meridian Mortgage Partners and was a partner in that Company prior to joining LoanSouth. Cannon holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Duke University.

Brent Harrell has 10 years of experience in mortgage lending, including wholesale and correspondent lending with Madison Corporation before joining Fidelity Bank. He also served in positions involved with secondary marketing and underwriting, along with credit and compliance matters. He is a graduate of Georgia Southern University with a degree in business administration.

Patrick Huefner began his career in mortgage lending in 2001 with Sunshine Mortgage Corporation, later joining Fidelity Bank. His experience includes mortgage pricing, interest rate risk management, whole loan sales and securitizations, and new product development. Huefner received a bachelor's degree in business management from the SUNY Brockport University.

Heritage Financial Group, Inc. is the holding company for HeritageBank of the South, a community-oriented bank serving primarily South Georgia, North Central Florida and Eastern Alabama through 22 full-service branch locations, 11 mortgage offices, and 3 investment offices. As of June 30, 2012, the Company reported total assets of approximately $1.1 billion and total stockholders' equity of approximately $123 million. For more information about the Company, visit HeritageBank of the South on the Web at www.eheritagebank.com and see Investor Relations under About Us.

Except for historical information contained herein, the matters included in this news release and other information in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission may contain certain "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and often use words or phrases "opportunities," "prospects," "will likely result," "are expected to," "will continue," "is anticipated," "estimate," "project," "intends" or similar expressions. The forward-looking statements made herein represent the current expectations, plans or forecasts of the Company's future results and revenues. The Company intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995 and includes this statement for purposes of these safe harbor provisions. These statements are not guarantees of future results or performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict and are often beyond the Company's control. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, any of these forward-looking statements. Investors should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement and should consider the uncertainties and risks, discussed under Item 1A. "Risk Factors" of the Company's 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K and in any of the Company's subsequent SEC filings. Further information concerning the Company and its business, including additional factors that could materially affect the Company's financial results, is included in its other filings with the SEC.

Contacts

Heritage Financial Group, Inc.
T. Heath Fountain, 229-878-2055
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

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