Exhibit 99.1

News Release

For more information contact:

Dennis J. Zember Jr.

Executive Vice President & CFO

(229) 890-1111

AMERIS BANCORP ANNOUNCES THIRD QUARTER 2011 FINANCIAL RESULTS

October 25, 2011

AMERIS BANCORP (NASDAQ-GS: ABCB), Moultrie, Georgia, today reported net income available to common shareholders of $15.6 million, or $0.66 per diluted share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2011, compared to a net loss of $1.7 million, or $0.07 per diluted share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2010. For the year to date period ending September 30, 2011, the Company reported net income available to common shareholders of $17.5 million, or $0.74 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $8.3 million, or $0.42 per diluted share, for the same period in 2010. Highlights of the results of the third quarter of 2011 include:

Capital levels and Tangible Book Value

At September 30, 2011, the Company reported tangible common equity as a percentage of tangible assets of 7.96%, an 8% increase when compared to 7.35% at December 31, 2010. Continued earnings improvement and expected contraction in covered assets lead management to expect additional increases in tangible capital ratios in the coming quarters. Tangible book value per share also increased to $10.08 per share, up 9% from $9.22 reported at December 31, 2010.

Regulatory capital ratios continue to be very strong. Tier one capital as a percentage of risk based assets increased during the quarter to 18.9%, up from 18.2% reported at December 31, 2010. Management believes this ratio is most indicative of current capital strength because 46% of the Company’s assets are cash, government-backed investment securities or assets backed by shared-loss agreements with the FDIC.

Reconciliation of Operating Results

The Company’s results for the third quarter of 2011 include several amounts that are considered non-recurring. Gains on the acquisitions of One Georgia Bank and High Trust Bank totaled approximately $26.9 million. Partially offsetting this amount was non-recurring acquisition expenses that are not included in the bargain purchase calculation but relate to these acquisitions. Severance expenses, conversion expenses and other miscellaneous expenses associated with these two banks totaled $1.4 million in the third quarter of 2011. Additionally, as discussed below, the Company accelerated efforts to move problem assets through retail channels and succeeded with sales of approximately $25.3 million of non-performing or classified assets. These sales generated losses or related expenses totaling $5.8 million for the third quarter of 2011. Excluding these non-recurring income and expense amounts, the Company would have reported net income of $2.5 million, or $0.10 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2011.

Net interest income during the third quarter of 2011 totaled $27.8 million, an increase of $5.8 million, or 26.4%, compared to the $22.0 million reported for third quarter of 2010. During the third quarter of 2011, the Company’s net interest margin increased to 4.44%, compared to 4.04% during the same quarter of 2010. The Company’s yield on earning assets increased to 5.55%, compared to 5.34% for the third quarter of 2010. The Company’s cost of funding significantly improved from 1.33% in the third quarter of 2010 to 1.02% in the third quarter of 2011. All classes of deposits produced lower costs than in 2010, but the greatest improvement was in retail CDs which improved to 1.35% in the third quarter of 2011, compared to 1.76% in the third quarter of 2010. Additionally, the improvement in the mix of earning assets contributed to an increase in the margin as the recent acquisitions allowed the Company to replace over $150 million in short-term assets with loans backed by shared-loss agreements with the FDIC.

Excluding the gain from acquisitions, non-interest income increased during the current quarter to $6.9 million, compared to $5.0 million in the third quarter of 2010. Service charges were $905,000 higher in the third quarter of 2011 when compared to the same period in 2010. The increase in service charges and fees corresponds to significant increases in deposit balances that are subject to fee schedules. Transaction accounts (which excludes savings and CDs) were $1.57 billion at September 30, 2011, an increase of 35% when compared to $1.16 billion at September 30, 2010.

Credit Quality Improvement

At the end of the third quarter of 2011, nonperforming assets totaled $113.6 million, or 3.77% of total assets, compared to $122.1 million, or 4.27% of total assets, at June 30, 2011 and $137.2 million, or 4.62% of total assets, at December 31, 2010. Non-accrual loans declined $1.4 million to $59.1 million at September 30, 2011, compared to $60.5 million at June 30, 2011 and $79.3 million at December 31, 2010. The Company’s balances in legacy OREO (other real estate owned) decreased $7.0 million to $54.5 million at September 30, 2011 from $61.5 million at June 30, 2011.

During the third quarter of 2011, the Company increased sales activity in retail channels to move problem assets (non-performing assets and classified assets). The additional effort in the third quarter was driven by lower sales prices, causing the Company to realize a loss of 36.8% on these assets in the aggregate. This compares to average losses of 18.1% on sales of OREO during the four quarter period leading up to the third quarter of 2011.

The retail sales effort resulted in total sales of approximately $25.3 million of non-performing and classified assets during the third quarter of 2011. The decrease in problem assets through these sales efforts was muted to some degree with new problem loans experienced during the quarter which totaled $14.1 million, which compared favorably to $28.9 million in the third quarter of 2010. For the year to date period in 2011, new problem loans totaled $34.1 million, down 61.6% from levels experienced in the same period in 2010.

The Company’s provision for loan losses during the third quarter of 2011 amounted to $7.6 million, an improvement from the $9.7 million recorded in the third quarter of 2010. At September 30, 2011, the Company’s allowance for loan losses totaled $35.2 million, or 2.57% of ending legacy loans, compared to $34.6 million, or 2.52%, at the end of 2010. The Company’s allowance for loan losses represented 59.66% of nonperforming loans, a significant increase from 37.92% at September 30, 2010.

Balance Sheet Trends

At September 30, 2011, the Company reported total assets of $3.0 billion, an increase of 23.6% over amounts at September 30, 2010. Efforts to reduce concentrations in cash and short-term assets have been somewhat successful, although opportunities to invest in loans or investment securities are limited. The Company continues to maintain elevated levels of cash and short-term assets on its balance sheet, although the Company has deployed a portion into higher yielding assets through FDIC-assisted transactions. At the end of the third quarter of 2011, total short-term assets were $170.3 million, compared to $306.9 million at September 30, 2010.

Total loans at September 30, 2011 increased 18.8% to $1.96 billion, compared to $1.65 billion at September 30, 2010. Legacy loans increased $8.8 million to $1.37 billion during the third quarter of 2011 when compared to the second quarter of 2011. The third quarter represents the second consecutive quarter of modest legacy loan increases that are the result of intense sales efforts. Although recent sales efforts have caused increases in legacy loan balances, the Company’s portfolio is 6.0% lower than it was at the same time in 2010. Aggressive pricing by competitors and persistently weak economic conditions could create an overhang for growth in future quarters.

Increases in loans covered by loss-sharing agreements have augmented the smaller increases in legacy loans seen in recent quarters. Total covered loans were $595.4 million at the end of the third quarter of 2011, an increase of $403.2 million compared to amounts at September 30, 2010. Additions to covered loans during the third quarter of 2011 included approximately $74.8 million from One Georgia Bank and $84.7 million from High Trust Bank, which were acquired in FDIC-assisted transactions on July 15, 2011.

Total deposits increased $93.5 million, or 4.9% on an annualized basis, during the first nine months of 2011, from $2.54 billion at December 31, 2010 to $2.63 billion at September 30, 2011. Successful efforts growing relationship-based transaction accounts have caused significant increases in non-interest bearing deposits and other transaction deposits. Non-interest bearing deposits have increased $52.5 million, or 23.2% annualized, during 2011 when compared to balances reported at December 31, 2010. Total non-CD deposits at the end of the third quarter of 2011 represent 62.4% of total deposits, an increase from 58.1% at the end of 2010.

Shareholders’ equity was $294.4 million at the end of the third quarter of 2011, an increase of $21.0 million when compared to balances at December 31, 2010. At September 30, 2011, the Company’s tangible common equity to tangible assets was 7.96%, compared to 7.35% at December 31, 2010. Tangible book value increased to $10.08 per share at the end of the third quarter of 2011 compared to $9.22 at the end of 2010.

Ameris Bancorp is headquartered in Moultrie, Georgia, and at the end of the most recent quarter had 62 locations in Georgia, Alabama, northern Florida and South Carolina.

This news release contains certain performance measures determined by methods other than in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Management of Ameris Bancorp (the “Company”) uses these non-GAAP measures in its analysis of the Company’s performance. These measures are useful when evaluating the underlying performance and efficiency of the Company’s operations and balance sheet. The Company’s management believes that these non-GAAP measures provide a greater understanding of ongoing operations, enhance comparability of results with prior periods and demonstrate the effects of significant gains and charges in the current period. The Company’s management believes that investors may use these non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate the Company’s financial performance without the impact of unusual items that may obscure trends in the Company’s underlying performance. These disclosures should not be viewed as a substitute for financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP, nor are they necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies.

This news release contains statements that constitute “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. The words “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “anticipate” and similar expressions and variations thereof identify certain of such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the dates which they were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties and that actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and are referred to the Company’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a summary of certain factors that may impact the Company’s results of operations and financial condition.

AMERIS BANCORP

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

(unaudited)

(dollars in thousands except per share data and FTE headcount)

5

AMERIS BANCORP

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

(unaudited)

(dollars in thousands except per share data and FTE headcount)

AMERIS BANCORP

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

(unaudited)

(dollars in thousands except per share data and FTE headcount)