Exhibit 99.1

News Release

For more information contact:

Dennis J. Zember Jr.

Executive Vice President & CFO

(229) 890-1111

AMERIS BANCORP REPORTS 18% IMPROVEMENT IN NET INCOME DURING THE SECOND

QUARTER 2012

July 24, 2012

AMERIS BANCORP (NASDAQ-GS: ABCB), Moultrie, Georgia, today reported net income available to common shareholders of $1.7 million, or $0.07 per diluted share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2012, compared to $1.3 million, or $0.06 per diluted share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2011. For the year to date period ending June 30, 2012, the Company reported net income available to common shareholders of $6.2 million, or $0.26 per diluted share, compared to $1.9 million, or $0.08 per diluted share, for the same period in 2011. Highlights of the results of the second quarter of 2012 include:

Operating Results

Net income in the second quarter of 2012 totaled $2.5 million before preferred dividends, an increase of 18.0% when compared to the same quarter in 2011. For the year to date period, the Company’s earnings before preferred dividends were $7.9 million, compared to $3.5 million in the year to date period in 2011.

Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin

Net interest income increased slightly during the period, growing to $28.9 million in the second quarter of 2012, compared to $28.7 million in the same quarter in 2011. The Company’s net interest margin in the second quarter of 2012 was 4.66%, compared to 4.79% in the same period in 2011. Lower yields on most earning asset classes were offset substantially by lower funding costs and better allocation of earning assets.

Declines in the yields on earning assets were driven primarily by lower yields on loans. Yields on legacy loans for the second quarter of 2012 were 5.71%, compared to 5.92% in the same quarter in 2011. Yields on all loan production (new and renewed) during the second quarter of 2012 were 5.40%. The yields on the new loan production approximate the current portfolio yield and suggest that declines in loan yields will be smaller in future quarters than they have been over the last 12 months.

Yields on covered loans for the second quarter of 2012 were 7.22%, which included a weighted average contractual rate of interest of approximately 5.29% with accretion totaling approximately 1.92% of average covered loans. This compares to a yield on covered loans of 10.30% in the same quarter in 2011, which included contractual rates of interest of 5.24% and accretion of 5.05% of average covered loans. Contractual rates of interest on covered loans are primarily affected by the levels of non-accrual loans, as well as the Company’s renewal of these notes with market interest rates. Amounts of accretion vary quarter to quarter depending on payoffs, principal reduction, and revaluations of estimated cash flows on purchased loans.

Funding costs declined significantly, with deposits costing 0.56% in the second quarter of 2012, compared to 1.08% in the same quarter in 2011. Costs of NOW, MMDA and savings accounts collectively decreased by more than 50% over the period, while CD costs fell approximately 35%. Additionally, the Company’s mix improved noticeably as growth in non-interest bearing deposits nearly matched the decline in retail CDs from June 30, 2011 to June 30, 2012.

Deposit costs continue to benefit from lower incremental costs on new accounts (non-CD accounts) and from much lower costs on renewals of retail CDs. Costs on new production of deposits were favorable when compared to prior quarters. CD costs on production during the second quarter of 2012 were 0.61%, compared to 0.65% in the first quarter of 2012. Additionally, cost of new NOW accounts and new MMDA accounts were 0.31% and 0.58%, respectively, in the second quarter, compared to 0.31% and 0.63%, respectively, in the first quarter of 2012.

Non-Interest Income

Non-interest income totaled $8.88 million during the second quarter of 2012, a 48.4% increase when compared to $5.98 million during the second quarter of 2011. The Company’s mortgage operations grew significantly during the quarter with over $3.0 million in revenue, compared to $400,000 for the same quarter in 2011 and $1.5 million in the first quarter of 2012. Mortgage loan pipelines continued to grow throughout the quarter with a majority of the business from purchase transactions rather than refinance transactions.

Service charges increased to $4.77 million during the second quarter of 2012, compared to $4.67 million in the second quarter of 2011. Increases in service charges relate primarily to strong increases in transaction accounts that are subject to service charges and fees.

Non-Interest Expense

Non-interest expense increased from $22.6 million in the second quarter of 2011 to $26.6 million in the second quarter of 2012. Increases in salaries and employee benefits were the primary drivers of increases in operating expenses, with salary and benefits costs growing by $2.7 million to $12.1 million for the quarter ending June 30, 2012 from $9.4 million in the same quarter in 2011. Compensation costs related to the Company’s mortgage operations accounted for $1.0 million of the increase and reinstated employee benefits, including retirement and 401(k) expenses, accounted for an additional $720,000 compared to the same quarter in 2011. Additionally, the Company has participated in three FDIC-assisted acquisitions since June 30, 2011, with acquired branch operations and loan resolution staff accounting for the majority of the growth in compensation costs not resulting from mortgage or reinstated employee benefits.

Credit-related expenses in the second quarter of 2012 totaled $3.4 million, a significant decrease from the $12.7 million recorded in the first quarter of 2012 and the $7.8 million posted in the fourth quarter of 2011. The $12.7 million recorded in the first quarter of 2012 included $8.4 million of non-provision credit costs related to the Company’s bulk sale of problem assets.

Loan Growth

Loans increased at the fastest pace in over five years, growing at an annualized pace of 12.6% when compared to the first quarter of 2012. New loan growth during the quarter came from diversified loan types with an emphasis on new loans to existing customers. Initial yields on new loan production for the quarter were 5.45%, compared to 5.48% in the first quarter of 2012 and 5.38% in the fourth quarter of 2011. Commenting on loan growth for the quarter, Edwin W. Hortman, Jr., the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “Intense market competition for loan growth has pushed loan yields to levels that in some cases are inconsistent with quality or term. Our bankers continue to work hard preserving the yields on our portfolio and creating a “win-win” with our customers. Our sales strategies focus on relationships and customized lending ideas rather than leading with price, and our results indicate that we have been successful.”

Deposits and Funding

Total deposits at the end of the second quarter of 2012 were $2.54 billion, a nominal increase from levels seen at the same time in 2011 but a decrease of 4.53% when compared to levels at the end of the first quarter of 2012. These decreases over the linked quarter represented the deleveraging activities that followed the FDIC-assisted purchase of the assets of Central Bank of Georgia on February 24, 2012.

Success in the sales and management of low-cost deposit balances have been sufficient to offset the decreases in retail and brokered CDs over the last twelve months. The Company continues to make progress toward its goal of 20% of total deposits in non-interest bearing types with a 35% improvement in this deposit class over the past 12 months. Additionally, declines in retail time deposits through renewals have slowed but not completely ceased, with slower levels of decline noted in the most recent quarter.

The following table details deposits by class and percentage of total as of June 30, 2012 and 2011:

Shareholders Equity and Capital Levels

Stockholders’ equity at the end of the second quarter of 2012 totaled $300.9 million, an increase of $23.8 million, or 8.6%, when compared to the same period in 2011. Tangible common equity grew at a faster pace, increasing from $222.0 million at June 30, 2011 to $245.2 million at June 30, 2012. Tangible book value increased 10.2% to $10.29 per share over the same period, with such growth being the result of earnings.

During the second quarter of 2012, the Company’s preferred stock issued to the United States Treasury as part of its Capital Purchase Program in 2008 was auctioned to private investors for 93.1% of par value. The Company continues to evaluate repayment strategies and anticipates retiring the obligation before the dividend rate increases to 9.0% in February 2014.

Credit Quality

“We have been laser-focused on making a significant move on credit quality in the first half of 2012,” said Mr. Hortman concerning the Company’s attention to asset quality. “To that end, we have reduced non-performing assets by over 30% in the first two quarters, while increasing our loan loss reserve coverage of non-performing assets by approximately 19%. We anticipate continued reductions in classified assets through the remainder of 2012 but at a slower pace and with lower levels of credit costs,” continued Mr. Hortman.

Net charge-offs on loans during the second quarter of 2012 were $8.6 million, compared to $19.1 million during the first quarter of 2012 and $8.3 million during the fourth quarter of 2011. Increased levels of charge-offs during the first quarter of 2012 relate almost entirely to the Company’s bulk sale of non-performing loans. Excluding amounts charged-off in the bulk sale, the Company’s net charge-offs would have been $8.7 million for the first quarter of 2012.

The Company’s provision for loan losses during the second quarter of 2012 amounted to $7.2 million, a decrease of $1.9 million as compared to the $9.1 million posted in the second quarter of 2011. Approximately $1.2 million of the current quarter’s provision for loan losses related to decreases in expected cash flows from recent FDIC-assisted transactions. At June 30, 2012, the Company’s loan loss allowance totaled $26.2 million, or 1.92% of legacy loans, compared to $35.2 million, or 2.64% of legacy loans, at the end of 2011.

Ameris Bancorp is headquartered in Moultrie, Georgia, and at the end of the most recent quarter had 67 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)

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)