UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
450 Fifth Street NW
Washington, D.C. 29549

Form 8-K

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

First Bancorp

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

(910) 246-2500

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Not Applicable

(Former Name or Former Address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

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Item 8.01 – Other Events

On February 17, 2017, the Company issued a news release to report that First Bancorp (the “Company”), the parent company of First Bank, had received notification from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond that the Company’s merger application to acquire Carolina Bank Holdings, Inc. (“Carolina Bank Holdings”) has been approved.

All regulatory approvals have now been received, and the holding company merger date is expected to be March 3, 2017. Shortly after the merger date, Carolina Bank Holdings shareholders will be mailed an election form with instructions and a deadline for electing their desired mix of cash and stock according to the terms of the merger.

Carolina Bank, the bank subsidiary of Carolina Bank Holdings, will continue to operate as Carolina Bank until it is merged into First Bank, which is expected to occur this summer. First Bank will be in regular communication with customers of Carolina Bank prior to the bank merger to ensure a smooth transition.

Item 9.01 – Financial Statements and Exhibits

Exhibit 99(a) – News Release dated February 17, 2017.

Disclosures About Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are statements that include projections, predictions, expectations or beliefs about future events or results or otherwise are not statements of historical fact. Such statements are often characterized by the use of qualifying words (and their derivatives) such as “expect,” “believe,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “anticipate,” or other statements concerning opinions or judgments of the Company and its management about future events. Factors that could influence the accuracy of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the financial success or changing strategies of the Company’s customers, the Company’s level of success in integrating acquisitions, actions of government regulators, the level of market interest rates, and general economic conditions. For additional information about the factors that could affect the matters discussed in this paragraph, see the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K available at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements. The Company is also not responsible for changes made to the press release by wire services, internet services or other media.

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Additional Information About the Proposed Transaction WITH CAROLINA BANK and Where to Find It

This communication includes statements made in respect of the proposed transaction involving First Bancorp and Carolina Bank Holdings, Inc. (“Carolina Bank”).  This material is not a substitute for the proxy statement/prospectus or any other documents which First Bancorp and Carolina Bank may send to their respective shareholders in connection with the proposed merger.  This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. 

In connection with the proposed transaction, First Bancorp has filed with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 that includes a proxy statement of Carolina Bank and a prospectus of First Bancorp, as well as other relevant documents concerning the proposed transaction.  Investors and security holders are also urged to carefully review and consider each of First Bancorp’s and Carolina Bank’s public filings with the SEC, including but not limited to their Annual Reports on Form 10-K, their proxy statements, their Current Reports on Form 8-K and their Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. BEFORE MAKING ANY INVESTMENT DECISIONS, INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS OF CAROLINA BANK ARE URGED TO CAREFULLY READ THE ENTIRE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS REGARDING THE PROPOSED MERGER AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Investors and security holders may obtain a free copy of the proxy statement/prospectus and other filings containing information about First Bancorp and Carolina Bank at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Investors and security holders may also obtain free copies of the documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by First Bancorp on its website at http://www.localfirstbank.com and by Carolina Bank on its website at http://www.carolinabank.com.

Signatures

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

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