GB&T Bankshares, Inc. Completes Merger with Hometown Bank of Villa Rica

GAINESVILLE, GA. (December 6, 2001) The Board of Directors of GB&T Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: GBTB), parent company of Gainesville Bank & Trust, United Bank & Trust, Community Trust Bank, and Community Loan Company, has completed the merger to acquire HomeTown Bank of Villa Rica and bring the bank into GB&T Bancshares' network of financial companies.<br> <br> On November 19th, HomeTown Bank shareholders overwhelmingly approved the bank's Agreement and Plan of Reorganization to merge with GB&T Bancshares, Inc. The effective date of the merger was November 30, 2002.<br> <br> With more than $120 million in total assets, HomeTown Bank of Villa Rica operates three full-service banking offices in the counties of Carroll and Paulding. The merger expands GB&T's presence into Carroll County, located on the fast-growing I-20 corridor just west of Atlanta and ranked as one of the 100 fastest growing counties in the country. Carroll County grew 22 percent in the past decade with projected population growth of over 21 percent for the period 2000