STARKE, Fla., April 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DLP Bank, a Bradford County-headquartered bank, announced today that it has been named to the 2026 Inc. Regionals list of America’s fastest-growing private companies in the Southeast. This region encompasses companies headquartered in 10 states and territories, including South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, and Puerto Rico.
Published annually by Inc. magazine, a New York City-headquartered publication with an audience of over 25 million readers, the Inc. Regionals ranks the fastest-growing private companies—as measured by cumulative revenue growth over a two-year period—across seven regions in the United States. These include the Southeast, Southwest, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, Pacific, and Rocky Mountain regions.
The Inc. Regionals, first published in 2020, is an extension of Inc.’s flagship Inc. 5000, an annual ranking of the fastest-growing companies across the entire United States, as measured by cumulative revenue growth over a preceding three-year period.
To be eligible for the 2026 Inc. Regionals, companies must be “privately held, for-profit, [and] based in the U.S.,” among other criteria. In addition, applicants must have generated at least $100,000 in revenue in 2022 and at least $1 million in revenue in 2024.
“This is the third year in a row we’ve been honored by Inc. magazine,” says Chris Funk, President of DLP Bank. “We have expanded our product offerings, invested in new talent and technologies, and grown our geographic footprint in recent years. Now, we’re entering a new chapter of growth as we partner with Regent Capital Corporation to further expand our reach and impact. Still, we remain an independent community bank, and our focus remains the same: to provide best-in-class banking and lending solutions for consumers and small businesses in our local communities and beyond.”
“We’re in the very early innings of an exciting new chapter for DLP Bank,” explains Larry J. Hickernell, Jr., DLP Bank’s Chief Lending Officer & St. Augustine Market President. “As we continue to expand, we’ll be bringing DLP Bank’s products and services to investors, operators, and residents already inside the DLP Capital ecosystem—and to new clients throughout Northeast Florida and beyond.”
In 2026, DLP Bank ranked #99 on the Inc. Regionals: Southeast list, placing the firm in the company of other rapidly-expanding companies, such as Tampa, FL-based CR Fitness Holdings (#100), Franklin, TN-headquartered ClarisHealth (#113), and Florence, KY-based Kona Ice (#135).
“This well-deserved recognition on the Inc. Regionals list is a testament to DLP Bank’s success in expanding its clientele in North Florida,” says Sean Kouplen, President of Regent Capital Corporation. “We are so excited to partner with the great employees at DLP Bank to offer expanded products and services while still maintaining their local bank flavor.”
About DLP Bank: Headquartered in Starke, Florida, two-time Inc. 5000 honoree DLP Bank provides personal and business banking and lending solutions to the residents of Bradford, Union, Putnam, and St. Johns counties. Initially founded as Community State Bank in 1957, DLP Bancshares, the parent company of DLP Bank, merged with Regent Capital Corporation, the parent company of Regent Bank, in 2025. DLP Bank continues to operate as a separate community bank and is on a mission to help clients dream bigger, live better, and prosper more. For more information, visit www.DLP.bank.
Contact:
Shannon Danford, Sr. Director, Marketing Operations and Events
(407) 267-6300
shannon.danford@dlpcapital.com
