New Century Bancorp Elects Four New Members to Board of Directors

- Tracy Johnson, Sharon Lamb Raynor, Dr. Sidney Thompson, and Ann Thornton
have been named to the Board of Directors of New Century Bancorp.

- The new board members were elected at the Company's annual shareholders
meeting held today in Dunn.

DUNN, N.C., May 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- At its annual shareholders
meeting held today, New Century Bancorp (Nasdaq: NCBC - "the Company") named
four new members to the corporate board of directors, announced William L.
Hedgepeth II, president and CEO of both New Century Bancorp and New Century
Bank. The newly elected board members are: Tracy Johnson, Sharon Lamb Raynor,
Dr. Sidney Thompson, and Ann Thorton. This brings the total number of
corporate board members to 19.

"I am honored to welcome these individuals to our corporate board," said
Hedgepeth. "They bring a great deal of leadership experience, as well as
knowledge of our Company, having served on the New Century Bank or New Century
Bank South boards in the past. I look forward to their input and
participation."

Tracy Johnson, elected to serve a two-year term, is president and
co-owner of Ace Services, Inc.; vice president and co-owner of
Contech, Inc.; president and co-owner of Universal Management Group;
and a co-owner of J&J Property Developers, LLC. A native and current
resident of Dunn, he is a graduate of North Carolina State University
in Raleigh, NC.

Sharon Lamb Raynor, elected to serve a three-year term, is president
of LIFE, Inc., a behavioral health care center in Goldsboro, North
Carolina. A graduate of East Carolina University and a resident of
Dunn, Raynor is active in the community, serving on the Dunn Schools
Advisory Board and with the American Association on Intellectual and
Developmental Disabilities. She serves on the Betsy Johnson Regional
Hospital Foundation, Friends of the Foundation Fighting Cancer
Fundraising Planning Committee, and is a member of Divine Street
United Methodist Church and the Lucknow Garden Club.

Dr. Sidney Thompson, elected to serve a two-year term, is the owner of
Ravenhill Dermatology Medical Clinic, Ravenhill Medical DaySpa, Blue
Moon Cafe, and Fabulous Finds Boutique--all in Fayetteville, North
Carolina, as well as Ft. Bragg Medical Spa in Fort Bragg, North
Carolina. He is a graduate of Northwestern University Medical School
in Chicago, Illinois, and is a member of the American Academy of
Dermatology.

Ann H. Thornton, elected to serve a one-year term, is co-owner of
North Elm Shopping Center, Hedgpeth Storage, and Celan Farms in
Lumberton, North Carolina. She is the owner of Brightleaf of Sampson,
as well as owner of A.G. Thornton Investments and Thornton Ventures
in Clinton, North Carolina. She is a graduate of Wake Forest
University and active on the Sampson Regional Hospital Foundation
Board, the Clinton Committee of 100, the Clinton Development
Corporation, and is a Methodist University Trustee.

New Century Bancorp, the holding company for New Century Bank, reported total
assets of $628.7 million as of March 31, 2009. New Century Bank is
headquartered in Dunn and has 10 branch offices in North Carolina: Dunn,
Clinton (2), Fayetteville (2), Goldsboro, Lillington, Lumberton, Pembroke, and
Raeford.

Stock Symbol: Nasdaq: NCBC

The information as of and for the quarter and nine months ended March 31,
2009, as presented is unaudited. This news release contains forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995, including, without limitation, (i) statements regarding certain of
our goals and expectations with respect to earnings, earnings per share,
revenue, expenses and the growth rate in such items, as well as other measures
of economic performance, including statements relating to estimates of credit
quality trends, and (ii) statements preceded by, followed by or that include
the words "may," "could," "should," "would," "believe," "anticipate,"
"estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "projects," "outlook" or similar
expressions. The actual results might differ materially from those projected
in the forward-looking statements for various reasons, including, but not
limited to, our ability to manage growth, our limited operating history,
substantial changes in financial markets, regulatory changes, changes in
interest rates, loss of deposits and loan demand to other savings and
financial institutions, and changes in real estate values and the real estate
market. Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual
results to materially differ from those in the forward-looking statements is
contained in the Company's SEC filings, including its periodic reports under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, copies of which are available
upon request from the Company.

www.newcenturybanknc.com

SOURCE New Century Bancorp

William L. Hedgepeth II, President and Chief Executive Officer,
+1-910-892-7080, billh@newcenturybanknc.com, or Lisa F. Campbell, Executive
Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer,
+1-910-892-7080, lisac@newcenturybanknc.com