~~United~~UNITED ~~States~~STATES

~~Securities~~SECURITIES ~~and~~AND ~~Exchange~~EXCHANGE ~~Commission~~COMMISSION

Washington, DCD.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): August ~~July 28~~24, 2017

ASB BANCORP, INC.

(Exact ~~name~~ Name of ~~registrant~~Registrant as ~~specified~~Specified in Its ~~its charter~~Charter)

North Carolina	001-35279	45-2463413
(State or other jurisdiction of	(Commission	(I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)	File Number)	Identification Number)

North Carolina

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

001-35279

(Commission

File Number)

45-2463413

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

11 Church Street, Asheville, North Carolina 28801

(Address of ~~principle~~principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

(828) 254-7411

(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:

x Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) ¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) ¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR240.14d-2(b)) ¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR240.13e-4(c))

~~Indicate by~~¨ ~~check~~Soliciting ~~mark~~material ~~whether~~pursuant ~~the~~to ~~registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in~~ Rule ~~405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b~~14a-212 ofunder the ~~Securities~~ Exchange Act of(17 ~~1934~~CFR (§240.~~12b~~14a-~~2 of this chapter~~12).

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR §230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR §240.12b-2).

Emerging growth company ¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Item 28.0201 ~~Results~~Other ~~of Operations and Financial Condition~~Events.

OnAttached ~~July~~as ~~28,~~Exhibit ~~2017, ASB Bancorp, Inc~~99.,1 ~~the~~hereto ~~holding company~~is ~~for Asheville Savings Bank, S.S.B., issued~~ a ~~news release announcing its unaudited preliminary financial results for the~~copy ~~three-~~of ~~and~~a ~~six-month~~letter ~~periods~~to ~~ended~~ASB ~~June 30~~Bancorp, ~~2017~~Inc. Ashareholders ~~copy~~dated ofAugust ~~the~~24, ~~news release is included as Exhibit 99~~2017.~~1 to this report and is furnished herewith.~~

Item 89.01 ~~Other~~Financial ~~Events~~Statements and Exhibits.

~~The~~(d) ~~information set forth in Item 2.02 is incorporated by reference in this Item 8.01.~~Exhibits

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

	Number	Description

	99.1	Letter to ASB Bancorp, Inc. shareholders dated August 24, 2017.

	Exhibits
	Number	Description
	99.1	News Release Dated July 28, 2017

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Current Report contains certain forward- looking ~~statements~~ statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 giving ASB Bancorp’s (the “Company”) and First Bancorp’s (“FBNC”) expectations or predictions of future financial or business performance or conditions. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “target,” “estimate,” “continue,” “positions,” “prospects” or “potential,” by future conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could” or “may”, or by variations of such words or by similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the benefits of the combination of the Company and FBNC, including future financial and operating results, expected cost savings, expected impact on future earnings, the combined company’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties which change over time. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. We assume no duty to update forward-looking statements.

In addition to factors previously disclosed in the Company’s and FBNC’s reports filed with the SEC, the following factors among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements: ability to obtain regulatory approvals and meet other closing conditions to the merger, including approval by the Company’s shareholders, on the expected terms and schedule; delay in closing the merger; difficulties and delays in integrating the Company and FBNC businesses or fully realizing cost savings and other benefits; business disruption following the proposed transaction; changes in asset quality and credit risk; the inability to sustain revenue and earnings growth; changes in interest rates and capital markets; inflation; customer borrowing, repayment, investment and deposit practices; the introduction, withdrawal, success and timing of business initiatives; competitive conditions; the inability to realize cost savings or revenues or to implement integration plans and other consequences associated with mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; economic conditions; the reaction to the transaction of the companies’ customers, employees and counterparties; and the impact, extent and timing of technological changes, capital management activities, and other actions of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve and legislative and regulatory actions and reforms.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND WHERE TO FIND IT

This communication is being made in respect of the ~~proposed~~ proposed transaction involving the Company and FBNC. This material is not a solicitation of any vote or approval of the Company’s shareholders and is not a substitute for the proxy statement/prospectus or any other documents which the Company and FBNC may send in connection with the ~~Merger~~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, FBNC has filed with the SEC a Registration Statement on Form S-4 that includes a proxy statement of the Company and a prospectus of FBNC, as well as other relevant documents concerning the proposed transaction. The proxy statement/prospectus was first mailed to the Company’s shareholders on or about August 4, 2017. Investors and security holders are also urged to carefully review and consider each of the Company’s and FBNC’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. ~~The proxy statement/prospectus will be mailed to the Company’s shareholders.~~ BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISIONS, INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY ARE URGED TO CAREFULLY READ THE ENTIRE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND PROXY STATEMENT/ PROSPECTUS REGARDING THE PROPOSED MERGER ~~WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE~~ AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Investors and ~~security~~shareholders ~~holders~~ may obtain a free copy of the proxy statement/ prospectus ~~(when available)~~ and other filings ~~containing~~ containing information about the Company and FBNC at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Investors and ~~security holders~~ shareholders may also obtain free copies of the documents filed with the SEC by the Company on its website at www.ashevillesavingsbank.com ~~and~~ and by FBNC on its website at http://www.localfirstbank.com.

The Company, FBNC and certain of their respective ~~directors~~ directors and executive officers, under the SEC’s rules, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies of the Company’s shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of the Company and their ownership of the Company’s common stock is set forth in the proxy statement for the Company’s 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, as filed with the SEC on Schedule 14A on April 5, 2017. Information about the directors and ~~executive~~ executive officers of FBNC and their ownership of FBNC common stock is set forth in the proxy statement for FBNC’s 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, as filed with the SEC on Schedule 14A on March 27, 2017. Additional information regarding the interests of those participants and other persons who may be deemed participants in the transaction may be obtained by reading the proxy statement/prospectus regarding the proposed transaction ~~when it becomes available~~. Free copies of this document may be obtained as described in the preceding paragraph.

~~SIGNATURES~~3

~~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 hereunto duly authorized.~~SIGNATURE

	ASB BANCORP, INC.
	Registrant
July 28, 2017	By:	/s/ Suzanne S. DeFerie
		Suzanne S. DeFerie
		President and Chief Executive Officer

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.

		ASB BANCORP, INC.


Date: August 24, 2017	By:	/s/ Suzanne S. DeFerie
		Suzanne S. DeFerie
		President and Chief Executive Officer

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