By Debbie Wachter Morris
New Castle News
July 18, 2008 11:27 pm
—
Huntington Bank is closing its New Bedford branch.
The bank sent letters, signed by regional president Frank Hierro, to customers in May, informing them the branch will close Aug. 22.
The news was a disappointment to some New Bedford area residents, who said they had been told no other bank will be relocating in that building.
The branch on Route 208 was Sky Bank and before that, First National Bank. It has provided a central location for more than 30 years for New Bedford and Pulaski residents to do their banking, and townspeople have been able to walk there.
“I’m really upset about it,” said Pulaski Township tax collector Shirley Snyder.
The New Bedford branch has provided her with a convenient location for personal and township banking, she said.
“We live in a community where that is the only bank,” she said, adding the community has a lot of senior citizens who go there to get their Social Security checks and other payments.
“Now we have to go 15 miles.”
Snyder said she has done the township’s tax banking at the New Bedford branch since 1974, and the township’s other funds are there, convenient to the municipal building, which also is on Route 208.
Snyder, who also has community garden and other club accounts there, pointed out that many Pulaski Township businesses also use the New Bedford branch.
All accounts will be accessible at other Huntington branches. Those nearest New Bedford are at the Lincoln Knolls Plaza in Ohio or in New Wilmington. There is a full-service branch at 2699 Wilmington Road in Neshannock Township.
Huntington’s Farrell branch in Mercer County also is scheduled to close.
Huntington Bancshares Inc. of Columbus, Ohio, took over Sky Bank Financial Group Inc. in September, and about 142 Sky support employees lost their jobs.
In April, Huntington laid off “a handful” of people in a consolidation of the western Pennsylvania branch with the Pittsburgh branch.
Bank officials could not be reached Thursday or yesterday for information on why the branch is closing or how many jobs will be affected.
Nancy Rudzik of New Bedford, who runs the lottery at M.D. Ambrosia Distributors on Route 422, said she has been dissatisfied with the branch’s customer service since Huntington took it over.
Rudzik said she recently had waited in the drive-through for at least 15 minutes, then went in and complained and had to return later to do her banking.
“If you’re going to have a drive-through, you should man the drive through,” she noted.
In another instance, she said, Ambrosia’s had asked one of its customers to go to the bank with two $20 bills and bring back 40 $1 bills. The teller refused to make change for the man because he was not a regular customer, although Ambrosia has an account there, Rudzik said.
Nevertheless, the bank’s location has been a convenience for the locals, she noted.
“I live a mile from the bank, and a lot of senior citizens don’t have access to go to other branches.”
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.
Photos
