June 2014 Business Magazine

Page 20

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1?QQGML?RC "@MSR $SQRMKCPQ $M 8MPICPQ ?LB $MKKSLGRW ERIEBANK was developed locally by the people and business leaders of Erie, Pennsylvania. The decision to establish ERIEBANK was motivated by the drive to serve small- to medium-size businesses, their owners, and employees — by providing the personalized customer service of a community bank, while offering access to the high-tech products and services of a larger financial institution.

A Community Bank is Born

Fueled by the desire to return to the personalized banking of old, ERIEBANK opened its doors in August 2005 with a sole employee, David Zimmer, an Erie native with then more than 20 years of banking experience. “We had a small, leased space and were really a loan production office,� Zimmer explains. “We grew quickly, however, and within a few months expanded to a three-person office. In August 2006, we leased a larger space and opened the first community bank office.� ERIEBANK was off and running. By September 2007, the bank had grown out of the leased space and built its first freestanding building on Asbury Road, which was designed to feature the community of Erie through the new-concept banking-center style that is now found in all ERIEBANK locations. The bank’s focus then, as it is now, was on serving locally owned small- to mid-sized businesses, and it continues to enjoy a stellar reputation as a specialist in commercial lending. In addition, ERIEBANK has expanded to include personal banking, private banking, and investment services. Currently, assets are in excess of $600 million. Today, the bank has branches in seven locations in three counties: four in Erie, two in Crawford and one in Warren. And, by fourth quarter 2014, ERIEBANK will open its eighth location on West 12th Street, a heavily traveled east-west thoroughfare in Erie County. “This new location will fill a service gap for ERIEBANK’s commercial and residential clients located in the northwest Erie area,� Zimmer says. “It also gives us the opportunity to add new commercial and personal clients in that part of the county.� What prompted this phenomenal growth? “ERIEBANK has stayed true to its roots, building on the vision of its founding members,� says Zimmer, the bank’s current president. “Every year we’ve experienced more and more growth. With our 12 < www.mbabizmag.com < June 2014

As an ERIEBANK customer, Pasco Tool and Plastics, Inc. in Meadville has experienced the high quality customer service that bank officials talk about. From left, are: Jeffrey Pasilla and Tony Passilla Jr. of Pasco Tool and Plastics, Inc. with ERIEBANK’s Steve Cappellino, senior vice president in Meadville, and Commercial Lending Officer Jim Miale.

commercial banking services, we’ve been busy since day one, but it took some time for retail banking consumers to trust that we were going to be here for the long haul. Once they realized that we could offer a full complement of banking services, but still function as a friendly community bank, they were sold. We’ve continued to earn the respect of both business and individual customers by putting their needs first and attending to each one on a personal level.� While ERIEBANK provides the personalized customer service of a community bank, customers also have access to all the new technological advances typical of a larger bank — mobile banking, online bill pay from their smart phones or tablets, direct and remote deposit, and more.

Financial Support, Employee Loyalty and Customer Satisfaction

To nurture its development, ERIEBANK has had the support of Clearfield-based CNB Financial Corporation. Its strength allowed ERIEBANK to expedite its building process, hire additional staff, and invest in the communities it serves. “Having a partner like CNB has been invaluable to our development,� Zimmer notes. “We are autonomous, flexible in our operations, and make quick, local decisions. That spirit of trust and unity extends to our Board of Advisors, which is made up

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