Florence Bank Cut Ribbon on its New Chicopee Branch
Staff, board members, corporators, community leaders, and Mayor John Vieau attended socially distanced event
CHICOPEE—Florence Bank celebrated its third Hampden County branch yesterday morning with a ribbon-cutting highlighted by the presentation of a $5,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee.
In attendance at the socially distanced event were Chicopee Mayor John L. Vieau, Florence Bank President and CEO Kevin R. Day, Branch Manager Kimberly Downing, community leaders, and bank employees, board members, and corporators.
Day announced the gift from the bank to the Boys & Girls Club, noting that Florence Bank is a good community partner.
“We are a local bank that is managed and staffed by people who live in the local communities we serve,” Day said. “We are part of a team of customers and employees who work together for the common goal of improving our local communities.”
The new branch at 705 Memorial Drive is the third Florence Bank location in Hampden County to open since 2017. Day said 1,000 of the 5,000 Hampden County customers live in Chicopee. After noting that today’s technology has made online banking easier and more accessible, Day said Florence Bank built a new branch as a resource for those bank customers.
“We believe a physical location demonstrates our commitment to the financial well-being of this community and its people,” he said. “Our staff is physically here to help our neighbors with their financial needs.”
The Chicopee branch has an open floor plan with two teller pods and innovative technology for quick cash handling. The location will also feature a drive-up ATM with SMART technology for easy depositing.
Kimberly Downing of Wilbraham, assistant vice president / branch manager for the new location, was also present, along with other branch employees: Diane Afonso, assistant branch manager; Tracy Keefe, customer service representative and senior teller; Kiara Sonoda, teller operations manager; and Karen Willemain, senior teller.
“We’re thrilled to be here in Chicopee, and we look forward to becoming part of the fabric of the city,” Downing told the crowd.
Learn more about Florence Bank at www.florencebank.com.
About Florence Bank
Florence Bank is a mutually-owned savings bank chartered in 1873. Currently, the Bank serves the Pioneer Valley through 12 full-service branch locations in Florence, Northampton, Easthampton, Williamsburg, Amherst, Hadley, Belchertown, Granby, Chicopee, West Springfield, and Springfield. Additionally, it offers 25 ATMs and a wide range of financial services, including investment management through FSB Financial Group (FSBFG) to consumers and businesses. Florence Bank is consistently voted best local bank by the readers of the Valley Advocate and the Daily Hampshire Gazette.
