Florence Bank Unveils Third Hampden County Branch
Chicopee location to open March 22, ribbon cutting slated for May 5
CHICOPEE—Florence Bank will open its third Hampden County branch at 705 Memorial Drive in Chicopee on March 22, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony is slated for May 5.
“We’re very pleased to be expanding our presence in Hampden County,” said Kevin R. Day, Florence Bank’s president and CEO. “Our focus is on providing great customer service and helping to reinvigorate the community.”
A small number of bank employees, board members, and corporators will be present for the in-person, socially distanced, ribbon cutting, along with Chicopee Mayor John L. Vieau.
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 will serve as assistant vice president / branch manager for the new location. “Florence Bank is known for providing exceptional customer service, so of course I’m thrilled to be part of the team and represent the Florence Bank brand for people in Chicopee,” she said.
Downing attended Holyoke Community College and has 35 years of banking experience. She will manage the daily operations and growth of the branch. She serves as a committee member for McDonald’s Nature Preserve in Wilbraham.
Day said, “We are happy Kimberly chose to join the Florence Bank team. Her extensive banking experience and dedication to customer service will serve the Chicopee community well.”
Other employees who will staff the new location are Diane Afonso, assistant branch manager; Tracy Keefe, customer service representative (CSR) and senior teller; Kiara Sonoda, teller operations manager; and Karen Willemain, senior teller.
In August 2017, Florence Bank opened its first branch in Hampden County at 1010 Union St. in West Springfield, and in December 2018, the bank opened its second location near the southern Massachusetts border, on Allen Street in Springfield.
“With the addition of a branch in Chicopee, our third in Hampden County, we can really say we’re here, and we’re going to be part of this community for a long time,” Day said.
Florence Bank has nearly 5,000 customers living in Hampden County, including 750 business customers, and Day said the bank looks forward to deepening its impact in the region and working with neighboring businesses.
Florence Bank, chartered in 1873, is unique in that it’s a mutually-owned savings bank, meaning it does not need to pay dividends to stockholders. That mutuality, Day said, allows the bank to make decisions about what’s best for customers and the community.
About Florence Bank
Florence Bank is a mutually-owned savings bank chartered in 1873. Currently, the Bank serves the Pioneer Valley through 11 full-service branch locations in Florence, Northampton, Easthampton, Williamsburg, Amherst, Hadley, Belchertown, Granby, West Springfield, and Springfield. Florence Bank will soon open a twelfth branch in Chicopee. 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.
