ATHOL — Monday morning, members of the North Quabbin Chamber of Commerce, Pioneer Junior Women’s Club and Athol Savings Bank employees gathered at the bank’s newly refurbished location at 388 Main Street to celebrate the official re-opening.
With a ribbon-cutting ceremony involving a giant pair of scissors, bank employees officially welcomed customers into the refurbished lobby featuring an open-concept layout, new furniture, and special offices for quick and convenient financial advising meetings.
“This is the culmination of everything,” said Athol Savings Bank president Daniel Zona during his remarks. “This town deserves it.”
During his opening remarks Chamber of Commerce Director Mark Wright said that since Athol Savings Bank first opened its doors in 1867, the business has grown into an integral part of the community. The renovation process took over a year, Wright said, during which time the bank remained open operating from the customer service center behind the main lobby.
State representative Susannah Whipps also attended the opening ceremony and spoke about the importance of patronizing a local bank that has a vested interest in the community.
“They’re a name that we trust to take care of us, take care of our houses and take care of our families,” said Whipps.“It’s not just banking here, it’s a community.”
To reach a wider audience and provide more convenient tools for business, Athol Savings Bank is changing the ways in interacts with customers. In addition to more mobile and online tools for customers, the bank is re-branding the role of bank “tellers,” and instead calling the employees “financial advisors.”
“We’re not telling anymore, we’re advising,” said Athol Savings Bank executive vice president of the Retail Division, Cheryl D’Ambra. “We’re trying to deepen our relationships with customers.”
With an emphasis on face-to-face interactions, knowledgeable staff, real people answering telephones and a new open concept design the bank hopes to better connect with customers from millennials to baby boomers.
“We’re high touch but we’re also high tech,” D’Ambra said. “We’ll never lose that.”
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony the bank presented two $1,000 checks to the Athol Daily News and Orange Pioneer Junior Women’s Club Santa Funds. In Orange this makes for a total of at least $2,880 donated to the Santa Fund so far, and in Athol it brings the total to $6,534. D’Ambra said the bank has been donating to the holiday funds for decades, and participates in numerous fundraisers and charities throughout the year.
The money will be used to buy Christmas presents for children whose families could not afford them otherwise. Some gifts are distributed to students through school guidance counselors, in private so they’re not made uncomfortable by a public gesture.
“It spreads a little holiday spirit when money is tight,” said Pioneer Junior Women’s Club manager Karen Perkins.
The historic Athol Savings Bank location at 444 Main St. remains closed after a furnace fire one year ago forced administrative offices to be moved from the building. All customers’ lock boxes in the building are safe, and D’Ambra encourages anyone who needs access to them to contact the bank’s customer service line.
From Dec. 3 through Dec. 8, Athol Savings Bank will offer free refreshments in the main lobby of the 388 Main Street location, and serve a pizza lunch on Thursday and Friday starting at 11 a.m. to celebrate the office’s opening.
Sarah Robertson can be reached at srobertson@atholdailynews.com.