On Monday, March 14th, Fremont welcomes its third bank branch with the opening of the Fremont Branch of Key Bank. Not since the 1930s has Fremont had such a large selection of professional services available. This branch will be the 161st retail location for Key in Washington state. Located at 601 N 34th St, the branch sits next door to the Fremont Village branch of Union Bank, which began as a local bank, with Key’s entrance and ATM (and Night Deposit) located on the Fremont Bridge side of the building – facing the Waiting For The Interurban statue.
“We stand convinced that the branch remains the centerpiece of the relationship between a bank and its customers,” Rick Wirthlin, president of Key’s Seattle-Cascades District, has been quoted, “so we continue to invest in the communities of western Washington.”
This new branch incorporates many of Key’s standard environmentally-friendly digital merchandising and paper-less processing systems. It also offers Saturday banking hours, from 10a – 1:30p. New branch manager, Samira Salkic, welcomes all members of the community to come in and see what Key can offer.
Salkic has been with Key Bank for five years, where she started as a part-time teller after working as a nurse. She came to the U.S. 11 years ago from Germany, and before that, Bosnia. She looks forward to getting to know the Fremont community better, and witnessing the legendary Solstice Parade. Also serving customers at this new branch will be Fremont resident Pamela Kippes, a Relationship Manager, recently at the Key Greenlake branch.
Jeff Lewis, Area Retail Leader for Key, explained that with Key Bank, a national bank operating on a community bank model, “we bring the best of both worlds.” They offer all the products of a national bank – savings, checking,student accounts, investment services and wire transfers, plus local decisions made on loans and charitable giving. They offer residential, commercial, and business loans including SBA and a special ‘Key for Women’ program.
To celebrate the opening, Key has pledged $1,000 to the Boys & Girls Club at B.F. Day Elementary School, a licensed day care that serves youth aged 5 – 12 during, before and after school. They will also host a grand opening celebration on Saturday, April 9, with refreshments provided by Mad Pizza, and entertainment including face painting, balloon art, a live broadcast by Randy Lundquist of KJR-FM, and prize give-aways.
So, if looking for a new banking relationship, or just curious about the new neighbors, stop by either during banking hours starting Monday, March 14th, or join the party on April 9th from 11a – 1p!