November 2, 2006

People's Bank To Open Ninth Branch In Bridgeport

New Branch Offers Seven-Day In-Person Banking to Bridgeport's West End

BRIDGEPORT, CONN. - People's Bank will open its ninth office in Bridgeport on Thursday, November 9. The office will be inside the Super Stop & Shop supermarket at 2145 Fairfield Avenue. People's eight other Bridgeport branches are located at 1450 Barnum Avenue, 58 Boston Avenue, 850 and 3969 Main Street, 1728 Park Avenue, 3030 Park Avenue, and inside the Brookside and Madison Avenue Super Stop & Stores.

This is the bank's 74th supermarket branch, and it will provide seven-day, in-person banking to residents and businesses of Bridgeport's West End. The branch will have four customer service stations, a night deposit box, a television to watch financial news and an office in which customers may apply for a mortgage or home equity loan, invest funds or open a checking or savings account.

"We're pleased to offer seven-day banking services to residents and businesses of Bridgeport's West End neighborhood," said Armando Goncalves, People's first vice president responsible for the greater Bridgeport region. "We have many great neighbors and we look forward to meeting all of them as we open this new, convenient branch."

Among its many potential customers, People's Bank has already begun outreach to the local community through one of its neighbors, the Bridgeport Housing Authority. The bank plans to offer financial services workshops to neighborhood residents who may be unfamiliar with the bank's products and services.

The office will be staffed by two Bridgeport residents, Deloris Belcher and Brian Cook. Belcher, vice president and market manager for Bridgeport, will manage the branch. Belcher has been with the bank for 37 years and has held a variety of increasingly responsible positions in the bank's branch network. Cook, a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, will be the branch's assistant service manager.

To celebrate the opening of the new office, People's Bank will hold a grand opening sweepstakes for three weeks beginning the day the branch opens. The grand prize will be $500 in free groceries. In total, 150 prizes will be awarded.

In recognition of the opening and our partnership with the community, People's Bank will donate $500 to the Southwest Community Health Center, also a neighbor of the new branch. The new Fairfield Avenue Stop & Shop office will be open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

People's Bank is a diversified financial services company providing consumer and commercial banking services, in addition to insurance, trust and financial advisory services. Through its subsidiaries, People's provides brokerage and financial advisory services, asset management, equipment financing and insurance services.