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Date: 11/29/2023
EAST LONGMEADOW — East Longmeadow residents have a new option for their banking needs. Liberty Bank, headquartered in Middletown, Connecticut, has opened its first branch in Western Massachusetts at 94 Shaker Rd.
Minnie Saleh, Liberty Bank’s senior executive vice president and chief retail banking officer, said the area is a “natural extension” of the bank’s 55-branch footprint in Connecticut.
Liberty Bank first began making inroads into Western Massachusetts in 2021 with the establishment of a commercial loan office in East Longmeadow. With those services now located in Springfield, the Liberty Bank facility was converted into a full-service branch at the beginning of November.
Saleh said Liberty Bank is just as committed to creating relationships with local residents as they have been with businesses in the area. Saleh added, “All teammates at our new East Longmeadow branch reside in Western Massachusetts.”
Liberty Bank, established in 1825, is the oldest and largest independent mutual bank in the United States. “Our near 200-year-old history and growth as an institution speaks to our stability as a community bank,” Saleh said. Despite the age of the institution, Saleh said the bank has worked to stay abreast of industry trends and the needs of its customers.
“For example,” Saleh said, “this year we enhanced and expanded our digital offerings, introduced new products and services and increased our workforce, adding numerous leaders and teammates with specialized expertise in areas that will continue to support the ever-changing needs of our customers as well as Liberty’s growth.”
However, they said it is the bank’s ability to provide personal, “hands-on” customer service while also delivering the products and services that are expected from larger banks.
“As a mutual bank, we don’t have shareholders, so our priorities are squarely focused on our customers, communities and teammates,” Saleh said.
One of the key values that Liberty promotes is “kindness.” While people do not often associate kindness with financial institutions, Saleh said the concept works in “synergy” with running profitable, practical business.
“People support businesses that support them, and kindness represents our culture as an organization and our desire to be a good corporate citizen and partner to our customers and the communities we serve,” Saleh said.
Liberty Bank offers $5,000 scholarships to high school seniors who work on “meaningful” changes in their community, provides volunteers to local projects and runs a series of free classes on small business ownership. The Liberty Bank Foundation also provides grants for community-oriented initiatives, including education and job training, affordable housing and financial literacy. Saleh also noted the bank’s special mortgage programs and First Time Home Buyers seminars as ways in which Liberty regularly serves its community through kindness.
Saleh did not rule out further expansion and the creation of more Massachusetts branches, saying, “We will continue to evaluate opportunities based on our growth and resulting needs in the area.”
For more information about Liberty Bank, visit liberty-bank.com.