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Washington Financial Bank—
Where Community Banking is Different
When you think of banks, you don’ t usually think of reclaimed Brazilian lumber and mid-century modern decor. Then again, Washington Financial is not your typical bank.
Founded in Washington County over a century ago, Washington Financial Bank is a mutual savings bank, meaning it is not beholden to shareholders— it’ s beholden to you. And the staff takes that commitment very seriously.
“ We’ re more community-driven,” said Michael L. Chaido, Senior Vice President / COO.“ We’ re owned by the depositors and we put our profits into our employees, the bank and our communities, with all three being of equal importance to us.”
The result of that philosophy is a workforce that is deeply embedded in the community, as volunteerism is expected at Washington Financial. All of the employees live in the community. In fact, the Branch Manager, Stacie Riley is the new mayor of Carnegie. In addition, Washington Financial has a robust scholarship program and is a strong supporter of local charities and causes in the communities where there are branch locations. Each year, Washington Financial commits to giving away several hundred thousand dollars to local charities and community organizations through its foundation, The Washington Financial Charitable Foundation. Since the inception of its Community Contributions program, Washington Financial has reinvested close to $ 10 million back into the communities it serves.
The newest location in South Fayette Township, its first in Allegheny County, not only promises similar benefits to the surrounding communities, but also pays homage to the community’ s past through the look and feel of the offices.
“ None of our branches looks the same. We custom design them to reflect the community we’ re in,” Chaido said.“ In the case of South Fayette, we’ re on the site of the old St. Anthony’ s Church and across
the way from where Mulach Steel once stood, so both of those will be recognized in both design and in historical photos from South Fayette Historical Society. We fashioned the interior decor and aesthetics to mirror the history of the site. We have rusted metal paneling and all of the brick is recycled, and all of the wood is reclaimed lumber. It’ s open, inviting and reminiscent of what you would see in the offices of a steel mill in the 1950s. Even the office furniture reflects the midcentury modern era.”
Aside from the decor, Washington Financial also excels at banking and making banking convenient. From setting up an account, to getting approved for a loan, to wealth management services, Washington Financial does it all.
“ We put a lot into our technology and product development because that’ s what our customers want,” Chaido said.“ To be honest, banking can be pretty‘ vanilla’ when it comes to the products you offer. Customers know what a bank offers. What they want is access to those services to be more convenient, easier and with more robust capabilities. So we strive to exceed their expectations in that arena.”
For more information on Washington Financial, including all of the available services, current rates and locations, visit their website at mywashingtonfinancial. com. You can also call directly at 412.221.1026. The new South Fayette office is located at 179 Millers Run Road, Bridgeville, right next to the Dunkin Donuts, and is now open for business.
NMLS # 486073
SOUTH FAYETTE ❘ SPRING 2018 25