PRESS RELEASE
Contacts:
Louanne C. Hout
412-856-0356 ext. 218
TO BE RELEASED:
April 4, 2005
Standard Bank Celebrates “Community” Status
Monroeville, PA – April 4, 2005 – Standard Bank (“Standard” or the “Bank”) will join community banks throughout the nation during April to celebrate Community Banking Month. Standard and other community banks in Western PA will concentrate their efforts during April 11 - 16, which is Community Banking Week in Pennsylvania. This year’s theme, “Community Banking Yields Community Benefits,” will be demonstrated in the Bank’s celebration activities.
As part of this week-long celebration, Standard will be hosting numerous events designed to heighten the public’s awareness of the community banking mission and the unique criteria which separates them from other financial institutions. A few initiatives will include: Standard Managers conducting money and banking seminars at local elementary schools and investment seminars at senior citizens centers. Schools or senior centers interested in hosting a seminar may contact the Bank at 1-866-856-2265.
Standard’s Community Banking Offices will also host coloring contests for local children and food drives to benefit the Pittsburgh and Westmoreland County Food Banks. All visitors to the Bank’s Offices are encouraged to bring canned goods to drop in a non-perishable food collection box and to vote for their favorite colored picture.
“We are proud to unite with other community bankers across the commonwealth and nation to display our commitment to community service,” stated Gwen Lewton, Community Banking Office Coordinator. “We are committed to making a noticeable difference in the communities we serve.”
Louanne Hout, Manager of Marketing and Coordinator of Customer Care commented, “Community banks operate differently from larger, regional financial institutions. Community banks are run by local people. Loan request decisions are made by people that know the local economy and their customer’s situation. The money that customers deposit is recycled back into the local market to help it prosper.” She added, “Most people who do business with Standard and other community banks like us, think personal service is the best part of the relationship.”
Community banks are independent, locally owned institutions whose, directors and staff are dedicated to customer and community service. What sets community banks apart from their larger counterparts is the fact that ninety five percent of their deposits are reinvested into the local community, not in another state or country.
Community Banking Week is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Association of Community Bankers, a state-wide organization with more than 250 community banking institutions as members.
Standard Bank is a state chartered mutual savings bank with seven full-service offices, located in Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties and its corporate office in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. Standard Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Standard Mutual Holding Company, which has not issued any stock and, accordingly, has no common stock traded on any exchange.
