MARKLEBANK OPENS NEW FORT WAYNE BANKING CENTER

MarkleBank of Markle, Indiana, officially opened its innovative new Fort Wayne banking center on January 31, 2004. Based around a new concept in bank design, the newest MarkleBank branch is a departure from the traditional bank lobby and teller line, featuring a cyber café-style lobby area where customers can get a cup of coffee at the BeanCounter$ Coffee shop located inside the bank. While there, they can hook into the internet; see the latest financial news on plasma screen televisions; and conduct meetings by a stone fireplace or in the bank’s open conference room.

The new Fort Wayne MarkleBank offers a full range of financial services, including personal and commercial banking, financial planning, and insurance products and services. Customers will find personal bankers ready to assist them, and have access to the lobby’s self-service online kiosks to conduct transactions. The branch also features self-service lock boxes, drive-up service, and 24-hour ATM access.

 

To mark the occasion of the Fort Wayne opening, MarkleBank held a weeklong series of Grand Opening Events, from January 31 through February 5. All week long, customers registered to win a year’s lease on a 2005 Mini Cooper (restrictions apply); each day also marked specific specials and promotions, such as:

• Monday: Music CDs from Family Christian Bookstore.

• Tuesday: A free ice scraper and register to win a $100 shopping spree at Umber’s Ace Hardware.

• Wednesday: Free coffee and latté all day at BeanCounter$ Coffee inside the lobby.

• Thursday: Free Big Daddy’s Pizza from 11:00am to 1:00pm.

• Friday: WLDE Oldies 101 and the Weenie Wagon for lunch, 11:00am to 1:00pm.

• Saturday: Kids’ Day – register to win a birthday party from the Naked Clay Café; appearances by Icy and Dinger; Child ID Kits and Fingerprinting; Face Painting and Balloons; and the drawing for the Mini Cooper.

 

The new MarkleBank is located in the West Jefferson Market Square development, west of Covington Plaza on the south side of West Jefferson Boulevard. Design Collaborative of Fort Wayne designed the branch; the general contractor was Baker and Sons.

MarkleBank was founded in 1947 and currently has five other branch locations, in Markle, Huntington, Warren, and two in Bluffton. In November 2004, MarkleBank’s holding company, MarBanc Financial Corporation, announced plans to merge with the holding company of another Fort Wayne area community bank, Grabill Bank. Both banks, with combined assets of over $750 million, will continue to operate independently under separate names as part of the Independent Alliance Banks, Inc. holding company.