Peoples National Bank officially opens new West City facility

Several members of the Benton-West City Chamber of Commerce and Peoples National Bank Employees were on hand Monday morning for the official opening and ribbon cutting for the new PNB facility that is now open in West City. The full-service bank has been completely renovated both inside and out and is located in the facility that formerly housed Auto Credit of Southern Illinois.
(Photo by Jim Muir)

By Jim Muir

A new banking facility in West City officially opened Monday morning, the first-ever full service bank in the Franklin County Community.

Peoples National Bank opened the new banking facility that is located in the Rend Lake Plaza, located on North Central Street.

Bill Bonan II, president of the Southern Region of PNB, was on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony that was attended by several members of the Benton-West City Chamber of Commerce and other area dignitaries.

“Our new facility here in West City is a full-service bank that can operate by itself and it will be fully-staffed,” said Bonan.  “So, a person could actually go to our West City bank and take care of any banking business they have and never have to drive in town.”

Bonan pointed out a two-fold reason behind the decision to expand to West City.

“One of our biggest complaints we get is the traffic in the downtown area is sometimes heavy and its hard to get there, people don’t have time,” said Bonan.  “This is only for the convenience of our customers and the room for expansion is certainly here so we recognized that.  West City didn’t have a bank until we opened, so we are proud to be the only bank in that community.”

Bonan said PNB entered into a long-term lease for the building that is located immediately across the street from Applebees.

PNB has 20 employees at the facility on the Benton Public Square and has added an additional 12 employees — 11 of them full-time — when the new West City branch office opens.

The new West City location marks the 20th banking facility owned by PNB in Southern Illinois and the St. Louis metropolitan area.

“We are proud to offer the folks in West and all of Franklin County another banking facility,” said Bonan.