A towering new presence

On July 13, Regions and AmSouth offices will truly become one

Regions and AmSouth bank offices in Alabama and Florida - including 43 in nine North Alabama counties - will open on July 13 operating as one bank under the Regions name.

The two states are the first conversion markets since Birmingham-based Regions Financial Corp. merged late last year with AmSouth Bancorp., also based in Birmingham, creating the nation's ninth largest bank-holding company based on assets.

The AmSouth name will disappear in those states. The regional bank-holding company was organized in 1970 and started doing business in 1972.

Regions will switch to a new logo, a green pyramid with three points representing service to its customers, associates and communities. It also will introduce a new brand promise: "It's time to expect more."

"I'm more excited about where we're going than where we've been," said Ron Poteat, North Alabama area executive for Regions, who's spent his career with the company. "Yes, there's change, but you need to change and get better and challenge yourself.

"Our size allows us to do things in a more meaningful way," said Poteat. To be successful, though, he said, the bank must care for one customer at a time - "from the consumer who wants a home equity line to a business with commercial loan needs.

"We've got to be big, and act small."

AmSouth/Regions previously had 58 locations in the North Alabama area - Madison, Morgan, Lawrence, Limestone, Marshall, Lauderdale, Colbert, DeKalb and Jackson counties.

RBC Centura bought five of those AmSouth locations.

The consolidation of 10 branches across the nine counties means that 10 AmSouth or Regions locations will close, and the Regions Center, an operations building at 201 Williams Ave., will close. That will leave 43 Regions banking locations in the North Alabama area.

Throughout Alabama, 32 offices will be closing as part of consolidation of branches, said Regions spokeswoman Pat Martin. That will leave Alabama with 292 Regions locations.

In all, Regions will have about 1,900 offices in 16 states after consolidations, she said.

At North Alabama locations where two branches are being combined into one, "we're making sure we have a combination of employees that customers are used to seeing," Poteat said.

About 150 Regions/AmSouth employees will be housed in the 11-story building at 200 Clinton Ave. Those are a mix of consumer, business and private banking personnel and mortgage personnel.

Fewer than 25 jobs were lost in the North Alabama area, said Poteat. Those were jobs being consolidated and/or relocated to the home office in Birmingham.

Regions employees in Alabama and Florida have completed about 181,000 hours of training to prepare for the conversion, said Martin. "The associates are ready for us to go forward."

"We're doing the right things from an organization and preparation standpoint to make sure the ATMs work and customers aren't waiting too long in lines," Poteat said.