CSB celebrates a new grand opening in Wooster
The interior to the new Commercial & Savings Bank building in downtown Wooster was designed with an industrial look to it. After years of leasing, CSB finally purchased land and built a new home in Wooster, which was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, June 4.
Commercial & Savings Bank has another new place to call home, and it is in downtown Wooster.
People from throughout the Wayne County gathered in front of the new CSB full-facility bank to celebrate a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, June 4.
From the county commissioners to city officials, engineers, architects and builders who made the bank a reality, Commercial & Savings Bank President Eddie Steiner said it was a true community effort to see the new bank from its infant stages to the final product the crowd gathered to celebrate.
Steiner said after having leased smaller buildings in Wooster for many years, it was good to have something the company could call its own.
“People who come from finance like to talk about fixed assets, and that building is pretty well fixed to the ground,” Steiner said. “I don’t think it is going anywhere for a good, long time. Finance people also talk about fixtures. In one sense it can be a tangible asset, but in a greater sense the fixtures are being part of a community. We hope to be a fixture here in Wooster for many generations to come.”
Steiner said the project would not have been possible without the teamwork shown by the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, Wayne Economic Development and Main Street Wooster that have helped create ongoing growth, not just in the new bank, but also throughout downtown.
Sandra Hall of Main Street Wooster said there has been an ongoing pursuit to develop the downtown area with thriving businesses like CSB.
“It has long been a mission and a goal for Main Street and the city to redevelop the east end of Liberty,” Hall said.
She said she could barely sit in her chair when CSB contacted her and offered their hopes of building a full-service bank on the east end of town. She said because of the many partnerships that have taken place over decades, the east side of downtown on Liberty Street continues to blossom.
Steiner said the people of Wooster and Wayne County have been incredible to work with, but the concept of this new structure in downtown Wooster grew from some forward thinkers among the CSB family.
“There is a team of people who have been instrumental in making this a reality,” Steiner said. “They had this aligned vision, and this is the end result. We want to be a welcoming place here in the downtown Wooster area, and it feels to me like that team that had the vision has really made that a reality. It is a great day for CSB and hopefully for Wooster as well.”
CSB had a full-service branch downtown in Wooster that opened eight years ago. They also have a branch office on Milltown north of town. However, Steiner said this building facility creates a place of their own that will allow the bank to be a long-term fixture in the Wooster community.
“This is a purpose-driven work in all of our facilities,” Steiner said. “We have a team of people who model the desire to serve on a daily basis. That service mentality goes right back to our core values with honesty and integrity.”
The building is a piece of architecture that is designed to create a very industrial look. The main floor is open with painted girders showing. Upstairs there is a large conference room, an open-air patio, and ample room for growth and service.
Mark Weaver, manager and vice president of Ivan Weaver Construction, said the building process was smooth and the concept of creating an industrial look to the building was one that was enjoyable.
“I thought the architect did a great job in putting it together, and it is a nice addition to the downtown area,” Weaver said. “That industrial-type look is something that is trending right now, so we have had some experience with it. It has a really modern, clean feel to it, and we are blessed that CSB felt confident in allowing us to be a part of this.”
“It’s got a beautiful industrial look to it, which is something we wanted to create,” CSB board member Roc Baker said. “This is a huge opportunity for us. There are a lot of great people here. We see this as a huge opportunity to service this community.”
As for CSB’s former presence in the downtown area, the bank was located right across the street in a very small rental building. The new facility will allow the bank to spread its wings and serve the community to an even greater extent.
CSB will have seven full-time staff members from the teller staff to commercial lenders and new accounts. It will be available for loans, mortgage lending, investments and more.
“We are thrilled to be here, and we love the facility,” said Ami Hammond, CSB Wooster banking center manager. “The really great part about this is that we now have everyone under one roof to provide customer service for the downtown area.”
The CSB Wooster bank is located at 350 E. Liberty St.