“This office opening signifies First Niagara’s commitment to Fairfield County customers, and the expansion of our operations in Southern Connecticut– a very important business market to us,” said Cathie Shaffer, tri-state regional president of First Niagara.
Based in Buffalo, N.Y., First Niagara has more than 420 branches in New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts. It now controls more than $37 million in assets and employs more than 6,000 people across the four states.
The bank began opening retail branches in Connecticut in 2011 and now has 14 branches in Fairfield County.
Also in 2011, First Niagara acquired Norwalk-based Pierson & Smith, which now its insurance subsidiary. Pierson & Smith remained in its Norwalk offices, where it had been since 1995.
The Norwalk office, located on Richards Avenue, will still host Pierson & Smith, as well as First Niagara’s commercial lending, commercial real estate, residential mortgage, small business, and private client services operations for Fairfield County.
“Since entering Connecticut in 2011, First Niagara has steadily increased our presence in Fairfield County, more than doubling our retail branch network, and significantly increasing the number of commercial bankers, financial managers, commercial real estate professionals and risk management resources serving the region,” Shaffer said.
First Niagara held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the expanded office space last week. Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling, other local politicians and local business owners came to welcome the bank to the city.
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