First Commonwealth Bank has released the list of 29 bank branches that will close as a result of a years-long analysis of performance and banking trends. The consolidation of the offices is the first part of a new program called Project Thrive, and includes 11 locations in the Pittsburgh area, 10 in other Pennsylvania counties, and eight in Ohio.
Two of the branches are in Indiana County. The drive-up location on Wayne Avenue and the Plumville office will be closed. First Commonwealth says the consolidation of the 29 branches will mostly be in December. There will be little or no employment losses, due to a hiring freeze instituted for the pandemic and other employment options for the offices that will be closing, related to future Project Thrive announcements.
The bank says teller transactions have fallen by 15 to 20 percent annually across its 148 locations in the last four to five years, while at the same time, digital banking adoption has tripled. Almost three-quarters of First Commonwealth’s customer base now uses digital banking, with similar increases in use of their call center and online chat volumes.
First Commonwealth President and CEO T. Michael Price will join Indiana In the Morning on WCCS tomorrow at 9:45 AM to discuss Project Thrive and the decision-making factors that have guided the bank through the process.
You can see the entire list of consolidations by clicking here.
