The chief banking subsidiary of Chambersburg-based Franklin Financial Services has broken ground on a new branch at 4765 Linglestown Road in Lower Paxton Township.
- It will be F&M Trust‘s first free-standing, full-service branch in Dauphin County.
- “It’s a natural progression of our growth and activity in the capital region, specifically Dauphin County,” F&M Trust president and CEO Tim Henry said in a statement.
- In 2021, the bank leased a capital regional headquarters office at 4050 Crums Mill Road.
What’s next: Construction is set to begin later this month, with the roughly 1,700 square-foot building expected to open in late 2024.
- F&M Trust worked with Lemoyne-based Campbell Commercial Partners LLC in finding and buying the site, which is near the Colonial Golf and Tennis Club.
- The bank paid $300,000 for the property, which had been owned by Colonial Place LP, according to county deed records.
- Susquehanna Township-based A.P. Williams Construction is building the branch, which will include five offices for business banking and mortgage lending.
- The branch also will feature a drive-up interactive teller machine that blends touchscreen and video technology.
The background: F&M Trust has assets of about $1.8 billion and operates 22 branches in Cumberland, Franklin, Fulton and Huntingdon counties in Pennsylvania, as well as Washington County in Maryland.
- Many banks have been closing branches as transactions move to digital platforms.
- However, banks still see value in physical locations, particularly when they are expanding in new markets.
- Among those with plans to open offices are Pittsburgh-based PNC Bank, North Carolina-based Bank of America and Chase Bank, the retail banking arm of New York-based JPMorgan Chase & Co.
