Naperville Bank & Trust plans to expand into Downtown Post Office Building

Naperville Bank & Trust celebrated their Grand Opening today with a ribbon-cutting and the announcement that their planned expansion could include the retention of the Post Office facilities in Downtown Naperville. 

President Tom Miers foreshadowed the plan in his remarks before a group of community leaders, customers and members of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce.

Naperville Bank & Trust is a branch of Wheaton Bank & Trust, a community bank of Wintrust Financial.  Wintrust entered the Naperville market with the acquisition of Wheatland Bank in April of 2010, and the subsequent purchase of the First National Bank of Naperville from First National Bank of Brookfield.

“Community banking means personally serving every aspect of the community-families and businesses- during all phases of their lives. We have local leadership and local decision making, and we expect to be part of the economic growth of the community,” Miers said.    “We’ve been able to assemble a group of professionals who truly know what community banking means.  They know their customers, and they serve on numerous boards and organizations throughout the community. Our customers leave with my personal direct phone number.   But this community bank has the backing and resources of a big bank with international and national scope.” 

Miers, who came out of retirement to take the helm following some 29 years with MidAmerica Bank, said, “This is not just our Grand Opening at this Fort Hill site, but in fact, the grand opening of our service to the Naperville community. I am pleased to announce that in addition to this branch, we will be opening the first of several additional locations at 1205 South Naper Boulevard in the Market Meadows area on April 1^st .”

He went on to say, “We are also under contract to purchase the original Naperville Post Office building at 5 South Washington Street in Downtown Naperville with the intent to lease back space to the United State Postal Service.  There we plan a full-service banking facility with the convenience of a full-service postal retail center on site, complete with post office boxes and off-street parking.”

Miers noted that it is a typical Wintrust model to locate facilities in the heart of the community.  He said the process of permits and approvals from the City of Naperville has begun, and attention will be paid to preserving the architectural appointments of the historic building.  The bank plans to open there by the end of 2011.

Stacey Huels, Chairman and CEO of Wheaton Bank & Trust said  “We have been watching the Naperville market for a long time. We plan to invest heavily here, not only in talent, but also in additional branches, because it is such a large community, yet it has a real hometown feel. Wintrust brings a strong financial position to Naperville.  We have paid back the TARP and have been profitable every year during the recession. We have avoided mistakes that some of our peers have fallen victim to, and we stand ready to make a difference in the Naperville community.”

Wintrust Financial Corporation (Wintrust) is a financial services holding company based in Lake Forest, Illinois, with assets above $14 billion. The Company engages in the business of providing traditional community banking services, wealth management services, commercial insurance premium financing, mortgage origination, short-term accounts receivable financing, and certain administrative services, such as data processing of payrolls, billing and treasury management services. The Company provides community-oriented, personal and commercial banking services to customers located in the greater Chicago, Illinois and southern Wisconsin metropolitan areas through its 15 wholly owned banking subsidiaries.