Antwerp Exchange Bank to Open Full-Service Branch in Paulding
Antwerp Exchange Bank will soon expand its footprint in Paulding County with the opening of a new full-service branch in Paulding, marking the bank’s fourth location and its first office in the county seat.
The new branch will be located in the Solid Ground building, just south of Dairy Queen, where Antwerp Exchange Bank will occupy most of the building while Solid Ground continues operating from a portion of the building during its own expansion project. Upon completion of that project, Antwerp Exchange Bank will then occupy the entire facility. The branch is expected to open in August, pending completion of final preparations. While the bank is targeting an August opening, officials have not announced a specific opening date.
Antwerp Exchange Bank President Jeff Mumma said the project began as a solution to the bank’s growing need for additional office space. Initially, bank leaders planned to use the building primarily as an operations center, but as discussions progressed, they recognized a growing demand for a locally owned community bank in Paulding.
“We kept hearing how much there was a need for a local bank in Paulding,” Mumma said. “The more we looked at it, the more evident it became that we needed to open as a full-service branch from day one.”
Mumma said Antwerp Exchange Bank is proud to be the only locally owned bank serving Paulding County, and the expansion reflects the bank’s continued commitment to investing in the communities it serves.
Unlike a loan production office, the Paulding location will open as a full-service branch capable of accepting deposits immediately. The bank recently completed the required public notification process necessary for regulatory approval.
Initially, the office will be a walk-in location without a drive-thru or ATM. Mumma said those amenities could be added in the future as customer demand is evaluated.
The expansion will help relieve space constraints at the bank’s existing offices while bringing banking services closer to customers throughout Paulding County.
“We’re growing people faster than we’re growing buildings,” Mumma said. “This gives our existing staff more room while making it more convenient for our customers in Paulding County.”
The bank has already hired two new employees for the Paulding office and will also shift existing personnel among its locations. Antwerp Exchange Bank currently employs approximately 36 people across its four offices.
Founded in 1893 by A.P. Murphy, Antwerp Exchange Bank has served northwest Ohio for more than 130 years. The institution was incorporated five years after its founding and operated from its original downtown Antwerp building until several expansions were completed over the years. The bank underwent its first major remodeling in 1955 before expanding into the former W.C. Pate Drug Store in 1962. On March 6, 1978, during the historic Blizzard of 1978, Antwerp Exchange Bank opened its current headquarters in Antwerp. In addition to its Antwerp headquarters, the bank operates branches in Payne and Harlan, Indiana. The Paulding office will become the bank’s fourth location.
The new branch will provide the same services customers receive at the bank’s other locations. Customers may conduct business at any Antwerp Exchange Bank office regardless of where they originally opened their accounts. Each branch offers agricultural, business, commercial, real estate and consumer lending services, with loan officers available throughout the bank’s branch network.
Mumma said the bank’s focus is on continuing to strengthen its presence in Paulding County while providing the personalized service customers have come to expect from a locally owned community bank.
“In five years, I’d like to see us with an established customer base that’s continuing to grow,” he said.
Construction continues inside the future Paulding office, with signage expected to be installed as the opening date approaches. Once completed, the branch will provide residents and businesses throughout Paulding County with another convenient, locally owned banking option while further strengthening Antwerp Exchange Bank’s long-standing commitment to the region.
