Edgar Martinez and Mariachis: Plaza Bank Celebrates Grand Opening September 16

Plaza Bank, headquartered in Seattle and with its first branch in Kent, steps out with its commercial lending services as well as a bilingual, bicultural environment designed to meet the needs of the local Latino community.

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) September 12, 2006 -- Plaza Bank, the community, commercial bank with a Latino focus, is celebrating its Grand Opening in Fiestas Patrias style on September 16, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Plaza Bank is one of only a handful of banks in the U.S. to be founded by members of the Hispanic community.

Scheduled for the event is live music from 10-piece band Mariachi Grullense, straight from Kent’s sister city in Mexico, El Grullo. Mayas Restaurant, known throughout the local Latino community, will be catering the event. Children’s entertainment and giveaways will provide further attraction to the bank and its bilingual/bicultural services. The branch is located 207 West Kent Station Street in Kent, Washington, and will have special banking hours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Grand Opening day.

President and CEO Carlos Guangorena is eager to welcome several prominent guests from the local and Latino communities including the Mayor of Kent Suzette Cooke, who is scheduled to perform the ribbon-cutting ceremony and former designated hitter Edgar Martinez, who will be graciously signing baseballs for new customers.

“The fact that we’re celebrating during Fiestas Patrias, when Latinos celebrate the independence of their homelands, adds an additional cultural layer to the event,” explains Guangorena.

Antonio López, vice president and branch manager, is looking forward to meeting more of the community. “This is an opportunity for us to work with our neighbors and introduce Plaza Bank in a fun and interactive way,” notes López.

Plaza Bank currently offers business and consumer checking and saving accounts as well as small business and personal lending services. The bank also provides customers the accessibility to more than 230 ATMs, service-charge-free, throughout the Puget Sound region, and is in the process of finalizing online banking in English and Spanish, money remittance and VISA card products.

In addition to its bilingual and bicultural staffing, Plaza Bank has designed a welcoming physical environment for its customers. Warmth was created using Plaza Bank brand colors of purple, cinnamon and sand to complement the open interior spaces. “We wanted to invite our customers into this comfortable place,” notes Guangorena, adding, “We’re planning to add client and community education to our roster of services -- a way to further connect with the community while providing a valuable service.”

The U.S. Census Bureau now counts 551,000 Hispanics permanently residing in Washington state. In the Seattle-Tacoma designated market area alone, Hispanic buyer power stands at $3.7 billion, according to the Larson Northwest Hispanic Market Report for 2006-07. Companies serving consumers and businesses locally, like Plaza Bank, are becoming aware of this important and fast-growing market.

Plaza Bank is a commercial bank offering quality services and products to all businesses, non-profit organizations and consumers with a focus on Hispanic businesses and consumers. The bank initially opened its doors in June after collecting a record $22 million in capital. The bank’s central office is located in downtown Seattle to serve business clients; its branch is located in Kent for full-service banking. For more information about Plaza Bank, visit www.plazabankwa.com.

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