Dowagiac Huntington Bank to close

Published 9:44 am Tuesday, July 11, 2017

The Dowagiac Huntington Bank branch office will close its doors later this year, according to officials with the company.

The Dowagiac bank, located at 205 Commercial St. downtown, will be among the 38 Huntington branch offices and seven remote drive-ups that will cease operations Sept. 29. Customers of the Dowagiac location were notified about the impending closure in a letter mailed to them on June 30, according to Nicholas Pavlik, the retail communications manager with Huntington.

Leaders with the company, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, made the decision to close the Dowagiac office and other locations across its region of operation — which includes Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania and West Virginia — based on analysis of customer traffic patterns, transaction trends and proximity to other Huntington branches, Pavlik said. The company representative said he could not point out a specific reason for the Dowagiac location’s closure.

Employees at the Dowagiac branch, along with those at other sites closing in September, will all be considered for employment at other locations, Pavlik said.m

“Our goal is to relocate and find a position for everyone working at these branches,” Pavlik said.

The representative said customers of the Dowagiac branch may consider visiting Huntington’s branch offices in Niles, Three Rivers or South Haven in the future. They may also use the company’s website, which provides much of the services the brick-and-mortar locations provide, including check deposits and statements.

“Our priority is to help customers through this transition, to make it as seamless as possible,” Pavlik said.

The Commercial Street building was once home to Community State Bank, which was founded in 1961. It currently hosts the office of the Dogwood Fine Arts Festival, which has used the space for meetings, ticket sales and as an art gallery.