Aug. 1—BEMIDJI — First National Bank Bemidji announced Thursday its plans to close the bank's express branch in downtown Bemidji at the end of the year.
"This is a decision that has been weighing heavily on our shoulders for nearly a decade. First National Bank Bemidji has been in operation since 1897, and during that time, has always maintained a presence in downtown Bemidji," Ryan Welle, president of First National Bank Bemidji, said in a release. "The gravity of that symbolism, coupled with the emotional and sentimental attachment to downtown Bemidji, continues to linger inside of me.
"But, the convergence of several variables, including necessary infrastructure upgrades to the facility, changing consumer preferences, which have only exacerbated since COVID-19, and succession planning within our organization made the business merits of the decision too compelling to ignore."
Welle emphasized that the decision was not financially driven, ensuring customers that the bank remains financially stable, with liquidity and capital levels well above regulatory requirements.
"Most importantly, all employees of FNB will remain employees of FNB," he said. "Furthermore, despite this, we're not done investing in our community, our organizations, our employees or our customers."
Customers can continue to access their banking needs at the express branch until the end of 2024. At this time, they can switch to the south branch at 607 Washington Avenue South and main the bank location at 1600 Paul Bunyan Drive NW.
He also added that the employees from the express branch will be relocated to either the south branch or the main bank locations.
"Our commitment to the downtown Bemidji community remains unwavering," he left off. "We will continue to support the downtown district in various ways, even as we adapt our operations to serve our customers better. We are dedicated to making this transition as smooth as possible for our customers."