Newcastle Lord Mayor John Tate and key members of the local business community welcomed BankWest to Newcastle on Thursday night at the official opening of the BankWest Business Banking Centre in Broadmeadow, Newcastle.
The opening comes off the back of BankWest's announcement of its assault on the Australian banking industry with the roll-out of more than 160 major new retail and commercial banking centres.
BankWest's Head of Rural and Regional Jamie Ritchie said Newcastle was a major city in NSW and BankWest was pleased to open a business centre offering specialist rural and regional, and property services.
"Newcastle is a major hub in New South Wales and has strong economic growth which influenced our decision to open this dedicated Business Banking Centre," Mr Ritchie said.
"The Newcastle Business Banking centre is another milestone for BankWest as we continue to expand on the east coast of Australia."
"BankWest has listened to feedback from businesses in many different areas and identified a clear need for specialised banking services across various industry sectors," he said.
Newcastle Lord Mayor John Tate cut the official ribbon at the opening and said the dedicated BankWest Business Banking Centre was a vote of confidence for the area's economic development.
"It's great to see BankWest bringing new competition into Newcastle and investing in the region. BankWest sees the inherent opportunities delivered through our high performing business sector and locals will win through better deals and services from the new competition," Mr Tate said.
BankWest has a growth strategy to become a significant force in Australian financial services, through a strategy focusing on driving competition and change in the banking industry.
"We have made a significant investment in our future here in Newcastle. We have a modern business bank premises with the latest technology and systems and, more importantly, we have recruited the very best bankers in the local area," Mr Ritchie said.
"Our recent expansion announcement means it will be even easier for BankWest customers to access our services and products over the coming years," he said.
The Australian Olympic Committee yesterday celebrated 100 days to the Beijing Olympic Games by announcing a major five year partnership with BankWest and the Australian Olympic Team.
