Chase takes over local WaMu branches
| Monday, Mar 30 2009 01:50 PM
Last Updated Monday, Mar 30 2009 02:55 PM
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Henry A. Barrios / The Californian The new Chase Bank sign and logo was unveiled Monday at the former Washington Mutual bank on Chester Avenue and 17th Street in Bakersfield. JPMorgan Chase acquired Washington Mutual banking operations on September 25, 2008. The new sign will go up on 708 bank branches and 2003 ATM's in California.
Henry A. Barrios / The Californian Simon Griffiths, left, Chase Central California Market Manager, and Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall unveil the new Chase Bank sign and logo at the former Washington Mutual bank on Chester Avenue and 17th Street in Bakersfield Monday morning. JPMorgan Chase acquired Washington Mutual banking operations on September 25, 2008. The new sign will go up on 708 bank branches and 2003 ATM's in California.
Henry A. Barrios / The Californian Simon Griffiths, left, Chase Central California Market Manager, and Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall unveil the new Chase Bank sign and logo at the former Washington Mutual bank on Chester Avenue and 17th Street in Bakersfield. JPMorgan Chase acquired Washington Mutual banking operations on September 25, 2008. The new sign will go up on 708 bank branches and 2003 ATM's in California.
With great fanfare and brief comments by Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall, the late, great WaMu unveiled a sign bearing the Chase logo on its downtown Bakersfield bank branch Monday, formalizing JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s takeover of failed thrift Washington Mutual.
The new logo was added to all eight Bakersfield branches, as well as one in Taft and another in Delano.
A casualty of a collapsed subprime home loan market, WaMu failed last fall, and Chase acquired it in a marriage arranged by the federal government.
The new owner is "one of the strongest banks in the nation, and that has never been more important than today," Chase market manager Simon Griffiths said before the new sign was unveiled.
Hall urged bank employees, all clad in black suits with blue shirts mirroring the color of the Chase logo, to be patient as they deal with a public that is hurting in the economic downturn.
"That's how you build new relationships, by reaching out," he said. "Think first of customer service."
Chase promised eco-friendly remodeling work at all of its newly acquired branches, and plans to open about 20 more throughout the state.
Chase has about 100 employees in Kern County, and is Bakersfield's fourth largest bank by deposits.
