First Bank in Ave Maria Now Open
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- Published on Monday, 13 August 2012 23:04
There's finally a full-service bank in the town of Ave Maria.
Shamrock Bank CEO Colleen Kvetko snipped a ceremonial green ribbon in the lobby of the new branch in the Ave Maria town center Monday morning and, flanked by local business and community leaders, declared the branch open for business. Pictured left to right: branch manager John Tenney; Fr. Robert McTeigue, AMU director of campus ministry; Fr. Robert Tatman, Ave Maria quasi-parish pastor; Ms. Kvetko; Barron Collier Real Estate President Blake Gable and Shamrock board members Lou DePrisco and James Magnus.
"This was a long time coming," Barron Collier's Blake Gable said in his opening remarks in which he gave Ms. Kvetko credit for in doggedly pursuing approval by the FDIC to open the branch. "No one is as tenacious," he said.
It was the FDIC that finally scuttled plans by Florida Community Bank to open both a branch and its headquarters in Ave Maria. FCB ran into financial difficulties after building out its branch and the bank failed in January, 2010. (Left, Fr. McTeigue blesses the branch before the ribbon cutting.)
"There's not a better place in Collier County for a community bank," Ms. Kvetko said, offering her own thanks to the FDIC for approving the branch. Shamrock Bank, started by Ave Maria University founder Tom Monaghan, has its headquarters and a branch on 5th Ave. S. in Naples, as well as a loan center in North Naples on US 41.
The Ave Maria branch will be family friendly and pet friendly, Ms. Kvetko said, with a kids' playroom available for children to use while parents are conducting other business at the bank.
The branch will be open initially three days a week -- Monday, Wednesday and Friday -- but Ms. Kvetko said they are prepared to open other days of the week if there is demand.
She also plans another ribbon-cutting and welcome party in October, she said, to introduce the branch to seasonal residents.
Right, Ms. Kvetko and branch manager John Tenney.