New competence center in St. Michael: Progress despite skepticism

Veröffentlicht:

Von:

in St. Michael was the new competence center of Raiffeisenbank Liesingtal-St in record of just 13 months. Stefan built and celebrated. Around 900 guests were present at the opening ceremony. However, this project has not remained without controversy, as it is associated with the closure of several bank branches in the region.

The modern center extends over two floors and offers space for a total of 25 employees on 1,200 square meters. Sustainability is very important: a photovoltaic system on the roof ensures half of the electricity requirement, and a heat pump ensures environmentally friendly heating and cooling facilities. Helmuth Pölzl, the managing director, was satisfied with the rapid implementation of the project. "Everything went according to plan, actually even faster than expected," he confirmed during a tour of the new rooms.

restructuring in the region

A central concern was the restructuring and the decline in the branches. Initially there were concerns and mixed reactions to close four out of six banking points. The closures affected the locations in St. Stefan and Kraubath, which were merged with the new competence center in St. Michael, and the branches in Kalwang and chambers, which merged with the banking point in Mautern. This change caused concern, especially among the older generation.
A survey by Meinzirk showed that 46 percent of the respondents consider a bank to be very important on site. Personal advice in particular is highly valued, while 15 percent only want an ATM.

"In the beginning there was of course confusion and fears about the supply of cash in the communities, especially among the older population." Stefan

The bank reacted to these concerns and worked on solutions with the affected communities. The operation of ATMs is ensured in partnership with "IC Cash Service GmbH" for the next five years.

gratifying news also existed with regard to the new ATMs. A new ATM was installed in Kraubath last Thursday. Mayor Erich Ofner, who was initially skeptical, speaks of a "positive mood" among the population. There are also satisfied faces in Mautern because the branch remains open after a renovation, which reduces the concerns of the citizens. Local chief Mario Angerer from Kalwang confirmed that the bank will continue to remain open until the Mautern branch is fully adjusted.

Developments related to the competence center and the associated closings demonstrate how important access to banking services is for people in the region. The bank and the municipalities seem to find solutions together in order to meet the needs of citizens in the best possible way. For further details on the topic, readers can have the report on www.meinbezirk.at Visit.