Contributed

CommunityOne Bank will launch a new brand and introduce enhancements to its product offerings to better reflect the future of the company and its anticipated merger with Bank of Granite.

"As we continue to bring CommunityOne and Bank of Granite together, it's important to define and present our company as a new and well-capitalized organization," said Bob Reid, president of CommunityOne. "Our strengths are the same as they've always been. We're a bank that believes true customer service means learning about your customers' needs and goals, and offering professional advice and services to help meet those needs and goals."

The new CommunityOne brand will consist of conventional upgrades, such as a new logo and color, but will also incorporate community wherever possible. In fact, customers and employees who give their permission will be featured in bank ads and other marketing materials.

"We're literally featuring our customers and employees as part of our new brand," stated Brian Simpson, CEO of CommunityOne. "It's our way of showing the outside world we identify with people as human beings, not numbers."

In conjunction with the new brand, the bank is enhancing many of its products for the first time in several years. For bank customers, changes to existing deposit accounts will take effect Tuesday, Feb. 19, following the Presidents' Day holiday on Feb. 18.

Deposit product changes will not affect customer account numbers, loan products or branch phone numbers or addresses.

While the bank's brand is officially changing Feb. 19, signs and ATMs in select markets will begin reflecting the new logo and colors this month. Certain items, such as checks and debit cards, will be updated gradually over time or at the point of reorder.

"We think the bank's new brand will be well-received," Reid said. "We're proud to serve our customers and want them to feel equally proud about banking with Community One. They're our greatest focus and the reason we're in business."

CommunityOne Bank is a subsidiary of FNB United Corp. Opened in 1907, CommunityOne operates 44 branches in 37 communities throughout central, southern and western North Carolina.