ErieBank opens its lobbies, closes one Mentor branch

ErieBank announced on May 11 that it has resumed normal business activities at all of its community banking offices, except for one location.

That’s because the bank is shutting down its branch at 7322 Mentor Ave. in Mentor.

The announcement was made in a news release in which ErieBank explained the latest steps it is taking in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“During these unprecedented times, we made the difficult decision to permanently close the

Mentor Avenue office,” ErieBank President David Zimmer said. “With another location less than three miles away, 24/7 access to ATMs, and online and mobile banking solutions, our clients will continue to have easy access to their accounts and services.”

The other location to which Zimmer referred is the ErieBank office at 7402 Center St. in Mentor.

Both the Center Street and Mentor Avenue offices became ErieBank branches on July 15, 2016. The conversion took place about four months after ErieBank’s parent company, CNB Financial Corp. of Clearfield, Pa., entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Lake National Bank, according to information from ErieBank’s website.

Lake National Bank, which was founded in 2005 and based in Mentor, opened the branch at 7322 Mentor Ave. in April 2013. The office was located on the south side of Mentor Avenue, across from Points East Plaza.

Although the branch office at 7322 Mentor Ave. has closed, ErieBank’s ATM at

the site will remain open until mid-August. In a follow-up email sent on the afternoon of May 11, ErieBank also stated it was not able to retain three employees who worked at the Mentor Avenue location, since there were no open jobs available at its Center Street office.

ErieBank was launched in Erie, Pa., in 2005, with Zimmer as its sole employee, the bank’s website stated. Today, the bank serves customers from eight community offices in northwest Pennsylvania as well as Ohio locations in Ashtabula Township and on Center Street in Mentor.

In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, ErieBank instituted a policy on March 21 requiring customers to make appointments if they wanted to come inside its offices to conduct transactions or consult with employees.

That policy was terminated on May 11, as Zimmer said the interior of ErieBank branches would reopen for normal business hours.

“We’re relieved to be able to offer daily financial advisory services to our clients inside (of ErieBank lobbies) once again,” Zimmer said. “Some transactions not only take a bit longer than a simple cashed check or deposit, but also greater finesse and

confidentiality than you can provide in a drive-up. Much of what we do involves providing our clients with full financial services, such as learning about various solutions, opening accounts and applying for loans.”

In addition, from 8:30 to 9 a.m. every Monday through Friday, ErieBank lobbies will be open exclusively to serve area seniors and those at high-risk for COVID-19, Zimmer said.

However, ErieBank will take precautionary measures to protect all customers entering its lobbies from COVID-19.

Clients are required to wear masks when entering the branch offices, aside from being asked to remove those face coverings briefly for identification purposes, ErieBank’s news release stated. In addition, social distancing practices must be followed and the number of clients allowed in a lobby at one time will be limited.

ErieBank also stated that it continues to monitor COVID-19 developments closely to ensure the latest guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health agencies are in place. In addition, the bank has instituted more stringent cleaning procedures to ensure the safety of its customers and employees.