First American Bank, a privately held full-service community bank of over $5 billion, has announced the purchase of a new location in the Westchester community at 9696 SW 40th St. in Miami. The branch will be full-service and managed by Julio Valle (left), currently the market manager at the bank’s Sweetwater location. Renovations are planned to be completed by year-end. First American Bank offers a wide variety of products for personal banking, commercial banking, and wealth management services while specializing in middle-market business lending.
“It is an exciting time to be a part of First American Bank’s team here in South Florida, and I am proud to lead the team here in Westchester as we grow our presence in the community,” Valle says. “First American Bank’s unique, personalized approach to banking is our priority with each individual client. We are looking forward to growing our team and being able to provide a welcoming home for our clients in Westchester and Sweetwater.”
In addition to its new branch location, First American Bank announced that its regional headquarters at 2295 Galiano Street will be moving to 540 Biltmore Way in Coral Gables. The new headquarters will be located across the street from Coral Gables City Hall and within walking distance of the famed shopping district, Miracle Mile. The bank tentatively plans to welcome clients to its new space in September 2020.
First American Bank has flourished since first entering the South Florida market in 2014, with the acquisition of the Bank of Coral Gables. Upon identifying a demand for trade finance in the region and leveraging its close relationship with the Small Business Administration, the bank continued expansion in 2019 with the acquisition of Continental National Bank – adding five additional offices throughout the greater Miami-Dade County.
“We needed a larger, more accommodating space that would comfortably house our growing team while creating a warm atmosphere for our clients. That’s when we decided to purchase our new building on Biltmore Way,” says Florida Market President Brian Hagan (top). “Our new regional headquarters will allow us to enhance productivity and serves as a direct representation of our rapid growth here in South Florida. The addition of Continental allowed us to bring our services directly to downtown Miami, Little Havana, Doral, Hialeah and now Westchester.”
To stay true to its community-based values, First American Bank will be eliminating traditional teller lines and, instead, station personal bankers at their desks to provide universal, hands-on customer service at the new Westchester branch and Coral Gables. The Coral Gables location will also provide complimentary indoor parking for clients. In turn, these changes are expected to increase efficiency and create quicker turnarounds for client needs while continuing to offer a warm and welcoming environment.
