Two suburban banks test new ways to court urban residents
By John Reosti , The American Banker Newspaper. Published March 07 2018, 3:10pm EST Howard Bancorp in Maryland and Bryn Mawr Bank Corp. in Pennsylvania, both banks with suburban roots, have marketing challenges on their hands after recent acquisitions in more urban areas. Their goals — to raise their profiles in new, diverse neighborhoods — are identical, but their approaches are very different. The $2.1 billion-asset Howard is so committed to Baltimore that it moved its headquarters downtown from suburban Ellicott City after completing the purchase of First Mariner Bank on March 1. Now, the merged company plans to increase its philanthropy budget and focus it on projects that will benefit what CEO Mary Ann Scully termed “stressed” communities; job training will be a top priority. Bryn Mawr deepened its presence in Philadelphia after acquiring Royal Bank American in December. The resulting $4.5 billion-asset company has established a multicultural advisory board made