NorCrown Bank breaks ground for Hillside, N.J. branch.

NorCrown Bank, one of New Jersey's fastest growing banking institutions, recently broke ground for a new branch to be opened at 1300 Liberty Ave. in Hillside, N.J. Hillside Mayor Karen McCoy Oliver and local dignitaries joined in the groundbreaking ceremonies, marking what will become NorCrown's 15th branch. It is expected to open in the spring of 2003, following the opening of yet another branch in Madison, at which time NorCrown will have more than doubled its number of branches in just three years.

This is the first NorCrown branch to be built from the ground up. The building's owners are John and Barbara Kulish, prominent members of the Hillside community. Mr. Kulish is a former town mayor and current township committee president. The 2,800-SF building will include an ATM machine and a drive-up window for customer convenience.

"I am pleased to have NorCrown as part of the Hillside business community. The bank's presence will serve as an asset to the Township of Hillside," commented Mayor McCoy Oliver.

The establishment of a Hillside branch is a point of particular pride for NorCrown vice president and senior business development officer Monte Ehrenkranz, who was active in the town's banking and community affairs for many years, having served as branch manager of the United Counties Trust Company and as president of the Hillside Rotary Club. "I have always loved Hillside, and ever since leaving my position there five years ago to join NorCrown, I have waited for the opportunity to open a branch in the town where I established such strong ties. The Kulishes have provided that opportunity."

Anna La Marca, another Hillside banking veteran, who served as Ehrenkranz's associate both at United Counties Trust and subsequently at NorCrown, will serve as NorCrown's Hillside branch manager.

Geared toward assisting small and medium-sized businesses and households, NorCrown Bank provides the same products and services of the larger banks, but on a more personal basis. NorCrown's full spectrum of banking services includes no-fee checking and high-yield savings accounts, investment programs, retirement plan services, no-fee home equity loans, mortgage financing and commercial lending, and 24-hour Internet banking. In addition, a large core of the bank's business -- $200 million in the last three years - involves apartment house financing.

"NorCrown Bank is a true community bank, offering personal, one-to-one attention to our friends and neighbors," noted President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph S. Paparatto. "We look forward to being an integral part of the Hillside community."