Being named the best branch in the central region is one thing but when that region stretches from Paraparaumu in the south to Pukekohe in the north it takes on more significance.
That's what the Whanganui branch The Co-operative Bank has achieved and it's a result branch manager Jon Palmer said reflected on the staff and the customers. Mr Palmer said he and the team at the Victoria Ave branch were "absolutely stoked" with the result and it continued the status the branch achieved last year as well.
"We've also moved into the top three branches across the bank nationally, which is a fantastic result considering the size of our population and our so-called poor economy," he said.
The bank started life as the Public Service Investment Society and became established as a full banking entity in October, 2011. Its growth since then has been spectacular.
Mr Palmer said the branch's deposits grew by 30 per cent last year and attracted 664 new customers, both outcomes he said were exceptional. "The last few years we've been getting well over 600 new customers each year. It doesn't sound a lot but again this branch continues to be one of the top in the country where The Co-operative Bank has 34 branches."