Huntington and Giant Eagle Sign Exclusive In-Store Bank Agreement That Will Add 500 Jobs in Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Huntington Bank and Giant Eagle Inc. have entered into an agreement that will add 500 jobs in Ohio. The partnership will also give Huntington nearly 500 branches in the Buckeye state — the largest number of bank branches in Ohio and 40 more branches than the state's current largest bank branch network, based on current data.

With the 15-year exclusive agreement, Huntington will install seven-day-a-week, full-service branches in at least 103 Giant Eagle supermarkets. The branches will operate with extended hours, giving shoppers the convenience of banking at night and on the weekends.

In the short-term, new Huntington branches will be built in 26 Ohio Giant Eagle stores, which previously did not have bank branches. These will be constructed from October of 2010 through 2011. Branches will also be added in two Giant Eagle stores in West Virginia.

Additionally, Huntington will install branches in any newly constructed Giant Eagle supermarkets. It will also replace all existing bank branches in approximately 75 Giant Eagle supermarkets upon the expiration of existing bank branch agreements.

"By working with Giant Eagle, we have found a partner also dedicated to convenience, quality, high levels of customer service and our communities," said Steve Steinour, chairman, president and CEO of Huntington. "We look forward to giving consumers and small business owners more convenience through seven-day-a-week, in-store banking."

"Huntington shares Giant Eagle's commitment to our customers and to our communities," said John Lucot, executive vice president and COO of Giant Eagle, Inc. "We believe that adding Huntington's banking expertise to our wide variety of high quality offerings and services will improve the overall shopping experience for Giant Eagle customers."

The first two branches will be installed in Giant Eagles in the Columbus area on Oct. 18. Another one will be installed in Lancaster on Oct. 25.

"Our partnership with Giant Eagle exemplifies our joint effort to support our markets," Steinour said. "We will continue to significantly invest in the economic health and well-being of Ohio and all of our regions including Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky."

Huntington has demonstrated its community commitment throughout 2010 with the launch of a $4 billion small business lending program and a $100 million affordable housing fund that will help provide housing for more than 3,000 Ohioans. It has also invested in the downtown areas of Toledo, Columbus and Pittsburgh and introduced extended hour and seven-day-a-week banking in Cleveland. Moreover, it has just completed the distribution of more than 30,000 backpacks to low- and moderate-income children across its markets.

About Huntington

Huntington Bancshares Incorporated is a $52 billion regional bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Through its affiliated companies, Huntington has been providing a full range of financial services for 144 years. Huntington offers checking, loans, savings, insurance and investment services. It has more than 600 branches and also offers retail and commercial financial services online at huntington.com; through its telephone bank; and through its network of over 1,300 ATMs. Huntington's Auto Finance and Dealer Services group offers automobile loans to consumers and commercial loans to automobile dealers within our six-state banking franchise area.  

About Giant Eagle

Giant Eagle Inc., ranked 40 on Forbes magazine's largest private corporations list and recipient of Grocery Headquarters' 2007 Retailer of the Year Award and the EPA's ENERGY STAR Retail Partner of the Year Award, is one of the nation's largest food retailers and food distributors with approximately $8.6 billion in annual sales.  Founded in 1931, Giant Eagle, Inc. has grown to be the number one supermarket retailer in the region with 170 corporate and 58 independently owned and operated supermarkets in addition to 158 fuel and convenience stores throughout western Pennsylvania, Ohio, north central West Virginia and Maryland.  

SOURCE Huntington Bank