Webster set to open N.K. branch

NORTH KINGSTOWN – Webster Bank is ready to make its presence felt in Washington County.
The Waterbury, Conn.-based bank is opening a freestanding branch this week at 1041 Ten Rod Road in Wickford Junction, adding another location to the 10 branches that Webster already has in Rhode Island.
Webster said it has appointed Deborah Byrne as the branch manager. Before joining Webster, Bryne was the southern Rhode Island business banking relationship manager for Citizens Bank.
To mark the branch opening, Webster has agreed to sponsor the Wickford Harbor Festival, on Sept. 21 and 22. An official ribbon-cutting ceremony is slated for Wednesday, Sept. 17, and an open house will be held on Saturday, Sept. 27.
Webster will have a lot of company in North Kingstown. BankNewport opened a branch just a quarter of a mile away in the Stop & Shop plaza at Routes 4 and 102. The supermarket also contains a Citizens Bank outlet.
While Webster Bank is a relative newcomer to the Rhode Island market – having come to the state in 2004 when it acquired First Federal Savings – the company has 180 branches in New England.
Webster Financial Corp. (NYSE: WBS) – a $17.1 billion company based in Waterbury, Conn. – is the holding company for both Webster Insurance and Webster Bank N.A. Additional information is available at websterbankonline.com.