Five Questions With: Michael Rauh Jr.

"WE'RE A Rhode Island business, so we're committed to supporting other local businesses and believe strongly in reinvesting in our community," said Michael Rauh Jr., Washington Trust executive vice president. /

The Washington Trust Co. is constructing a new branch on Warwick Avenue in the Governor Francis neighborhood of Warwick, which will open by the end of the month. The bank intentionally hired local contractors to complete the job. Washington Trust Co. Michael Rauh Jr., executive vice president for sales, service and delivery, recently took a few minutes to discuss the project.

PBN: Can you tell us a little about the project and what it’s expected to look like?
RAUH:
The full-service branch, which is scheduled to open in November, is a little more than 3,000 square feet in size. The exterior features a beautiful shingle-style cottage design with interesting roof lines and a lot of windows. Each of our branches features a unique design that fits within their local neighborhood and the Governor Francis branch is no exception.

The branch will be well-appointed, yet warm, friendly, and inviting. We’re very excited about the interior, as the decor will also mirror the local community. We’re working with legendary local artist Maxwell Mays, and will feature a mural of his “Pawtuxet Village” painting as you walk in the branch, and several other prints of his work hang throughout the branch. We will also feature beautiful photographs of local area landmarks. It’s really going to be a wonderful experience for customers.

PBN: What motivated Washington Trust to hire local contractors?
RAUH:
We’re a Rhode Island business, so we’re committed to supporting other local businesses and believe strongly in reinvesting in our community. In fact, we always try to use our customers and local businesses for everything we do. On this project, we’re working with some great local talent, including: Ekman and Arp, a terrific local architect; Deborah Ventrice, an excellent local interior designer; and Pariseault Construction, an experienced general contractor; they have all been fantastic to work with. We have also instructed them to use local suppliers and sub-contractors whenever possible. It makes good business sense to use local businesses, people and products.

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PBN: The branch construction is going on during a lull period for the construction industry. Has the bank been able to capitalize on that at all?
RAUH:
We certainly didn’t plan it that way, but the timing has worked out well for everyone involved. We’ve been able to employ a number of talented local tradespeople at a time when there isn’t much building going on. We were all a little frustrated by all of the rain in June and July, but the availability of local talent and their commitment to the branch construction enabled us to keep the project on schedule.

PBN: Any plans to incorporate green features into the branch?
RAUH:
Absolutely. We try to use regionally manufactured materials wherever possible and we employ a lot of energy saving techniques – things like high-efficiency glazing, high-efficiency mechanical equipment, digital monitoring and controls of mechanical systems from off site, and occupancy sensors for light control in appropriate areas.

PBN: Any plans to use what the bank learned while building this branch during future construction or renovation projects?
RAUH:
Each time we build a branch we try to improve the customer and employee experience, so we take the best of what we’ve done and add a few new things. For example, last December we opened a new branch in downtown Providence that featured innovative technology, which is also being incorporated into the Governor Francis branch. Cash recyclers behind the teller line speed up transaction times, reduce errors, and are an added security feature. In addition, we’ll have wireless Internet available for customers in the lobby, and digital merchandising screens keep customers informed on bank and community happenings.

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