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RIFC Corner Kicks: Is soccer partnership helping Centreville Bank stand out among industry giants?

By

James Bessette

-

08/07/2025

IN THE FOUR MONTHS since Centreville Bank was awarded the naming rights to Rhode Island FC's stadium in Pawtucket, the major partnership has elevated the West Warwick-based bank’s brand and visibility, according to bank Chairman, CEO and President Harold M. Horvat. / PBN PHOTO / JAMES BESSETTE

(Editor’s note: This is the 13th installment in a weekly series spotlighting Rhode Island FC and Centreville Bank Stadium from a business perspective throughout the 2025 United Soccer League Championship season. To read past stories in this series, click here.) PAWTUCKET – Even though the financial institution has existed for close to two centuries, Centreville

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(Editor’s note: This is the 13th installment in a weekly series spotlighting Rhode Island FC and Centreville Bank Stadium from a business perspective throughout the 2025 United Soccer League Championship season. To read past stories in this series, click here.) PAWTUCKET – Even though the financial institution has existed for close to two centuries, Centreville Bank has been eagerly trying to build its brand across the Ocean State. Having the West Warwick-based bank’s name on Rhode Island’s newest sports and entertainment venue both certainly helps and has paid off at least from a marketing perspective up to this point for the company. Going forward, Centreville hopes its prominent branding on the venue and on Rhode Island FC’s jerseys can make the company stand out among the industry giants within the state, according to the bank’s top executive. Harold M. Horvat, Centreville’s chairman, CEO and president, recently told Providence Business News its significant partnership with Rhode Island FC, which includes the bank having naming rights to the 10,500-seat stadium along the Seekonk River, has been better than expected. He said the naming rights plus Centreville opening a branch next door to the soccer club’s executive offices on Main Street has elevated the bank’s brand and visibility, especially in the city. Horvat says branch traffic downtown has “gone up significantly” since its doors opened in February, particularly with the “March to the Match” parade route to Centreville Bank Stadium starting right near the branch. Also, Centreville has had more than 1,400 mentions on social media since the stadium first opened on May 3. “People appreciate once they see the stadium, they see it’s a first-class operation,” Horvat said. “We’ve had the opportunity to invite a lot of our customers to games, so it’s increased our profile with our customers. Once they’ve had the opportunity to come out, they get hooked.” Having Centreville’s branding across the state, the soccer stadium notwithstanding, is also a push for the bank to stand out among the area’s top financial institutions, including those that are publicly traded on the stock market – Citizens Bank N.A., The Washington Trust Co. and Bank Rhode Island – Horvat said. [caption id="attachment_502036" align="alignleft" width="356"]

CENTREVILLE BANK'S Pawtucket branch, located next door to Rhode Island FC's executive offices on Main Street, has seen "significant" foot traffic since it opened in February, bank leadership says. Centreville expects to open more branches across the state by the end of the year. / COURTESY CENTREVILLE BANK[/caption] “For us, [the partnering with Rhode Island FC] gets us in the mix. It’s increased our visibility and we believe strongly that we have a good story to tell,” he said. “For us it’s so important to get in front of more people so we can tell our story and continue to expand and continue to grow our business.” The partnership between Centreville and the club goes beyond just the bank’s branding on the building and on the team jerseys. Centreville is also heavily involved with Rhode Island FC in various initiatives to support the community at-large. One initiative Centerville helps sponsor alongside Rhode Island FC is called “401 Tickets.” Centreville and the soccer club offer a series of tickets for Rhode Island FC home matches at $4.01 per ticket – a nod to the state’s area code – to people who would normally not attend live sporting events. Horvat said those tickets sell out every time Centreville offers them. Additionally, the bank Horvat said donated 250 tickets for the sold-out July 5 Rhode Island FC-Birmingham Legion FC match – which included the postgame city fireworks display over the stadium – to community organizations the bank has been involved with regarding its charitable foundation. “When you think about it, that’s a nice price and affordable to go to a game like that,” Horvat said. “Everything from the game-day experience to the game, it’s been very positive.” The partnership is also fueling Centreville’s overall growth, with more branch locations set to come online across Rhode Island this year. Centreville back in June opened up its full-service branch in Warren, part of a larger effort of the bank’s expansion in the East Bay. Also, Centreville back in April broke ground on its first full-service branch in Middletown, marking the bank’s first ground-up construction since 2020. That branch is expected to open in the fall. Horvat also said Centreville is working on establishing two new branches in Providence, one in the city’s Olneyville section and the other on Westminster Street. Overall, the new branches are expected to bring in at least 20 more employees to the company, Horvat said. “It works hand in hand with our growth plan,” Horvat said.

Current team record (wins-losses-draws): 5-9-5, 20 points; 8th place of 12 in USL Championship Eastern Conference
Result of previous match: Rhode Island FC 1, Detroit City FC 0 (from Wednesday)
Next match: Aug. 9, vs. Loudoun United FC at Centreville Bank Stadium, 7 p.m.

James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on X at @James_Bessette.