MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Chief executive officer at the National Commercial Bank (NCB) Septimus “Bob” Blake says this south-central town’s need for financial services has increased with its rapid growth down the years.

“Once upon a time Mandeville was known as a place to retire. People would build homes and move here, but would need to do their banking further afield to the west or east [Kingston and elsewhere] of the island. Now everything you need to maintain your investment, plan for the future or take care of your family is right here, as Mandeville has grown from an urban centre to a metropolis, the population’s financial needs have increased. NCB’s response to this has always been to determine the best way using the resources and technology at our disposal to fulfill those needs in ways that not only satisfy, but bring delight to our customers,” he said last Thursday at the official opening of NCB’s private banking centre at the bank’s Mandeville branch.

He added that customers will benefit from a wide range of financial service at the location.

“The idea of one location offering an exclusive array of premier financial solutions, concierge banking, with highly personalised services was a natural progression. Global Finance magazine has named NCB’s private banking as the best private bank in Jamaica since 2018 with a suite of specialised services that include wealth, cash management, investment management, financing, estate planning, trust and fiduciary services,” he said.

“This private banking centre gives you the best of all worlds, combining retail banking and investments, to customer service,” he added.

He said the financial centre will give clients a better opportunity to do business on the international markets.

“Our private banking clients also have access to the expertise of our trusted colleagues on the international financial markets. They will also be able to benefit from an extended range of services offered through our subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Cayman and across Jamaica. Our ambition to digitally transform our organisation in order to make everyday transactions easier, simple and faster to our customers remains central to our strategy. However, the path to wealth optimisation necessitates in-person specialised advisory services,” Blake said.

Custos of Manchester Garfield Green lauded NCB for its investment in expanding services at its Mandeville branch.

“It is a landmark for this parish and for the town of Mandeville in particular, it was a beauty to behold then and it still is, so I want to thank the NCB team for creating this landmark here, it doesn’t stop there [as the] bank has sought to satisfy our financial needs and add to the economy of this parish,” he said.