Winston-Salem, n.c. >> BB&T Bank has announced that 241 National Penn Bank employees in Boyertown and Allentown will be laid of as part of the company’s acquisition by BB&T Bank.
BB&T announced Tuesday that 154 positions in Boyertown and 87 positions in Allentown will be eliminated. The company also sent Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) letters to the mayors of Boyertown and Allentown, notifying them of the company’s action.
Any time there is a reduction of at least 50 employees or 33 percent of the workers in one location, companies are required to send the letters, according to BB&T spokesman David White.
“We recognize that these can be emotional and challenging situations for our associates, their families and our communities. These are difficult decisions and we do not take them lightly,” White said.
White said the move is part of the consolidation of BB&T’s back room operations in Boyertown and Allentown and includes positions in accounting, administration and record maintenance.
Employees will be given a 60-day notice about the status of their positions. According to a statement, those associates who stay through their 60-day notice period will receive severance benefits and are being provided with career transition services.
“BB&T will continue to work during and after the National Penn conversion to help affected associates find positions either inside or outside the company,” according to the statement. “We continue to expect to retain all National Penn’s high-performing, direct client-facing associates and revenue producers.”
A career center will open in June in Boyertown, to provide assistance to associates as they prepare for the job search process. The career center will provide a variety of services including job search techniques, interview skills development, resume writing and use of virtual resources such as LinkedIn.
According to White, the employee notifications started Tuesday and will take a couple of days to complete. Employees at four Boyertown locations will be affected:
* 16 W. Philadelphia Ave.* 23 S. Reading Ave.
* 24 N. Reading Ave.* 27 N. Reading Ave.
Tuesday’s news follows the announcement Friday that BB&T will close several bank branches – four in Montgomery County and five in Berks County as part of a consolidation of BB&T and National Penn branches.
Many of the branches are located less than one mile from each other and others less than two miles apart, according to White.
“Our clients will be able to bank with us at a branch that, in most cases, is less than a mile away. There will be no job losses as a result of these location consolidations,” he said. “Most branch associates will move to the receiving financial center so clients will continue to be served by the same associates they have grown to know and trust.”
White could not give specific addresses for the branches that are affected, but said they are located in Pottstown, Abington and Wynnewood in Montgomery County and Boyertown, Reading, Morgantown, West Lawn and Temple in Berks County.
BB&T’s $1.8 billion acquisition of the Allentown-based National Penn was announced last August and was finalized April 1. In July, all former National Penn buildings will receive new signage as the transition is completed.
To reach business editor Donna Rovins call 610-850-0272. Email business story ideas to drovins@pottsmerc.com
