Mission-focused, customer-centric: UniBank continues to serve Central Mass. community

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Mission-focused, customer-centric: UniBank continues to serve Central Mass. community
UniBank CEO Michael Welch. (Photo/Courtesy)

REGION – Many banks have sprung up around Central Mass., but few have roots as deep as UniBank.

When the bank was founded in 1870, Central Mass. workers were digging canals, constructing railroads, and industrializing Worcester and the rest of the state’s heartland. In an era of innovation and growth, thousands of workers – including many immigrants – relied on their community bank for support.

Over 154 years later, UniBank’s fervent commitment to Central Mass. is stronger than it has ever been. As the largest bank headquartered in the local area – and the 11-time winner of Worcester Business Journal’s “Best Bank for Business” award – UniBank provides top-tier service to the local area.

“We take our role as a community asset very, very seriously,” said UniBank CEO Michael Welch, who grew up in Worcester and works from UniBank’s Whitinsville headquarters. “It’s community banking at its best. As an institution, I think we’re supposed to mean something to the community.”

As a mutual bank, UniBank is able to keep its operations and finances local. Whereas stock-focused banks seek to earn money for shareholders, UniBank’s profits come right back to the Central Mass. area. The more money the company makes, the more money it donates to local organizations.

Contributions include large-scale initiatives – like being one of the main organizations responsible for bringing the Worcester Red Sox to town – but also smaller, hyperlocal donations designed to help organizations that need support the most. Employees spend time volunteering at the Community Harvest Project, for instance, and donations are also made to local Little League programs, the Worcester County Food Bank, Haulin’ 4 Hunger and Shrewsbury’s Maple & Main.

“Our goal is to serve the community and to give money back to the community. So that’s our driving force constantly. We want our growth to be in Central Mass. We’re a bank that is governed by local folks and led by local folks. Thus, philanthropy is here,” said Welch. “Too often it becomes about the ‘splash’ or marketing return. For us, this is part of being mutual. We can do those things – I can give to a Little League or local theater program. That’s staying local. That’s important to us.”

To UniBank, staying local also means valuing each individual customer; people can expect personalized service from knowledgeable, caring, and passionate employees. Some banks cater to business, others are geared toward investors, but UniBank focuses on anyone who is part of the community. After opening a UniBank account – whether it’s a checking account or a $20 million construction loan – you’ll receive a hand-written note from Welch. Everyone matters at UniBank – it’s about forming relationships.

“We’re not measuring who someone is from a dollar perspective. Someone opens up an account in a bank, I’m writing a hand-written welcome. That’s just the way we roll,” said Welch. “There’s nothing like being part of someone’s story – whether they’re buying a new home, saving for college, or trying to start a business – and our role is just to help them make it happen. Everyone is equally important.”

UniBank is small enough to foster meaningful relationships with customers, but also big enough to serve everyone’s needs. The bank has 13 branches throughout Central Mass., not including a 14th branch that UniBank will soon open across from Polar Park in Worcester. The bank offers a variety of high-tech software for customers: UniPay, for example, can help UniBank customers make online payments.

UniBank has two locations in the Community Advocate coverage region – 193 Boston Turnpike in Shrewsbury and 89 Worcester Street in Grafton – and has branches in Hopkinton, Milford, Douglas, and many other Central Mass. locations. For more information on UniBank, visit https://www.unibank.com/.

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