The Home Building Society name will disappear from Western Australia, with the Bank of Queensland announcing it consolidate its local operations under its own brand name from June 2008.
The Home Building Society name will disappear from Western Australia, with the Bank of Queensland announcing it will consolidate its local operations under its own brand name from June 2008.
Bank of Queensland Managing Director David Liddy said the new combined group needed to move forward under one strong brand if it was to become a real alternative to major banks in Western Australia.
"We are making a serious commitment to the Western Australian market, from continuing to open new branches through to maintaining a strong presence in community sponsorship," Mr Liddy said.
He added "While the name may be different, what definitely won't change is what we stand for and how we deal with our customers. We will continue to put the customer first in everything we do and deliver the personal, face to face service they have some to expect from both organisations."
Home Building Society was established in Fremantle in 1946, as a limited partnership of ten local businessmen.
The Bank of Queensland acquired Home Building Society in late 2007, which followed Home's purchase of StateWest Credit Society in July 2006.
The merger between Home and StateWest saw the group hold over 110,000 customers with total customer funds under management of over $3.5 billion.
Full announcement below:
Bank of Queensland and Home Building Society have today announced that they will move
forward with a single brand as they near full integration.
The new combined group will operate under the Bank of Queensland brand.
In announcing the decision, BOQ Managing Director David Liddy said: "Both Home Building
Society and Bank of Queensland are strong regional financial institutions focused on customer
service and their local communities.
"However, to become a real alternative to the major banks in Western Australia, it's important that
we move forward with one strong brand.
"So I'm pleased to announce that from June 2008 our new group will use the Bank of Queensland
brand.
"While the name may be different, what definitely won't change is what we stand for and how we
deal with our customers. We will continue to put the customer first in everything we do and deliver
the personal, face-to-face service they have come to expect from both organisations."
Mr Liddy said Home customers would also benefit from a bigger branch network in Western
Australia under the Bank of Queensland expansion program currently underway.
"We are making a serious commitment to the Western Australian market, from continuing to open
new branches through to maintaining a strong presence in community sponsorships.
"Like Queensland, Western Australia has a dynamic, booming economy and we look forward to
serving more and more people with our unique products and service offering."
Mal Wills, Head of Retail Financial Services for Home Building Society, said the decision to move
ahead with one brand was great news for Home customers.
"Bank of Queensland has a much broader, more competitive range of products, and our
customers will also have access to a larger and more widespread ATM and branch network.
"From early June, Home customers will be able to walk into any Home or Bank of Queensland
branch in Western Australia to do their banking.
"In addition, Home ATMs are being upgraded to new Bank of Queensland ATMs, so they will
continue to have free access to the most widespread ATM network in Australia.
"It really is all good news for our customers."
David Liddy agreed, saying: "Together we're a real alternative to the major banks".
Full integration of BOQ and Home systems is scheduled for later this year.