Mainers will notice a name change to Maine Bank & Trust, which will now be known as People’s United Bank.

Effective July 17, the bank underwent the name change to reflect its 2008 acquisition by People’s United Financial, headquartered in Bridgeport, Conn. The bank is not affiliated with People’s Savings Bank, which was founded in Lewiston and acquired by TD Banknorth, now known as TD Bank.

A three-part rebranding effort is under way with advertising, customer communication and media relations, said Brent Di Giorgio, the bank’s director of external relations.

Customers do not have to do anything, and the name change will not affect them, he said, as the banks are already under the People’s operating system.

“If you look back on the past 30 years in banking in New England, so many banks have changed their names in that time period, and New Englanders seem to weather those changes well,” Di Giorgio said.

Signs are already being replaced, and the process should be completed by the end of October. Customers will be alerted about new ATM cards and checks in a “timely manner,” but Di Giorgio would not give specifics about a timeline.

The bank’s name was not originally scheduled to change. However, Di Giorgio said, the move was made to capitalize on the People’s brand name.

People’s bought Burlington, Vt.-based Chittenden Corp., Maine Bank & Trust’s parent company, for $1.8 billion in January 2008. The purchase also included Bangor’s Merrill Merchants Bank and Kennebunk’s Ocean National Bank.

People’s has more than 300 branches in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New York and New Hampshire.

 

Staff Writer Stephanie Hardiman can be contacted at 791-6301 or at: shardiman@mainetoday.com

 

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