Six years after introducing Saturday banking at one of its branches, Commonwealth Bank opened its sixth branch to six-day banking and the crowd that turned out to celebrate reaffirmed the extra day at the new Cable Beach location was exactly what they wanted. Customers lined up before doors opened at 10 am and continued to overflow the parking area during the mini Auto Extravaganza after the bank closed at 1 pm.

“Wow! We got off to a great start,” said Branch Manager Demetri Bowe. “It was fantastic!” Cable Beach became the fifth New Providence branch of the bank to open for Saturday banking. The Mall branch in Freeport, Grand Bahama also opens on Saturday.

“A lot of people were asking us, ‘When are you going to open on Saturday?’” said Bowe. “We did it for them, to convenience our customers.” But what surprised Bowe most were how many new customers the event drew and how extensive the range of requested services was.

Ads promised the first three customers through the door would win gifts and by the time the bank opened, the line stretched a long ways. “Two of the first three people who made it through the entrance were BahaMar employees,” said Bowe. “Customers were able to conduct the full range of personal banking services. They were glad to be able to get everything done on a Saturday – apply for a credit card, finish a loan, make a deposit or request a draft – anything they needed to get done.”

Although the opening was accompanied by a live radio remote, balloons and a mini Auto Extravaganza with partners from Sanpin Motors, Friendly Motors and Omega Motors, the real message was the bank’s consistency in finding the formula for success through attention to personal banking needs. That success translated into this week’s announcement that as it has every quarter since it went public in 2000, the bank would pay quarterly dividends to its 6,000-plus shareholders.

“Commonwealth Bank has been able to weather the challenging economic and business environment of the past seven years, and we have done so with prudent management and constant attention to changing personal banking needs,” said President Ian Jennings. “We anticipate many changes ahead that will affect both the way we do business and the environment in which we operate. Our history shows that we have succeeded by embracing every challenge that has confronted us and by adapting to new marketplace conditions so we can continue the Bank’s longstanding mission focused on promoting economic growth and stability in our community while being responsible and effective financial managers. It is only by adhering to those principles that we are able to ensure Commonwealth Bank remains safe, sound and prosperous.”

Other branches open on Saturday are Prince Charles Drive, Golden Gates, Oakes Field and Mackey Street in Nassau as well as the Freeport Mall Branch in Grand Bahama.

Commonwealth Bank with branches in New Providence, Grand Bahama and Abaco is the largest Bahamian owned Bank listed on BISX. With more than 525 staff members, the bank reported $1.47 billion in assets at December 31, 2014.

AND THE WINNER IS…Commonwealth Bank celebrated the Saturday opening of its sixth branch to operate on the sixth day of the week by awarding prizes to the first three customers through the door of its Cable Beach branch March 14. Pictured, l – r, 2nd prize winner Kennice Poitier; Cable Beach Branch Assistant Manager – Credit, Chantal Palacious; 1st prize winner Natasha Bethel; Cable Beach Branch Manager Demetri Bowe; 3rd prize winner Joseph Boucher; Katrina Pinder, Sr. Operations Officer, Cable Beach Branch and Commonwealth Bank President Ian Jennings.