Hancock Whitney’s departure left Kiln without a bank. That’s about to change.
The Kiln has been without a bank since October, but that is about to change.
FNB of Picayune is opening a branch in the former location of Hancock Whitney Bank at 16230 Mississippi 603, conveniently located near the U.S. Post Office.
“We’re extremely excited about the opportunity to expand in Hancock County,” said David Hemeter, CEO of FNB of Picayune.
“We don’t do a lot of expansion of growth like this,” Hemeter said. This will be the seventh location of FNB. The bank has four branches in Picayune, one in Wiggins and one in Poplarville
FNB Picayune purchased the bank from the owner, Hemeter said. A sign on the building door asks Hancock Whitney customers to visit their nearest physical branch in Diamondhead.
The Kiln branch was one of six Hancock Whitney branches in South Mississippi that closed in October. The bank cited declining branch traffic across the industry in recent years.
During the coronavirus pandemic, many customers switched to banking online, making mobile deposits and money transfers on their computer or smart phone instead of in person at local branches.
The closing left Kiln without a bank, and that proved to be an opportunity for FNB.
The feedback the bank has received since announcing the new branch has been very positive, Hemeter said.
“We have a lot of customers in Hancock County,” he said, and Kiln is part of the bank’s lending area.
He anticipates the new branch will open this summer, and said it will be a full-service bank with a lender, branch manager, tellers, ATM machine and night deposits.
Reba Beebe, director of Picayune Main Street, said FNBP will be a good fit for the Kiln.
“I believe in FNB because it is a hometown bank,” she said.
This story was originally published February 8, 2022 at 1:00 PM.
