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Wellsboro is a community known for having strong ties to its rich history. Financing that rich history was The First National Bank of Wellsborough. As the lumber industry in the area grew, the need for a bank became apparent. General store owners Chester and John Robinson, along with self-made businessman William Bache, founded The First National Bank of Wellsborough in 1864. This makes it not only one of the oldest community banks in the United States, but nearly as old as Wellsboro itself. The bank continued to grow and prosper, eventually outgrowing its location at the Robinson House, now the Tioga County Historical Society, and relocating to its current location on the corner of Crafton and Main Street in 1875. Over the last 150 years, The First National Bank of Wellsborough has grown to 33 locations, across 12 counties throughout Pennsylvania and New York and is now known simply as C&N.

While C&N has continued to grow and expand throughout the region, Wellsboro has always remained its home. This continued dedication to the Wellsboro community is evident in the recent investment in their home office. In addition to modernizing the look of the space, the floorplan was completely reworked for functionality and to adjust to changing customer preferences. Over the years, in-branch visits have evolved to become less transactional and more meaningful. Customers are increasingly taking advantage of modern digital banking solutions for traditional banking items like deposits and transfers and using branch visits to talk directly with a C&N expert about important financial decisions. This relationship-driven transition has been addressed in the new remodel by having a more compact teller line and an increased seating area, allowing for more space to have deeper one-on-one conversations.

The smaller teller line does not mean that the teller position will be phased out or longer wait times for the customer. There will always be teammates in the lobbies to greet and assist customers with their transactions. In that sense, the teller position won’t be changing. However, many teammates in those positions have gone through extra levels of training to earn a special certification by completing 18 months of coursework and passing observational and written tests. This enhanced skill set enables them to offer customers a more holistic and consultative experience by providing more complex services, like opening new accounts and doing small loans for customers. Even though these employees won’t be stationed behind the teller line, they can complete routine transactions from their desks in the lobby, preventing any additional wait time.

In addition to the updated look and layout, all business lines have been relocated to the main lobby, providing easier access to service line experts, including consumer banking and lending, mortgage lending, wealth management, and business banking and lending.

C&N has also integrated new technology into the lobby experience. In the tech area, there is a self-service touch screen kiosk. Customers can find educational brochures and materials with the ability to print them on demand. The most noticeable integration of technology for customers is the drive-up system. Previously, an employee would be stationed in the backroom specifically to handle drive-thru transactions. This has been upgraded to a video system that allows the teammate to assist in-branch customers when the drive-up service is not being used. Because C&N teammates will no longer be in the back, customers won’t be visible from the window. However, they will be visible through the video system when assisting with a transaction. Simply touch the call button and a C&N teammate will be right with you.

There have been many changes over the last 150 years, but C&N’s commitment to the Wellsboro community remains unchanged. C&N welcomes everyone to stop by to check out the remodel and visit the branch during the grand reopening celebration, scheduled for May.