Huntington Bank embarks on large expansion of Michigan market

Huntington Bank isn't shy about espousing its faith in Michigan's rebounding economy. The Columbus-based bank is also putting its money where its mouth is, announcing plans to more than double its branches in Michigan by partnering with Meijer. "We are very bullish on Michigan," says Maureen Brown, spokesperson with Huntington Bank. "We think Michigan has the resources and the workforce to really break out of this recession. If you look at the statistics, Michigan is emerging from the recession faster than other states." The Huntington Bank partnership with Meijer will allow the Midwestern-based bank to open in-store branches in Meijers across Michigan. The move is expected to create 500 new jobs and bump up Huntington Bank's presence in the Great Lakes State to 200 branches, representing a more than 60 percent increase. The 10-year agreement means the dozens of in-Meijer branches will be open seven-day-a-week and serve as full-service branches. Twenty of those branches will be in Michigan-based Meijer stores. Huntington Bank is also partnering with Michigan-based Steelcase to design its new Meijer in-store branches. Source: Maureen Brown, spokesperson with Huntington Bank Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.