News Summary
United Bank has received multiple national awards in recognition of its commitment to employee engagement and customer satisfaction. Accolades include titles like America’s Greatest Workplace by State from Newsweek and Best-in-State Banks in South Carolina from Forbes. This recognition underscores the bank’s focus on a healthy workplace culture, training opportunities, and positive employee experiences. Additionally, United Bank is set to merge with Piedmont Bancorp, enhancing its market presence and service offerings, despite challenges such as recruitment and retention in the banking sector.
West Virginia – United Bank has achieved multiple national awards in 2025, recognizing its commitment to employee engagement and customer satisfaction. Among the accolades received are the titles of America’s Greatest Workplace by State from Newsweek, Best Companies to Work For in the South from U.S. News & World Report for the years 2025-2026, and for the third consecutive year, Best-in-State Banks in South Carolina from Forbes. These achievements highlight United Bank’s strong workplace culture and dedication to service excellence.
The awards reflect a comprehensive assessment of various factors affecting employee experience, including a sense of belonging, competitive compensation, job security, mental well-being, training opportunities, and work-life balance. United Bank’s focus on creating a positive workplace environment has driven its success, according to its CEO, Richard M. Adams Jr., who noted that a healthy corporate culture is essential for business growth.
In addition to the workplace awards, United Bank was recognized as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces in Financial Services by Newsweek. This honor specifically evaluated employee engagement within the financial sector. U.S. News considered over 5,000 publicly traded companies and ranked United Bank based on critical indicators such as pay, benefits, work-life balance, job stability, and opportunities for professional development.
Further solidifying its position in West Virginia, United Bank achieved the top ranking in deposit market share as documented in the recent FDIC survey. This accomplishment underscores the bank’s dominance in the state and reflects its commitment to meeting the financial needs of the community.
United Bank is also in the process of completing a significant acquisition. The Federal Reserve approved the bank’s proposed $267 million acquisition of Piedmont Bancorp, anticipated to close in early 2025. This acquisition will merge United Bank with The Piedmont Bank and will allow for the establishment of banking locations at Piedmont’s existing sites. The regulatory approvals for this merger were obtained less than seven months after they were announced.
As part of the merger, Monty Watson, the CEO of Piedmont Bank, is set to assume the role of regional president for Georgia operations once the integration is finalized. Additionally, 14 key staff members from Piedmont Bank are expected to remain with the united entity post-merger, ensuring continuity in leadership and operations.
Despite the positive developments, United Bank faces challenges present in the broader banking industry, such as employee recruitment and retention issues, along with increasing deposit costs and a decrease in loan demand. Nonetheless, United Bank’s strategy underlines the importance of employee engagement and strong corporate culture as vital components for success in the banking sector. High levels of employee belief in leadership and ample training opportunities continue to be central to the bank’s strategy.
Moreover, United Bank has received feedback regarding its lending practices, including one adverse comment about mortgage lending to Black borrowers. In response, the bank emphasized its commitment to fair lending practices and its efforts to uphold community investment standards. In a recent Community Reinvestment Act evaluation conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, United Bank was issued a “satisfactory” rating, further confirming its adherence to regulatory expectations.
The proposed merger with Piedmont Bank will result in the combined organization ranking as the 70th-largest insured depository institution in the United States, boasting approximately $32.1 billion in assets and $24.9 billion in deposits. The union is expected to enhance United Bank’s footprint and enhance service offerings to both new and existing customers.
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
- News and Sentinel: United Bank Earns National Recognition
- Wikipedia: United Bank
- WV News: Generation Next – Emily Bartram
- Google Search: United Bank
- Forbes: Best in State Banks
- Google Scholar: United Bank
- Long Island Business News: MT Bank Awards
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Banks
- Banking Dive: Fed Approves United Piedmont Merger
- Google News: United Bank Merger
