Signs show completed bank merger

Friday, July 23, 1999 | 11:27 a.m.

Bank of America officially unveiled signs with its new logo in two states today. The bank is symbolically telling customers here that its merger with NationsBank is complete.

Arizona and Nevada became the third and fourth states to see the conversion with about 230 bank offices and more than 1,300 automatic teller machines making the switch. Texas and New Mexico made the conversion earlier this year.

The bank is Nevada's largest with 75 bank offices, 10 in-store branches, 129 nonbranch business offices and more than 800 ATMs.

The bank says the change is part of the largest sign change in the history of corporate America, with more than 45,000 signs being removed and recycled in B of A's 21-state franchise area.

In making the conversion, the bank's 316,000 household customers and 47,000 business customers in the state will have access to the company's new "Model Bank" technology. That means local customers will be able to access their accounts and work with the same products from anywhere in the bank's system.

"The conversion to one brand, one company is a milestone in our effort to build a new kind of bank for our customers and communities in Nevada and throughout the country," George Smith, president of Bank of America in Nevada, said.

Bank officials said that while the conversion takes effect today, customers will continue to use their same account numbers and can use the same checks, deposit slips, credit cards and ATM access cards.

The $48.7 billion merger between B of A and Charlotte, N.C.-based NationsBank was announced in April 1998 and produced a nationwide total of 4,800 branches and 15,000 ATMs. The company is now headquartered in Charlotte.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said Bank of America's Nevada branches have $4.1 billion in deposits, with $3 billion of those in 51 branches in Clark County.