'Su Banco': Zions marks opening of first wholly bilingual branch

Saturday morning, joined by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., community leaders and Salt Lake's newest Major League Soccer players, Zions Bank will celebrate the grand opening of its first wholly bilingual branch, "Su Banco."

The branch, 1635 S. Redwood Road, will be staffed with eight Spanish-speaking employees, including a mortgage loan officer, business lending officer and tellers. It's the first of a half-dozen bilingual branches Zions expects to launch over the next 24 months, according to the bank's multicultural region president, Sylvia Haro.

"The community is changing, and we need to acknowledge that and address the needs people have," Haro said. "Certainly there's a business aspect to it as well. But we also believe the community needs it."

The grand opening will begin at 10 a.m. Players from the Real Salt Lake MLS team will sign autographs from 10 a.m. until noon. Huntsman is expected to lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m., followed by musical performances, dancing and family activities.

"The Hispanic community is the fastest-growing minority community in Utah," Huntsman said Thursday. "We support efforts to provide services that will fully integrate them into the community."

Haro is quick to note that the bank also is looking for bilingual employees who speak languages other than Spanish.

"We have looked at where there is diversity in the community, and there are needs there," she said. "We know that there are other cultures out there, and this is not a Hispanic bank only. It's to serve all communities.

"We start with Spanish, but we understand that even though we may come from different (minority) cultures, we have certain things in common that we can relate to."

Miguel Rovira, executive director of the Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said multilingual branches like "Su Banco" signal important changes for Utah.

"They are an acknowledgment by the banking community in particular that we are at a threshold, and that threshold is one that says minority groups are coming to Utah. They are coming to raise their families, create businesses and work," Rovira said. "I think it is a great achievement when the business community realizes that minority groups are coming, and when they go another step forward and create branches that are friendly to these communities. It makes the transition so much easier. And it creates strong loyalty on the part of the customer."

There remains a perception, both within the state and beyond, that Utah has a largely homogenous population, Rovira said.

"But when you have corporate America making shifts in the way it does business, it sends a signal — it says, both to the people in the state and to other states, that Utah accepts minority immigrants," he said. "It recognizes the diversity of those who come here."

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