OREANDA-NEWS. July 20, 2011. Now open for business, the flagship banking center kicked off operations the same day as a new Uniastrum convenience branch in Belgorod

Located at 71, Lenin Street, Uniastrum’s new Kursk office features improved overall structure, enhanced front office functionality, a stylish interior, and eye-catching internal and external decor fully in line with the Bank’s new corporate identity. The flagship has separate areas for retail and business customers, a special desk for Unistream money transfers, comfortable meeting rooms, as well as a 24-hour ATM service. Following the relocation of Uniastrum’s main Kursk branch to the new flagship premises, its previous address at 2/4 Red Square now houses the Bank’s “Central” banking center.

With a view to extending Uniastrum’s coverage area in the Belgorod region, the lender’s Kursk operation opened a convenience branch at 28 Popov Street, Belgorod. The new outlet offers a comprehensive range of retail and business banking solutions, including, among others, cash management, foreign exchange operations, distribution and administration of bank cards, deposits, retail and business loans, promissory note operations, money transfers via the Unistream network, acquiring services, and international payments.

For more than 5 years now, Uniastrum’s Kursk branch has provided customers with a wide array of up-to-date financial products and services, the most popular being services geared to meeting the needs of individuals and small and midsized businesses. Since year-start 2009, the branch’s corporate credit portfolio has increased more than 8-fold to total Rb 458.5 mn as of July 1, 2011. Results for 2010 show Kursk’s small business finance portfolio increasing 69%, subsequently jumping 29.4% in H111 to tip the scales at Rb 263.2 mn. Last year the branch’s combined portfolio for auto loans, personal loans, and bank card receivables expanded over 2.5-fold, growing a healthy 23.9% in the first quarter and reaching Rb 52 mn as of July 1, 2011.

“The sizeable growth posted by all business segments confirms that in its first 5 years of operations in the area Uniastrum has emerged as a serious contender in the Kursk region’s banking market,” notes Uniastrum Bank President Gagik Zakaryan. “The launch of the flagship office in Kursk and the new outlet in Belgorod will enable a greater number of people to take advantage of our competitive products and services.”