December 22, 2008 10:23 AM Eastern Daylight Time 

Washington Trust Opens New “High Tech/ High Touch” Providence Branch

WESTERLY, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--More than seventy people, including Providence Mayor David Cicilline, Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce President Laurie White, city and state officials, local attorneys and accountants and other guests, celebrated the opening of Washington Trust’s new branch at 156 Westminster Street in Providence on Friday, December 12, 2008. The Bank relocated its office from 180 Washington Street in the City to this new location in Providence’s Financial District.

“We’ve created an upscale environment that’s comfortable and convenient for the busy professionals of Providence,” remarked John C. Warren, Washington Trust’s chairman and CEO. “It offers a fine blend of state-of-the-art branch technology, that’s unique to the New England area, for fast, efficient, and secure financial banking transactions and one-on-one personal service provided by our trusted advisors.”

“Washington Trust is the oldest community bank in the nation and a critical part of the Rhode Island community. The Capital city is thrilled to have a new branch in the heart of our downtown financial district,” said Mayor David N. Cicilline.

“This branch opening, in the heart of the capital city’s financial district, is a testament to the bank's strength and its commitment to the state and local community,” said Laurie White, president of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce. “It is clear that Washington Trust is truly setting a new standard in customer service, while financing efficient and sustainable resources in its community.”

The 3,100 square-foot branch has a contemporary, tech-savvy design that mirrors the energy and pace of the city. The branch features spectacular iconic scenes of Providence and a wireless internet zone in the waiting area. The customer service stations combine functionality and service by providing a single location for both customer transactions as well as service.

Washington Trust is using advanced technology to provide customers with a variety of methods for taking care of their transactions.

• A state-of-the-art ATM that images check deposits and provides a receipt with a picture of checks deposited.
• An electronic queuing system that allows customers to “check in” and then visit the customer lounge to access wireless or surf the web, instead of standing in line.
• Sales and service representatives cross-trained to handle various types of financial transactions.
• Bank representatives utilize Diebold’s “Express Cash Recycler” (ECR) to automatically count, verify and sort deposits, as well as dispense withdrawals for customers. By eliminating the manual counting of cash, the ECR provides more quality time to be spent with the customer.

The Washington Trust Company is a subsidiary of Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc., a $2.7 billion corporation headquartered in Westerly, Rhode Island. Founded in 1800, Washington Trust is the oldest community bank in the nation and is the largest independent bank headquartered in Rhode Island. A state-chartered bank, Washington Trust offers a full range of financial services, including business banking, personal banking, and wealth management and trust services, through its offices located in Rhode Island, southeastern Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Corporation’s common stock trades on The NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol WASH. Web site address: www.washtrust.com.