Northwest Bank opened its first financial center in central Ohio on July 29, at 5746 N. Hamilton Road in New Albany, and has a second branch planned for Gahanna as part of a retail expansion that NBC4 reported is expected to bring 30 to 40 full-time jobs to the region.

The New Albany location sits along the Route 161 corridor near the Intel development area, according to the bank's Columbus landing page. It features an open-concept layout with living room-style meeting spaces and self-service banking options, according to a company press release.

New Albany Mayor Sloan Spalding, Northwest Bank president and CEO Lou Torchio, chief consumer banking and strategy officer Urich Bowers, region president Jennifer Gibson and New Albany Chamber of Commerce president Cherie Nelson attended the ribbon-cutting. Torchio called the opening a milestone reflecting the bank's growing investment in central Ohio.

The Gahanna branch will occupy the former PNC Bank building at 191 Granville St., near Creekside and the Gahanna Gateway District. Jim Colestro, the bank's chief retail lending officer and a Gahanna resident, spotted the site. In a November 2025 CityScene Columbus profile, Colestro described driving past the building with Bowers and recognizing it immediately.

"I had driven by that location 100, or 1,000 times, probably, and I just pointed to it and was like, 'If I was putting branches here — right there. It's a bank. It's ready,'" Colestro told CityScene in November 2025.

Gahanna director of economic development Jeff Gottke said in the same CityScene article that the bank's decision to open in Gahanna reflects the strength of the local market and the community Gahanna continues to build.

The Gahanna branch was initially expected to open in summer 2026. As of Aug. 18, the bank's website still lists it as "coming soon."

Beyond New Albany and Gahanna, Northwest plans branches in Westerville and on North High Street in Columbus. Three of the four new locations are set to open by the end of 2026, with one planned for early 2027, according to the press release. The 30 to 40 jobs cover the entire retail expansion across all locations; the bank has not disclosed how many positions will be based in New Albany or Gahanna specifically.

Northwest Bank is headquartered in Columbus and operates 152 full-service financial centers across Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Indiana.

Separately, Dublin City Council is expected to vote Monday, Aug. 24 on an economic development agreement tied to a Northwest Bank headquarters relocation to Dublin. That deal involves up to 300 employees and is separate from the retail branch expansion.