Philipsburg:--- Media workers were given a tour of the newly renovated section of the Windward Islands Bank (WIB) and the new building that was built behind WIB on Cannegieter Street on Monday. Assistant Manager Kelvin Bloyden and Marketing Manager Ferdinand Beauperthuy guided a host of media workers inside the newly renovated building which has a number of new facilities and services for their clients. Business persons and persons that do night deposit can purchase a mailbox which is in front of the main branch to collect their mails and night deposit bags. WIB also added their night deposit box and ATMs in front of the building in order to grant their customers more security. Another huge security feature is the fact that the Brinks truck no longer has to park in front of the bank. A drive thru entrance was built in front of the Philipsburg Police Station where Brinks will drive into the bank to do their pick-ups and drop offs in a closed and secured area.
Inside of the new building there is a section called a "man trap" which is also another security feature added to the bank. Tellers are now behind bullet proof windows which are much more secure and comply with international standards. The section for customer service is also much more spacious while customers have comfortable seating space for them to wait for service. A new window was added for the elderly (60+). Entering the newly renovated WIB branch in Philipsburg is like entering a huge garden with lots of flowering plants. The walls are decorated with paintings from the local artists on St. Maarten.
The newly renovated building has four floors, each floor has its own meeting room and other facilities to accommodate the staff. Added to the new facility is a training center for the staff that works at WIB bank. WIB also took advantage of saving energy saving technology and green services as they promote clean energy and the environment. The meeting rooms on each floor have a different colors and are identified by their colors.
The bank has its own IT floor where technicians work around the clock to ensure that their services are up to par or better than what the other banks offer on the island. The contractors and management of WIB even found use for the roof of the building. On the roof they built a huge cistern in which they have water for the toilets, watering of the plants, and other needs. They also have two generators in case of power outages. Another addition to the building on the rooftop is a cafeteria section with a mini bar where WIB can hold all its events. Out there staff members can even have their lunch. A smoking section was also built for the staff in the lunch area on the roof.
Bloyden told reporters that WIB had to hire additional staff and they are still hiring more people because of the additional services they are providing to their customers. He said one of the things the bank believes in is upgrading its staff, therefore they have their training center in house which is also highly technological.
The project that WIB undertook to build more space and upgrade their facilities is a four year project. Bloyden said they are in the third year and most of the construction is completed. He said the only thing that has to be worked out is parking for their customers.
The new and renovated facility will be inaugurated on Wednesday afternoon.
Click here to view more photos of the newly renovated and additional sections of WIB.