CLEVELAND, Ohio, Sept. 30, 2000 – e2grow, inc., an e-commerce and web site services provider to small businesses and their local communities, today announced that Charter One Bank, F.S.B., will be its exclusive provider and advertiser of banking services within their national network of small business sites and community news portals.
In announcing their relationship, Dennis Barba Jr., e2Grow president and CEO, said, “e2grow was designed to give small businesses an instant presence on the web through our network of community news sites. These information portals bring together small businesses and their local communities. It's a logical choice to partner with a financial institution like Charter One to deliver banking services to this user base.”
Clinton Hamner, Charter One project manager, commented, “e2grow has developed a model for small business and communities to connect and grow through the web. We are pleased to bring our banking services and expertise to their online network.”
Hamner added that their e2grow customer base will be able to access a wide array of services that go beyond those of traditional banking. From cyber cds to insurance and securities, Charter One’s goal is to be a total source for both consumer and business financial needs. For online account management, Charter One offers both NowBankingsm and SmartBusiness services.
Business subscribers can access Charter One’s services through e2grow’s exclusive eMarketWindowsm. This secured portal provides its users with business news and promotional offers specialized to their industry. Subscribers also utilize this eMarketWindow to manage their website and monitor site activity.
Community visitors reach www.charterone.com through its advertising presence on e2grow’s community news pages. Designed to function like a small town newspaper, these content areas are updated daily with local news, sports, school activities and community events.
Barba added, “Charter One provides us with an important services offering that benefits both businesses and consumers in our growing network of wired small towns and suburbs.”
About e2grow
e2grow provides online enabling services to small, local businesses and the communities they serve. The company focuses its services on 'micro' businesses (typically those with under ten employees and annual revenues under $500,000), in rural and suburban communities with populations between 10,000 and 50,000. e2grow's provides its professional subscribers with an instant web presence, consolidated access to online services, web site management tools, vertical market portals, national partnership purchasing network and e-commerce services. To enable interaction between small business owners and their local customers, e2grow provides each community with a premier online information source for local news, school information, and community events and activities. More information is available at http://www.e2grow.com.
About Charter One Bank
Charter One has approximately $31 billion in total assets, making it one of the 30 largest bank holding companies in the country. Charter One Bank has more than 400 branch locations in Ohio, Michigan, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Vermont. The Company's diverse product set includes: consumer banking, indirect auto finance, commercial leasing, business lending, commercial real estate lending, mortgage banking, and retail investment products. More information is available at http://www.charterone.com
Contacts:
Dennis P. Barba Jr.
President & CEO
e2grow.com
440-729-1774
dbarbajr@e2grow.com
Robert W. Craig Jr.
President
Craig Advertising/The Craig Creative Companies
440-338-1572
craigcreative@att.net
