Community Bank N.A. is on track to take over seven Santander Bank branches across the Lehigh Valley this weekend.
The seven new Community Bank branches located from Easton to Allentown are in addition to three locations that recently opened in Bethlehem and Whitehall Township.
Barb Maculloch, Community Bank’s president of Pennsylvania banking, sat down with lehighvalleylive.com this week to discuss what former Santander accountholders and new customers can expect from the regional bank based outside Syracuse, New York.
“We hope they’re going to come in, meet us, and we’re going to give them the best care that we could possibly give,” she said inside the de novo branch in Whitehall, at 1323 Grape St. between Mission BBQ and Buffalo Wild Wings. “We’re real serious about the Lehigh Valley.”
These branches in Lehigh and Northampton counties represent Community Bank’s southernmost region. It also operates 23 locations in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area of northeastern Pennsylvania. With the Lehigh Valley, Community Bank will have 33 branches in the Keystone State. Among the country’s 100 largest banking institutions with over $16 billion in assets, Community Bank also has customer facilities across Upstate New York, Vermont and Western Massachusetts.
“While we’re not new to Pennsylvania by any means, we are new to the Lehigh Valley,” said Maculloch, who has been with Community Bank for 14 years, including eight as regional president.
“While we’re not new to Pennsylvania by any means, we are new to the Lehigh Valley,” said Barb Maculloch, Community Bank, N.A.’s president of Pennsylvania banking, photographed Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at the 1323 Grape St. branch in Whitehall Township.Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com
Although the bank is establishing its local presence in 2025, Maculloch noted Community Bank also opened a loan production office in March 2023 on Corporate Parkway in Upper Saucon Township’s Center Valley.
“We’ve wanted to be here for a while, and now? Can’t wait to get it off the ground,” she said.
Community Bank offers free checking to consumers, provided they meet certain monthly benchmarks to avoid a fee of $4.95-$8. Customers can also secure loans, mortgages, installment lending and commercial banking.
In addition, Community Bank owns companies specializing in wealth management, insurance and administration of benefit plans like 401(K) accounts.
It announced the purchase of the seven Santander locations in June — at 100 N. Third St., Easton; 3120 William Penn Highway in Palmer Township; 1701 Chew St., Allentown; 924 Eaton Ave. in Bethlehem; 1215 Chestnut St., Emmaus; 240 S. Third St., Coopersburg; and 1240 Third St. in Whitehall Township.
Along with the Grape Street branch that opened in summer, its other new locations not tied to the Santander deal are at 306 S. New St. and 2943 Linden St. in Bethlehem, spanning the city’s Southside to Northeast neighborhoods.
Community Bank offered to keep on employees from the seven Santander branches, in addition to hiring for the new Whitehall and Bethlehem locations.
“But the Santander employees, they’re not losing their jobs,” Maculloch said. “They’re all going to be Community Bank employees going forward.”
In June, Community Bank said it anticipated assuming about $600 million in deposits and purchasing approximately $33 million in branch-related loans. Community Bank agreed to pay a deposit premium of 8.0%, or approximately $48 million, in estimated cash consideration to Santander Bank for the branch assets and liabilities.
Santander at that time said it agreed to sell the Lehigh Valley branches amid its continued transformation into a national, digital-first bank with branches.
Community Bank N.A.’s new branch at 1323 Grape St., Whitehall Township, photographed Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, is among 10 new Lehigh Valley locations for the company, including seven former Santander Bank branches being purchased across Lehigh and Northampton counties.Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com
The acquisition is set to close Friday, Nov. 7. Community Bank customer care will be available Saturday and Tuesday, Veterans Day, with the branches officially opening Monday, Nov. 10 before closing for the holiday.
Santander customers whose accounts are being transferred to Community Bank under the purchase have received detailed communications on their account routing number changing and instructions on updating services like direct deposit and online bill pay.
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