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Dede Biles is a reporter for the Aiken Standard. She covers Aiken County government, business and horse industry.
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Dede Biles is a reporter for the Aiken Standard. She covers Aiken County government, business and horse industry.

To support local journalism, sign up for a subscription. See our current offers »

AIKEN — A banking giant is expanding its physical presence at the community level at a time when conducting business online is growing in popularity.

An example of that strategy is Aiken’s first Chase bank branch, which made its debut last November on the Southside.

“What we found out is that our customers, when they have specific needs [to take care of], they want to do it in person… so we are continuing to invest in brick and mortar and being in markets where it matters,” said Katherine Harmon, who is in charge of branch network optimization for Chase.

She was among the speakers Feb. 24 during a celebration at Aiken’s Chase branch that included the cutting of two ribbons — one provided by the Aiken Chamber of Commerce and one that featured the Chase logo.

Earlier this month, Chase announced it would be opening more than 160 new branches in more than 30 states in 2026.

Plans also call for nearly 600 locations to be renovated this year.