The large lettering on the side of the five-story brick building makes Independent Bank's new regional location easy to find.

Location was one of several reasons the bank chose to move its south Michigan regional headquarters from Okemos, said Kelly Wolgamott, spokeswoman for the regional headquarters.

The new headquarters, 2900 West Road, opened this week in East Lansing.

"We were looking for a community (that was) a good fit for our company," Wolgamott said.

"Right now a lot of our banks are in the smaller communities, but (customers) work in the Lansing and East Lansing area."

Independent Bank divides its branches into three regions: east, west and south, Wolgamott said.

The southern Michigan headquarters first opened in Leslie, and it now has 19 offices beneath it, covering locations from Williamston to Battle Creek, she said.

Independent Bank opened its first East Lansing branch, 1380 W. Lake Lansing Road, in February.

The former south regional headquarters in Okemos became too small to house the company as it expanded, she said.

Tom Ruis, an MSU alumnus and commercial lender for the bank, said the new location has provided a much-needed change.

"In Okemos, as employees came to the bank and the bank grew, we didn't have room," Ruis said.

The new spot gives the bank more visibility, more centrality to the customers, as well as room for all offices to be organized by department, he said.

The plan to build the East Lansing location has been in the works for several years, Wolgamott said.

Independent Bank occupies the first floor and the garden level of the 91,000-square-foot complex, with Thrun Law Firm upstairs.

Mortgage and commercial lending teams, conference rooms, board rooms and offices are now housed under one roof.

The branch is open seven days a week — Monday through Friday until 7 p.m., Saturdays until 3 p.m. and Sundays until 2 p.m.

Darrell Kelley of Lansing said he switched to Independent Bank a few months ago because it's open later than other banks.

"That's the thing; here it is almost 7:00 and they're still open," Kelley said as he filled out a gray bank slip.

"I don't have to stand in lines — it's quicker and efficient."

Though team leaders were transferred to the new branch, all the bank tellers were hired locally.

"That was one thing that was important to us ? supporting the local economy and hiring people in each community," Wolgamott said.