Huntington National Bank is headquartered in Columbus and has branches in 11 states. Launched in 1866, the bank has been able to grow through smart acquitions (meaning they buy other banks) and customer-facing strategies. Operating under the Fair Play Philosophy, Huntington has significantly reduced or eliminated fees charged to customers and put in place programs to help them manage their money well and learn how to handle their finances. The Lift Local Business program offers loans, business planning support, free financial entrepreneurial courses delivered through Operation HOPE, and other services to help small business owners who are women, minorities, or veterans. They offer all the traditional bank services including checking and savings accounts, loans, business loans, Small Business Administration loans, and more. 

Banking in the early days of our country was very different than it is today. Banks could issue their own money and too much money was available. They made loans but didn’t usually have the money on hand to pay the people getting the loan. And if something happened, they just printed more money which lowered the value and caused other problems. In 1836 the federal government declared they would only accept silver or gold in payment for land which made things even more complicated. It wasn’t until 1847 that the state put regulations in place to make things more stable. 

P.W. Huntington came from a family of bankers. He worked in a bank from an early age and after doing some other jobs including working on a whaling ship, came to Columbus to start Huntington National Bank. He was known to be very careful with money and make good decisions which the company has followed ever since. Today, Huntington has roughly 1,000 branches in 11 states and is the leading Small Business Administration loan provider in the country.  

It used to be you signed up for a bank account at your local bank. But today, you can get your banking done from institutions all over the world. While the competition has been good for the customer as it makes us all get creative in products and services we can offer, we also need to help people understand some security issues with banking. Some of these online resources aren’t regulated the same as a traditional bank and others may not have all the programs in place to make sure your money is protected. We also are constantly working on cyber security issues. As more and more banking moves online, we need to be sure the transaction is what you want. For example, we now have a service where you write your checks for your business through our website. If you do write a manual check, you actually let us know through that website. If you don’t tell us, we’ll alert you when someone tries to cash it and you have to approve. That way it is always the customer and the bank together against the scammers. 

We have branches in 11 states today and work with people doing business all over the world. It is important we are aware of trends not only here at home but also in other markets. 

We look at sustainability to include not only environmental efforts, but also ways to improve our communities. Through 2022 we have invested $19.6 billion dollars to improve opportunities for people in our areas. We work hard to launch environmental programs including cutting operational emissions, increasing the use of solar and wind energy in our facilities, and reducing the amount of trash we take to landfills. In 2022 we had over 400 sustainability projects that represented $14 million dollars in investment. 

We have a Government Relations team who spend all their time working with governmental agencies on behalf of our clients and colleagues. The banking industry has a lot of regulations and the government is constantly checking on us to make sure we are following all the rules. We work closely with elected officials so they know we are a partner and can turn to us for information about the banking world. It also means we can help write the rules so customers are protected. 

People can find all our opportunities on our website. The thing a lot of people don’t realize is you don’t need a college degree to work at a bank. We have a number of great positions that just require a high school diploma and a good attitude. 

Why do employees like to work here?

 Our team really appreciates that we are a large bank that can offer all the services of a large bank, but because of how we grew and developed, we still are focused on building relationships. It isn’t about just the bottom line. We want our employees to be engaged in the community, part of organizations, and giving back where they live. We do a lot of things to keep employees engaged and having fun while they are working. Recently we added a truck that our associates can check out and stock it with ice cream. They have fun handing out the treats and the customers love it!