First Green Bank Opens Downtown Orlando Branch, Judged one of the nation’s Greenest banks

MOUNT DORA, Fla. --- First Green Bank, which ranks as one of the greenest banks and one of the nation’s safest banks, opened its downtown Orlando branch at 1118 S. Orange Ave. recently. Located across the street from the Orlando Health campus and ORMC, the Downtown Orlando location is the bank’s fourth Central Florida office, said Kenneth LaRoe, chairman and chief executive officer of the bank. A formal grand opening reception has been scheduled for April 11 at 6 p.m., LaRoe said. The bank’s headquarters facility on U.S. 441 in Mount Dora is one of only a few commercial buildings in Florida — and the second in Lake County — to have earned the U.S. Green Building Council’s Platinum LEED rating for energy efficiency and sustainability. First Green Bank’s sustainability efforts led American Banker magazine to rank First Green Bank as one of the nation’s “greenest” banks. Last year, First Green Bank was named the U.S. Green Building Council’s 2011 Business of the Year. A recent survey of more than 7,900 banks by Microsoft Network (MSN.com) ranks Firsts Green Bank one of the safest banks in the U.S. and one of only 12 in Florida. In spring of last year First Green Bank opened a branch location in Ormond Beach and also maintains a branch facility in Clermont. LaRoe said he expects to open a Winter Park location in late 2013 and is currently looking at sites.