SouthTrust opening training center here

By Staff
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
The second floor of the SouthTrust Bank building in Hartselle has been converted into a regional training center for Wachovia Corporation's employees in a five-county North Alabama area, according to Darris Frost, marketing director for SouthTrust banks in Morgan County.
Frost said the training center is in keeping with Wachovia's plans to fully convert its SouthTrust banks into Wachovia banks by Oct. 1. The center opened earlier this month and will be fully utilized by the first of February.
"The people of Hartselle will be seeing increased activity in the bank building as the year progresses," Frost said. "We will have SouthTrust employees coming in for training from Marion, Colbert, Lauderdale, Cullman and Morgan county.
"Their presence will be a boost for the businesses in the area."
He said the focus of the training will be to get SouthTrust employees up to speed on Wachovia banking operations, policies and procedures before the conversion from SouthTrust to Wachovia takes place Oct. 1. The upgrading of computer skills will be a key element in the training process.
"They're second to none in technology," he pointed out.
Wachovia's buyout of SouthTrust was finalized Nov. 1, 2004, when SouthTrust shareholders approved the merger. Wachovia is the largest banking firm in the Southeast and the third largest in the nation. Its name will make its formal appearance at SouthTrust banks beginning Oct. 1.