M&T Bank adds 50 jobs in Millsboro

M&T Bank has promised to add 50 jobs at its Millsboro call center.

Top state officials joined bank executives July 13 to announce the call-center expansion for the bank that merged with Wilmington Trust in May.

“What happened to Wilmington Trust has been difficult for the state, but to have a company like M&T come in and do what it’s doing is important,” said Alan Levin, director of the Delaware Economic Development Office.

No one would say how many Wilmington Trust jobs have been eliminated, but the bulk of jobs – reportedly 700 – will be lost when M&T takes over operations in Wilmington this fall.

In light of that, state and local officials said any new jobs are important, no matter how small the number may seem.

“Fifty jobs anywhere in the country is a big deal. Every job matters,” said Gov. Jack Markell.

Millsboro Mayor Bob Bryan, in one of his first public appearances as mayor, agreed.  “Millsboro is struggling like so many others today, and this is a big boost,” he said.

Most of the new jobs will be located in a new high-tech data center that will serve the company together with a sister call center in Amherst, N.Y.

An existing space will be gutted and transformed into a 20,000-square-foot data operations center.

Millsboro's existing call center employs more than 450 people who handle customer service, records keeping, loan processing and collections.

M&T acquired the call center from All-First Bank of Baltimore in 2003 and has been operating there ever since.

The people, location and partnerships are the reason M&T Bank came to Delaware, said Nicholas P. Lambrow, president of M&T Bank’s Delaware region.

“We’re proud of our expanded commitment to Delaware,” he said.