LifeStore Announces Renovation Plans
West Jefferson, NC - Renovations have begun on the LifeStore Bank Support Center at the corner of East Ashe Street and Jefferson Avenue in Downtown, West Jefferson. This building houses the customer support, loan and deposit operations, IT and technical support, marketing and accounting departments, and other staff. The renovations will consist of making some needed repairs, renovating the structure to fit the needs of today’s work environment, and updating the façade to reflect the architecture of the Appalachian region and the local streetscape.
The building will have a new entrance on Jefferson Avenue and a clock tower on the corner of the building. “Visitors coming to West Jefferson are attracted by the charm and natural beauty and we want our facilities to add to the character of the town. We believe the addition of the clock tower will reflect our commitment to Ashe County and serve as a landmark for West Jefferson,” commented Bob Washburn, President and CEO of LifeStore.
Today’s advancements in technology and purchasing patterns have created a shift in how consumers do business when compared to 2000, the year LifeStore Support Center opened. Washburn added, “This renovation will provide a more modern work environment and as technology changes, increase our ability to adapt and position us for future growth. We are proud to have our headquarters here, while it has been in four different downtown West Jefferson locations, it has not been more than a block away from where it sits today.”
The bank opened its forst stand-alone location on Jefferson Avenue in 1964 after working out of Parker Tie since its inception in 1939. The nineties were a decade of expansion for the bank and in the late 90s, the bank purchased the parking lot that once served as home to a local diner and bought the building housing LifeStore Support Center. This building saw several faces over the years, including a law office, a car dealership, a home and auto store, auto parts store with a service window to obtain an NC license tag, and a barbershop.
During the renovations, the employees who normally work in this building are working in our other facilities and their services are still available by calling employees’ direct number, our local number-336-246-4344, or by email.
We plan to share details on the renovation as it progresses. Information will be shared at golifestore.com and on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
LifeStore dates back to 1939 when its founders saw the need for a local building and loan association to help people purchase and build new homes. Today LifeStore Bank operates four locations in Ashe and Watauga Counties and LifeStore Insurance is in those locations as well as Elkin, Lenoir, Newland, and Sparta.