Charlotte is no stranger to bank acquisitions. But the latest - this week's purchase of RBC Bank by PNC Financial Services - figures to make a bigger splash than many of the others.

Customers should expect to see a significantly more robust product line and better online and mobile banking as the Pittsburgh-based PNC takes over. But the most dramatic impact could be on the business lending side, where PNC is expected to be a fierce competitor.

On Friday, PNC will close on its $3.45 billion acquisition of RBC, the U.S. subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Canada, headquartered in Raleigh.

That same day, RBC's 424 branches will unveil their new name. About 900,000 customers and 18 Charlotte-area branches will be affected.

PNC will enter the Charlotte market as the seventh-largest by deposits, according to data from the FDIC, with about $1 billion locally. Nationwide, the combined bank will have 2,870 branches and control more than $280 billion in assets, ranking it 12th-largest in the country.

Without the ongoing problems that some of its larger brethren have been dealing with, the bank has been able to selectively expand instead of being stuck in contraction mode.

"It's a very connected, well-respected, well-run bank," said Ken Thomas, a Miami-based independent bank consultant. "At some point it will become a national player."

Among new products RBC customers will immediately be able to access are applications for iPhones, Android phones and other smartphones, online access to bank statements and the ability to deposit checks by taking a picture of them.

All of RBC's customer-facing employees - roughly 85 in the Charlotte area -- will be retained in the combined bank, regional manager Shirley Edmond said.

The bank previously announced that as many as 621 RBC employees in Raleigh and Rocky Mount would lose their jobs after the acquisition, according to a notice filed with state and local officials, though a number of them could be reassigned to different jobs.

PNC will be hiring a regional president for the Charlotte area, as well as several other management positions. The bank will also beef up in business banking and investment banking locally, spokeswoman Terri Wilson said.

The bank also hopes to become active in philanthropy in the region, particularly with its signature "Grow Up Great" financial education program for children, Wilson said.

But the more dramatic change will likely be in how it competes in the small and middle-market business arena, said UNC Charlotte finance professor Tony Plath.

"They're more of an aggressive competitor than what RBC has been," Plath said.

Setting aside Wells Fargo's conversion of hundreds of Wachovia branches, the PNC acquisition of RBC could make more of an impact than the numerous purchases that brought other large regional banks to North Carolina.

RBC entered the N.C. market in 2001 with its purchase of Raleigh-based Centura Bank. Regions Financial and SunTrust Inc. also entered the state through acquisitions and have struggled to gain a significant foothold in the market, Plath said. PNC has a chance to be different, he said.

"Most of the banks that come into the North Carolina market from other states find that this market has just more aggressive competitive dynamics. If you want to compete here, you have to be really, really good," Plath said. "These guys are known for being really good and really competitive. That's going to be the interesting thing to watch."

How the conversion will go

Beginning in January, PNC began mailing out information to RBC customers, detailing how the conversion would go. It also distributed new checks and debit cards. What happens next:

4 p.m. Friday: RBC branches will close at 4 p.m., about two hours early. PNC representatives will uncover the bank's signs - for now covered with a temporary RBC banner - and gather in the parking lot to help customers who stop by navigate the new system.

8 a.m. March 5: Branches officially open as PNC. Customers will be able to activate their debit cards.

March 15: The RBC Center in Raleigh, home to the Carolina Hurricanes and N.C. State University men's basketball, will be officially renamed PNC Arena.

March: New credit cards will be issued to retail customers. Andrew Dunn