LA bank calls Charlotte ‘a huge opportunity’ as it brings 120 jobs to uptown
A West Coast bank is ready to make its Carolina debut, including an office in Charlotte. City National Bank will open its 23,000-square-foot office on Monday, Dec. 15, at One South, 101 S. Tryon St.
The one-floor uptown office will house about 120 employees in four departments: risk management, audit, credit products and commercial banking, Charlie Arndt, executive vice president of middle market southeast region for City National, told The Charlotte Observer.
City National Bank does not have commercial bank branches in the Carolinas.
Another 5,700-square-foot office will open Monday in Greenville, S.C., where Arndt has lived for 30 years.
The new offices are part of the bank’s long-term growth strategy and builds on parent company Royal Bank of Canada’s regional presence, the Los Angeles-based bank said. City National Bank has Southeast offices in Atlanta, Nashville and Miami.
Arndt said bank employees have worked remotely in the region, but the offices emphasize the bank’s commitment to investing more resources in the rapidly growing Southeast, particularly the Carolinas.
“Charlotte and Greenville are vibrant, innovative markets,” City National CEO Howard Hammond said in a statement. The offices are designed to enhance collaboration and employee engagement, Arndt said.
National officials and Arndt declined to disclose the investment costs.
Charlotte is one of the largest banking centers in the U.S. It is dominated by Bank of America and Truist, both headquartered in Charlotte, and San Francisco-based Wells Fargo, with about 27,000 workers here.
Rather than see that as an impediment, Arndt called it one of the draws. Charlotte has an abundance of talent and City National can attract experienced bankers who are embedded in their communities and knowledgeable about high-performing industries, he said.
“Charlotte represents a huge opportunity for us,” Arndt said. “We see the Southeast, and particularly the Carolinas, as a key market for us. So we will be investing a lot more in our resources.”
About City National
Founded in 1954, City National has $98 billion in assets as of Oct. 31.
The bank has 68 branches and offices in eight states and Washington, D.C.
More banks opening branches in Charlotte
Charlotte is seeing several other recent expansions by regional and national banks and credit unions.
- Bank of America is expanding with more than 150 financial centers in 60 U.S. markets by the end of 2027, including four in the Charlotte area.
- Pittsburgh-based First National Bank is exploring expanding in west Charlotte at the former iconic drive-in restaurant site of Bar-B-Q King at 2900 Wilkinson Blvd.
- Fifth Third Bank, of Cincinnati, Ohio, is expanding across the Southeast with plans to open nine branches in the Charlotte market through 2028, including one in Steele Creek.
- Pittsburgh-based PNC Bank plans to add at least 25 branches in the Charlotte area over the next five years as part of the bank’s $1.5 billion branch investment plan.
- In May, Columbus, Ohio-based Huntington National Bank opened its first Charlotte branch at 6700 Fairview Road in SouthPark. Last month, a second branch will open next month at 124 E. Kingston Ave. in South End.
- In July, Florida-based BankUnited debuted by hiring three corporate banking and commercial real estate executives here. The bank is eyeing SouthPark for its first branch.
- The largest U.S. bank, JPMorganChase, debuted its 5,300-square-foot branch in SouthPark in July. The bank is adding more than 15 branches by the end of 2026 and hiring hundreds of people.
- In August, Minneapolis-based U.S. Bank opened its seventh Charlotte-area branch at 1801 South Blvd. in South End. Another branch will open at 1640 Matthews Township Parkway and is expected to be completed next year.
- In September, Truliant Federal Credit Union held its grand opening at 5970 Fairview Road in SouthPark.
- Texas-based USAA Citigroup Technology, a division of the investment bank and financial services firm Citigroup, also said it will invest $16 million and hire 510 more workers by 2027 in Charlotte.
- San Francisco-based SoFi Technologies expects to begin moving into its Ballantyne office at 11525 N. Community House Road by next summer. SoFi will create 225 jobs with an investment of $3 million.
This story was originally published December 15, 2025 at 11:00 AM.
