Mechanics Bank opened its first-ever branch in Shelby Monday.

Bank president Debbie Schenk and Mayor Marilyn John were among those gathered for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 140 Mansfield Avenue.

The new branch is not only next to, but directly connected with Cornell's I-G-A supermarket.

Schenk says this is a business strategy Mechanics has not tried before, but she believes the bank and store can work well together, to the benefit of both.

John says a community-minded bank like Mechanics is certainly a welcome addition to Shelby's businesss community.

The Shelby Mechanics Bank branch is a five-hundred-thousand dollar investment, eight-hundred-square-feet, and employs six people.

It was first proposed last spring, with construction starting in September.