By Jeff McKinney
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Key Bank ranks among Greater Cincinnati's largest banks, despite no presence in Northern Kentucky.

Now, it's planning to cross the river to pick up new customers and boost revenues.

KEY BANK

Headquarters: Downtown Cincinnati District president: Steve Emerson Employees: 325 Branches: 23 Primary business: A unit of KeyCorp, Key Bank provides retail and commercial banking, investment management and trust services. Key also offers brokerage services through two local Gradison McDonald investment offices, which employ about 175 people.

Key will expand into Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties with four branches by year's end, said Tony Roderick, senior vice president at Key.

"We know we were missing opportunities by not being part of the growing Northern Kentucky community," he said. The Northern Kentucky banking market is dominated by Fifth Third, the Bank of Kentucky and U.S. Bank.

Key's expansion - expected to cost at least $14.5 million - is part of a larger plan to increase its number of Greater Cincinnati branches from 23 to 30. The bank also plans to open three new branches this year in Southwest Ohio - in West Chester, Springboro and a yet-to-be named low- to moderate-income neighborhood in Cincinnati.

Key has a deal with the Ameristop convenience store chain to put the bank's name on ATMs, doors and signs at the chain's Greater Cincinnati stores. Customers would have access to 87 fee-free ATMs, up from 32.

Roderick said the plans are part of Cleveland-based parent KeyCorp's efforts to increase revenues by expanding branches or making acquisitions to add customers. Key Bank is among Greater Cincinnati's top 10 banks with deposits of about $776 million.

Key's local plans call for adding:

• A branch by August in The Shoppes of Fort Wright on Ky. 17, near a Wal-Mart Supercenter now under construction.

• A Campbell County branch in Highland Heights on U.S. 27, near Northern Kentucky University.

• Two branches in Florence, one along Houston Road near Turfway Park and a second on a stretch of U.S. 42.

• Freestanding ATMs, including one on Fields-Ertel Road in Symmes Plaza. Additional ATMs are planned for Tylersville Road in West Chester, as well as Clifton and Deerfield Township.

Roderick said the expansion would create up to 60 new jobs.

He also said Key would not rule out acquisitions in Cincinnati or Northern Kentucky. "The appetite to do a deal continues to be there, but it would have to make sense for us," he said.

E-mail jmckinney@enquirer.com