By Jeff McKinney
Enquirer staff writer

Robert Niehaus, who helped build Fifth Third Bancorp's consumer banking unit into the most profitable business for the Cincinnati banking giant, plans to retire this year.

He will be replaced by Kevin Kabat, 47, who was president and CEO of Fifth Third's Western Michigan banking operation, the company's second-largest retail banking affiliate with 139 branches, deposits of $6.9 billion and assets of $9.3 billion.

In his new role, Kabat will be in charge of all of Fifth Third's 997 branches, with assets of $95.6 billion in eight states, including Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

As executive vice president of retail banking, affiliate administration and marketing, Kabat will become one of Fifth Third's top-five-ranking executives. He is in the process of moving from Grand Rapids, Mich. to Cincinnati.

The consumer banking unit contributed $780 million to Fifth Third's profits of $1.75 billion in 2003.

Niehaus, 58, will retire after a 36-year career. Since becoming executive vice president of Fifth Third's consumer banking unit in 1995, he played a key role in helping the bank make more than 67 acquisitions during that time. Its retail banking unit grew from 384 branches to nearly 1,000.

Kabat began his career with Old Kent Bank in 1982. He joined Fifth Third after it acquired Grand Rapids-based Old Kent in 2001.

He has been replaced by Michelle Van Dyke, 40.

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E-mail jmckinney@enquirer.com