THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 4, 1995 TAG: 9412310118
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALLISON T. WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SMITHFIELD LENGTH: Short : 42 lines
One of the town's newest businesses, American General Finance Co., tries to help people out of financial binds as quick as possible, according to Mary Owen, manager of the company's Smithfield office.
Owen says the company usually responds to customers' loan applications in a single day. American General Finance opened in Smithfield Square Shopping Center, 1931 S. Church Street, last September.
With more than 1,200 offices nationwide, American General Finance has operated offices throughout Hampton Roads for several years. Consequently, the finance company had a small customer base established in Isle of Wight County before it opened the Smithfield branch.
``Before this office opened, our branches in Hampton and Suffolk did a lot of business with people from Isle of Wight County,'' Owen said. ``And Isle of Wight is a growing area right now.
``We have had an excellent response from the community since our opening,'' she said.
Although the Indiana-based company extends mortages and revolving credit lines, the vast majority of the company's customers get personal consumer loans, said Barry Roberts, the company's public relations manager.
American General usually experiences a small increase in the number of loan applicants during November and December, Roberts said. But loan demand stays fairly steady throughout the year from people consolidating their bills or needing help making larger purchases like medical equipment or appliances. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by ALLISON WILLIAMS
``. . . Isle of Wight is a growing area right now,'' said Mary Owen,
branch manager of American General Finance Co., in Smithfield. ``We
have had an excellent response from the community since our
opening.''
by CNB