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Continental Savings
to change name

Star-Bulletin staff

The three Continental Savings Bank branches in Hawaii will post new signs May 15 with a different name, HomeStreet Bank.

The renaming does not involve a change in ownership, said Chairman Richard Swanson. The new name is meant to usher the 79-year-old company into full-service regional banking, the company said. Seattle-based Continental also runs 28 branches in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

It employs about 35 people in Hawaii, with a mortgage branch on Maui, a retail branch in Hilo and a mortgage and retail branch on Oahu. Statewide, Continental has 5,000 customers.

Continental opened its first branch locally in 1979 by purchasing Realty Mortgage Co. and renaming it Continental Pacific Mortgage.

Last year, the company bought Realty Finance Inc. in Hilo and Honolulu.

Within three years, HomeStreet plans to consolidate some mortgage lending and banking operations, and improve its Web site with more products and services online.