By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – A lack of clientele in the River Parishes is forcing Iberia Bank to close the doors on its LaPlace branch, a company spokesman said Monday.

Beth Ardoin, director of communications for the Lafayette-based bank, said the LaPlace branch on Belle Terre Boulevard will close for good June 20. She said the branch had been struggling to accumulate customers since opening temporary operations in 2006 just after Hurricane Katrina.

“Our plan was to eventually move into a more permanent facility, but the customer base never materialized,” Ardoin said. “We are very grateful for those customers who stuck with us, and we are disappointed to be leaving a great community such as LaPlace.”

Ardoin said the LaPlace branch is the only Iberia Bank location in the area closing at this time.

Iberia has 10 branch locations in the New Orleans metropolitan area with the next closest located on Jefferson Highway in River Ridge.

Ardoin said the bank will work with all employees at the LaPlace branch to find them jobs at other branches if they are willing to stay with the company.