CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Fifth Third Bank announced today that it is moving its North Carolina headquarters to 201 North Tryon Street in Uptown Charlotte in June of this year. After the move, the building will be named the "Fifth Third Center".

"The move of our North Carolina corporate headquarters to Uptown reflects Fifth Third's commitment to being one of the top banks in the Charlotte market. Moving to Uptown will provide us with increased visibility and allow Fifth Third to take greater advantage of the business opportunities that come with being in the heart of the central business district", said Bob James, President and CEO of Fifth Third Bank's North Carolina Affiliate.

Fifth Third will move 250 employees to the Uptown location and initially occupy over 71,000 square feet. Fifth Third has an option to take more space in the building as the bank continues to grow.

"Moving to Uptown Charlotte is exciting news, but it's just one part of our aggressive growth plans for North Carolina. Over the next three years, we plan to add more than 30 banking centers and hire over 250 employees to aggressively compete in retail and small business banking, mortgage lending and commercial banking", said James.

"The state of North Carolina, particularly the Charlotte and Raleigh metro areas, represents one of the most attractive growth areas in the country. We plan to aggressively invest in the resources necessary to significantly expand our North Carolina market share", James continued.

"We're pleased that Fifth Third is solidifying their commitment to Charlotte as their North Carolina headquarters and creating hundreds of new jobs for North Carolina," said Bob Morgan, Charlotte Chamber President. "We look forward to their continued growth and engagement in the Charlotte community."

Michael J. Smith, President and CEO of Charlotte Center City Partners, said "We are excited to welcome the North Carolina headquarters of Fifth Third Bank to Uptown Charlotte. This is an exciting move for Charlotte as Fifth Third Bank expands its presence and joins the rich tradition of banking and financial service companies in the number two financial center in the country."

The architect for Fifth Third's new headquarters is ai Design Group and the construction is being handled by Rodgers Builders, both Charlotte companies.

About Fifth Third Bank:

Fifth Third Bank currently has over 660 employees in North Carolina.

Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Company has $113 billion in assets, operates 16 affiliates with 1,309 full-service Banking Centers, including 103 Bank Mart=AE locations open seven days a week inside select grocery stores and 2,361 ATMs in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Georgia and North Carolina. Fifth Third operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending, and Investment Advisors. Fifth Third also has a 49% interest in Fifth Third Processing Solutions, LLC. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of September 30, 2009, had $184 billion in assets under care, of which it managed $25 billion for individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations. Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Fifth Third's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ=AE National Global Select Market under the symbol "FITB." Fifth Third Bank, Member FDIC.

Source: Fifth Third Bank

CONTACT: George Dick, Fifth Third Bank, +1-704-688-4803

Web Site: http://www.53.com/