**A customer enters the new BB&T on J.K. Powell Boulevard in Whiteville. Staff photo by Justin Smith**

By: The News Reporter

The Cape Fear chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) honored BB&T’s new facility in Whiteville last week with its Economic and Community Enhancement Award.

The awards given in various categories are meant to “recognize excellence and leadership in commercial real estate” in the region, according to a news release.

“Having occupied aging facilities in Whiteville since the 1960s, BB&T now Truist reached a crossroads on renovating their existing space or starting over,” CREW noted. “Realizing the best solution was to build a new facility, Truist broke ground on a 101,000 square foot facility along J.K. Powell Boulevard. With over 500 employees in the Whiteville community, the bank wanted its new workplace to support and be an integral part of the Whiteville community.”

The news release noted that the BB&T building features “state of the art work areas, broader health service amenities with fresh food options and a health clinic and fitness center on site, critical to attracting and retaining teammates.”

BB&T’s Phil Marion and Evan Gore were on hand Thursday at the Wilmington Convention Center to accept the award.