Pinnacle plans to expand Columbus office and add jobs after merger with Synovus
In an interview last month with the Ledger-Enquirer, Kevin Blair, CEO of Nashville-based Pinnacle Financial Partners, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to continue growth and investment in the Chattahoochee Valley since its merger with Columbus-based Synovus.
“I want the community to know, just as we promised, we’re going to make this a bigger but better bank, and not lose who we are,” Blair said. “We’re not going to leave these communities that we’ve served for so many years. I think we’re proving that each day, one at a time.”
Such words turned into action Monday, when Pinnacle announced a new investment in its Columbus riverfront office, Synovus Place.
Pinnacle plans to expand its first-floor space with a 31,000-square-foot addition, bringing the company’s total footprint at Synovus Place to 220,000 square feet.
No date for construction to start was announced, but occupancy is planned for the first quarter of 2027, according to Pinnacle’s news release.
“This investment in Synovus Place reflects our long-term commitment to downtown Columbus and to the people who work here every day,” Zack Bishop, Pinnacle’s chief operating officer, said in the news release.
Bishop said the expansion will support continued growth in Columbus, particularly in technology and operations.
“Columbus has a significant amount of technology, security and banking operations,” Bishop told the Ledger-Enquirer. “We need more team members and more space. I feel like it’s just the right time.”
The first floor will house 125 employees and include open workspaces, gathering areas and collaboration spaces, according to the news release. Bishop said the addition will have a “tech company” feel.
“The majority of that floor will be technology, innovation and fintech-focused,” he said.
Pinnacle employs about 1,000 people in the Columbus area and expects hiring to continue, with an emphasis on technology, operations and security roles, Bishop said.
“Our focus as a company is to continue to hire and continue to recruit the best talent to grow our bank and our company,” he said. “But Columbus holds a special place in my heart. I live here. Our CEO, Kevin Blair, lives here. So we’re hiring, expanding this building, and continuing to take care of where we started here in Columbus.”
Bishop said the build-out should also have a local economic impact, with most vendors based in the area. He said additional employees working downtown could benefit nearby businesses.
“We’re also moving to a more work-from-work policy, less hybrid and remote,” Bishop said. “You’ll have 125 more people here, eating lunch, walking around and utilizing these businesses every day.”
Bishop would not specify how many of the 125 more employees at Synovus Place will be new hires.
Synovus Place opened in November 2024 at 1300 Front Ave. in Columbus. Pinnacle’s merger with Synovus finalized in January this year.