Firstars bank symbol disappeared off the New York Stock Exchange last year. Now it will disappear from signs at its branches, including the six in Bowling Green. By the end of the month, Firstar bank branches will bear the name of U.S. Bank, which Firstar purchased last year. The merger with U.S. Bancorp, which was announced in the fall of 2000 and closed in February 2001, expanded the banks presence from 13 to 24 states and created a $176 billion corporation, the eighth-largest financial institution in the country.The companys new board of directors which is controlled by Firstar members, including former Firstar CEO Jerry Grundhofer liked the name U.S. Bank better for several reasons. Theres just a lot of positive things that are associated with that name, said Craig Browning, southcentral Kentucky regional president who manages 24 of the banks branches from Tompkinsville to Owensboro, including the Bowling Green locations. Everyone Ive spoken with likes it a lot better and Ive said that people can actually spell U.S. Bank but they cant spell Firstar. Since the acquisition, the company has been operating as US Bank in the western portion of the country and Firstar in the eastern section. All Firstar branches will have US Bank signs by the end of July; Kentuckys branch signs are all scheduled to portray the new name by May 31.Last years acquisition gave the bank more than 2,000 offices and 5,000 automated teller machines nationwide. Since the systems transfers involved in bank acquisitions already has taken place as a result of last years purchase, there should be little disruption of customer services, Browning said. Account numbers will not change; our customers will not be put through any type of system conversion or anything of that nature, he said. So it really is going to be a painless transition to what we view and consider to be a better name. Another merger involving banks with Bowling Green branches is expected to be complete this year following the purchase of Kentucky-owned Area Bank by BB&T with headquarters in Winston-Salem, N.C.