Farmington Bank announced this week that it opened its second new lending center in three months, this one in Fairfield.

The new location at 1809 Black Rock Turnpike is staffed by three mortgage bankers: Gene Fabbri, assistant vice president and residential sales manager; Jeannie Devaney, residential loan specialist; and Diane Nelson, residential loan specialist.

James Wilson, Farmington Bank’s residential and consumer lending director, said the bank had known Fabbri for some time, and when Fabbri decided to dissolve his company, he approached Farmington Bank about picking up himself and two of his originators.

Fabbri owned Independent Mortgage Co. in Fairfield for 30 years. Devaney and Nelson each have more than 20 years of experience. Devaney worked most recently as a licensed mortgage broker and Nelson as a branch administrator, QI officer and mortgage loan originator, both for Independent Mortgage Co.

Wilson and Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Office Mike Schweighoffer praised Fabbri’s reputation in that market and said they viewed this as an ideal opportunity to expand their focus outside of Hartford County, where the bank is headquartered.

Schweighoffer said the bank was looking to replicate what it recently did with its second-newest lending center in Branford.

“That was a very similar situation, where we had an opportunity to bring on board a residential team where the head of that group also ran his own firm, and for a variety of reasons decided it would be better to align with Farmington Bank,” he said.

Wilson said, “We’re committing to both of these markets with these loan production offices,” adding that these new locations would be sales offices, with processing, underwriting and closing still happening in the bank’s corporate headquarters.

He said those two new locations will generate primarily residential business, but the bank would like to also use those locations as a channel for generating new commercial loan referrals.