First Technology Federal Credit Union and the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers have made a multi-year agreement representing the first corporate partnership of its kind for both the credit union and the basketball team, Mountain View, Cali-based First Tech announced on Sept. 6.
“This is a history-making opportunity for the Trail Blazers to bring aboard a new financial services partner serving a different segment of banking customers and Trail Blazers fans,” Steve Scott, senior vice president for revenue for the Trail Blazers and Rose Quarter, said in a press release. “We’ve now created an entirely new partner category with First Tech as the inaugural ‘Official Credit Union Partner' of the Trail Blazers.”
For First Tech members, this partnership will provide new CU products, exclusive member discounts and Trail Blazers-branded First Tech affinity cards for eligible members, including a debit card that will be available in 2017 and a new affinity credit card coming in 2018. The partnership will also bring new youth financial literacy programs and a platform to showcase the Portland area tech industry.
“First Tech and the Trail Blazers may seem like uncommon partners, but at our core we share similar values,” Brad Calhoun, chief retail and marketing officer of First Tech, said in a press release. “The Portland Trail Blazers epitomize the entrepreneurial spirit and innovation of the Pacific Northwest, and deliver time and again on the changing wants and needs of their dedicated fans and communities. We’re dedicated to creating First Tech fans out of our members. This partnership gives us an incredible opportunity to strengthen relationships with new and existing members, build our fan base, support the growth of our organization and bring the credit union movement to the national arena.”
Since 1952, First tech has served select employer groups in the Pacific Northwest including Intel, Microsoft, Amazon, Nike, Tektronix, Puppet and Vestas among other tech-oriented companies. Many of First Tech’s SEGs are already partners with the Blazers. More than half of First Tech’s workforce is in Oregon and the $10.6 billion CU has recently announced that will build a corporate campus in Hillsboro, Ore.
The Blazers, a National Basketball Association member, are interested in serving underserved kids and families throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington.
