MAPLE GROVE, Minn. TopLine FCU, a one-time Bell telephone employees’ credit union that has grown quickly over the past five years, on Monday said Harry Carter, its CEO since 1999, is retiring at year end from the $330-million credit union.
“I am past my sell-by date,” said the 66-year-old Carter. “It just seemed time to retire while I am still a young man.”
Tom Smith, the credit union’s chief financial officer, was named as Carter’s successor.
TopLine grew its assets by 6% last year and 15% the year before. Membership grew by about one-third over those two years, mostly from its 2011 merger with St. Paul’s Como Northtown Community CU.
The credit union was chartered in 1935 to serve employees of the local Bell Telephone Co. as Minneapolis Telco CU. After the breakup of the Bell telephone companies the credit union changed its name to TopLine and converted to a community charter serving the entire Twin Cities metro area of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties.
