Growth strategies

TAMPA — Florida's largest credit union, Suncoast Schools FCU, will convert from a federal to a state charter early next year.

MADISON, Wis.— CO-OP Financial Services is underwriting CUES’ new Strategic Innovation Institute. In October CUES introduced its Strategic Innovation Institute, a two-year program designed to drive greater strategic thinking and innovation within the credit union community.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Payments processor The Members Group reported Monday that its credit union and community bank clients have more than tripled their requests for credit card marketing promotions this year.

CHICAGO — Three years will likely pass before Alliant Credit Union and The Golden 1 CU reach $10 billion in assets.

Credit unions are gearing up for the holidays, setting in motion a sleigh-full of annual year-end promos aimed at helping members enjoy and cope with a season that's often as stressful as it's supposed to be jolly.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — It's no mystery to Public Service CU members how much the credit union's lending program is saving them - the total is right in the middle of the CU's home page.

WEST JORDAN, Utah — Mountain America Credit Union has improved its internal sales culture thanks to a team of sales consultants who make regular visits to its branches, resulting in significantly more new accounts and a Credit Union Journal Best Practices award.

POTTSTOWN, Pa. — Diamond FCU is making a lot of auto loans to young adults these days, but the real payoff isn't the asset dollars — it's the relationship.

FERNDALE, Mich. — Credit Union ONE has improved its employees understanding of complex regulatory issues and boosted fundraising contributions for credit union issues since launching an advocacy page on the CU's intranet site.

CLARK, N.J. — Aspire FCU is turning around consumer loans in minutes instead of days, has reduced expenses, and most important, is keeping member service high after closing six of its eight offices.

LONGVIEW, Wash., and SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Red Canoe CU and Empower FCU may have started something when they joined forces for lending "co-opetition" earlier this year.

MIRAMAR, Fla.—Tropical Financial CU here has brought back a "Black Friday" promotion it debuted last year and has seen great success in the promo's opening days.

MEMPHIS — By implementing a solution to add check scanning to the teller line, Orion FCU here has saved time and reduced losses.

KINGSTON, N.Y. — Mid-Hudson Valley FCU used a sub-brand as a way to help its MSRs transition from "order takers" to a more dynamic, sales-oriented team.

SAN ANTONIO — Last September $7.5-billion Security Service Federal Credit Union implemented a new CRM solution that resulted in a dramatic savings in workflow steps and time, which SSFCU executives say has helped every area of member service.

PASADENA, Calif. — At $2.5 billion Wescom Credit Union, the problem wasn't having insufficient information about its members - it was too much info to process.

GREENBELT, Md. — A merger - and the resulting integration of systems - that was supposed to require seven months instead was pulled off in slightly more than five months, earning $727 million-asset Educational Systems FCU a Credit Union Journal Best Practices award.

NORCROSS, Ga. — Associated CU has added eight points to its Net Promoter Score by having staff watch TV once a week.

WINSTON SALEM, N.C. — Allegacy FCU has streamlined its member feedback process and launched its "Mapping the Member Experience" program in 2011, reviewing each delivery channel and identifying where processes could be improved.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The word "collaboration" has long been a buzzword at credit unions, and one CUSO continues to see strong success by encouraging a unique mix of collaboration and competition that has helped CUs with another buzzword: innovation.