Growth strategies

VIENNA, Va. – Bolstered by the Bank Transfer Day wave and a tide of new branches, Navy FCU added 600,000 new members in 2012--more than twice its previous record of 230,000 for 2011—giving the world’s biggest credit union more than 4.2 million members worldwide.

WYANDOTTE, Mich. – Wyandotte FCU, a $90-million credit union that serves 110 select groups, has converted to a community charter and changed its name to NuPath Community CU.

MIDLAND, Mich. -- Dow Chemical Employees’ CU wrapped up its yearlong 75th anniversary celebration by paying members $11.5 million in in year-end rebates and rewards on loans and share/deposit accounts.

MOLINE, Ill. – IH Mississippi Valley Credit Union has signed with IQR Consulting to conduct an in-depth analysis of the cooperative’s credit card and checking account portfolios.

DENVER – Public Service CU, which expanded into two counties last year, has applied to Colorado regulators to serve almost 1 million people in the state’s El Paso and Douglas counties.

PETERBOROUGH, N.H. – The $429-million GFA Federal Credit Union said it will complete today its acquisition of Monadnock Community Bank here.

DUBLIN, Ohio – The $378-million BMI FCU is expanding its FOM to include everyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in the Columbus Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes eight central Ohio counties.

SAN ANTONIO – The $350-million Air Force FCU has completed a merger with Peoples Choice of San Antonio FCU.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Firefighters Community CU here is absorbing via merger tiny Lane Metropolitan CME Church Credit Union.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Freedom Credit Union here has launchd its first marketing campaign aimed at the Latino community in Western Massachusetts.

HARRISBURG, Penn. – A new series of TV commercials that let consumers know credit unions are in the lending business, are friendly and have great rates are out now in this state courtesy of the Pennsylvania CU Association’s successful iBelong image campaign.

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Gulf Winds FCU is absorbing via merger 5,500-member SCORE Federal Credit Union in Tallahassee, Fla.

TULSA, Okla. – The $1.2-billion Tulsa Teachers Credit Union has officially changed its name to “TTCU The Credit Union,” a trade name it has unofficially been using for several years.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Amplify CU will give a home makeover on Wednesday and Thursday to a needy local family, the Yancy/Cousins family in nearby Round Rock.

TUKWILA, Wash. – BECU is giving away $5 checks outside its new storefront ATM at The Landing in Renton and at three other locations on this final payday before Christmas to promote its new mobile check deposit service.

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. - Niagara's Choice FCU has acquired Niagara County's FCU to create a $125-million credit union serving 23,000 members.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Coopera, a consulting group owned by the Iowa CU League that offers credit unions advise on reaching Hispanic communities, has signed advisory contracts with four New York credit unions to take part in the inaugural Hispanic Member Growth Strategy Program.

MIDLAND, Texas -- Representatives of My Community FCU went to the home of members Ramon and Elvira Garcia Wednesday with an oversized check for $20,000, flowers and confetti to award the Garcias the credit union’s promotional loan pay-off.

WYOMISSING, Penn. – Discovery FCU has partnered with Collegiate Funding Solutions to provide its members with a college planning tool to help them save for college and learn financial strategies to cut costs.

BOSTON – New Bedford CU has applied to state regulators to expand its field of membership to cover almost 1.5 million resident in the state’s Barnstable, Bristol and Plymouth counties, and the towns of Little Compton and Tiverton in nearby Rhode Island.