Growth strategies

PLYMOUTH, Minn. – TruStone FCU, the one-time teachers credit union, has awarded Nicole Jensen, a first grade teacher at Delano Elementary School with its the Best in Class Facebook teacher of the year, which comes with a $500 gift card to buy classroom supplies.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – America’s First FCU agreed last week to sponsor ZOOM Motorsports’ 2012 AMA Pro Road Racing Series at Barber Motorsports Park.

CHICOPEE, Mass. – State regulators reported Friday they have approved a application from $420 million Polish National CU to acquire ValleyStone CU, an ailing one-time $85 million credit union in nearby Wilbraham.

JACKSON, Miss. – Fast-growing Hope Community CU pledged last week to add 11 new branches and increase its membership to 51,000 from its current 26,000, as part of former President Bill Clinton’s Global Initiative America.

ALQUIPPA, Penn. – A&S FCU, originally a railroad employees’ credit union, has obtained approval from NCUA to convert to a community charter serving 170,000 residents of surrounding Beaver County.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Commerce CU said it is dropping the “Florida” from its name as its moved into nearby Georgia with the opening of a branch in Thomasville.

GERMANTOWN, Md. – Members with the biggest relationship with their credit union will get the biggest benefits under a Member Value Program unveiled by Montgomery County Employees FCU this morning.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio Healthcare FCU has expanded its field of membership to serve a hospitals advocacy group called the Center for Health Affairs.

MADISON, Wis.-New marketing strategies that focus on electronic game-playing could help in attracting millions of young people to credit unions, according to a new study issued this morning by the Filene Research Institute.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Healthcare’s Cooperative CU, heeding its heritage as the one-time BlueCross BlueShield Employees’ CU, is changing its name today to Alive CU.

LAS VEGAS – Silver State Schools CU said it will offer its members online car buying through Auto Nation Direct.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Community First CU has become the first Florida credit union to sign with cuautocoupon.com to offer it member discounts when purchasing a new or pre-owned vehicle automotive coupon program.

GREEN RIVER, Wyo. – NCUA said yesterday it approved a request from Trona Valley Community FCU to add six counties, including four in neighboring Utah, to its field of membership.

MADISON, Wis. – New marketing strategies that focus on electronic game-playing could help in attracting millions of young people to credit unions, according to a new study issued this morning by the Filene Research Institute: Get in the Game: How Credit Unions Can Engage Members, Solve Problems, and Improve Skills with Game Thinking.

MIDLAND, Mich. – Members First CU is combining with Central Michigan Community CU of Clare, Mich., to create a $317-million credit union.

CLOQUET, Minn. – Northwoods CU has agreed to buy a local branch and its deposits from North Shore Bank of Commerce, the latest credit union deal for bank customers.

Credit unions in central Ohio are jumping on a new social media trend-cash mobs.

Many credit unions are following some bad advice when it comes to marketing to Hispanic consumers, and in fact may even be alienating a potentially lucrative sub-population, according to Edward Speed and Lionel Sosa.

LARGO, Fla. – Achieva CU has applied to state regulators to serve 1 million residents in neighboring Lee and Collier counties.

ORLANDO, Fla. – State regulators have approved an application from Insight CU to add 250,000 people in six small Florida counties to its field of membership: Dixie, Levy, Gilchrist, Columbia and Suwanee.