Branch network

ST. LOUIS - Just because you’ve installed flat-screens in your branches doesn’t mean you still won’t end up with flat sales results.

JACKSON, Tenn. - A number of credit unions lost power but were reporting no other damage after a powerful cluster of tornados swept through the South killing more than 50 people last week.

NORTH SYRACUSE, N.Y. - What may be the first indoor drive-through teller lanes in America are now operating at a new branch of SECNY FCU here.

ANGLETON, Texas - Is it really possible to build a totally “green” credit union branch?

GREENBELT, Md. - Open just over a month, NASA Federal Credit Union reports its “branch of the future” that includes many “green” features, is exceeding member service expectations.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - The Pennsylvania Credit Union Association is looking for volunteers to serve on a green advisory committee. Members will discuss how credit unions can be leaders in going green and protecting the environment. No travel will be required. (c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Community First Credit Union of Florida has broken ground on the first green-certified branch in the area.

DALLAS, Texas. - Credit Union Resources Inc., the wholly owned service corporation of the Texas Credit Union League, has partnered with Affiliated Power Purchasers International. The AAPI Savings Solution program assists TCUL members in reducing electricity and natural gas costs. (c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Redwood Credit Union here has earned a Top Commercial Real Estate Projects of 2007 award from the North Bay Business Journal. The award recognized the credit union for “Green Reuse,” or taking an existing commercial building and remodeling it to be environmentally responsible. (c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

BRANDON, Vt. -

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -

ATLANTA -

BOULDER, Colo. -

MECHANICSBURG, Penn. -

PENSACOLA, Fla. - After building this state's first commercial building to receive the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification three years ago, Navy FCU is completing its second LEED facility here.

INDIANAPOLIS -

With competition for prime branch sites more intense than ever, credit unions and banks are moving quickly to secure their next locations. Perhaps too quickly. In the rush to outrace competitors into the next hot market, financials sometimes neglect to include some basic provisions into their sale or lease agreements that could save the institution considerable angst in the future.

When a credit union evaluates a new market for branching, household growth is almost always the first statistic they seek as a gauge of market opportunity. This is certainly sensible, since it is easier to thrive in a market where additional households can support the added branch than in a flat growth market where a new branch just carves the existing household pool into one more slice. This belief has led bankers to branch aggressively into Florida, Texas, Arizona, and other high-growth areas.

The past 10 years have seen an unprecedented wave of branching by financial institutions. With several thousand branches being opened each year at an average cost of more than $2 million, the industry is collectively wagering billions of dollars on the likelihood that consumers will continue to visit physical branches to fulfill their financial needs. But are the investments delivering the returns necessary to justify their capital investments?

WASHOUGAL, Wash. - Officials of Columbia CU will join local dignitaries later this week to break ground on the area's first financial institution built to LEED "Green" standards. The facility, the first of three green branches planned by the $800-million credit union for 2008, will incorporate environmentally friendly aspects and be rated under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards.