School Employees Credit Union of Washington moving headquarters to South Seattle
SEATTLE, Jan. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- School Employees Credit Union of Washington, which serves 80,000 school employees and their family members across the state, will move its headquarters from 325 Eastlake Ave. East in Seattle (the PEMCO building along Interstate 5) to recently purchased property at 5200 Southcenter Blvd. in Seattle. The move, anticipated in 2015, will offer greater accessibility for many of its members, including more parking, more mass-transit options, and easy access via Interstate 405, Interstate 5, and State Route 518.
Planned since last year, the move's announcement coincides with PEMCO's recent sale of the Eastlake building to Unico Properties. Although independent organizations, the companies share a common founder and, since 1949, the address on Eastlake. The Credit Union will continue to lease its current space on Eastlake until its move.
The Credit Union's move to the Westfield Southcenter Mall area supports a broader strategy to improve members' access to services. The Credit Union recently joined the CO-OP Shared Branch Network, meaning its members can walk into more than 5,000 participating credit union branches nationwide and access their accounts as if they were at a School Employees Credit Union branch.
This spring, the Credit Union also will move its Spokane office from 1500 West Fourth Ave. to a larger facility at 5123 East Third Ave. in Spokane Valley. This move, too, offers expanded parking and a more convenient location near major retailers.
A new branch location in north King County also is under consideration.
"We're thrilled about these changes, which will help us bring even more value to our members," said President and CEO Scott Adkins. He also noted that, by moving outside Seattle's downtown core, the Credit Union will realize substantial cost savings. "As a not-for-profit, member-owned institution, we need to be exceptional stewards of our members' money," said Adkins, referring both to the moves and partnership in the CO-OP Shared Branch Network.
The address changes will have little impact on many of the state's far-flung Credit Union members who mostly rely on online, mobile, telephone, and by-mail services to transact business. Adkins said the Credit Union will continue to bolster its remote services, allowing growth while keeping operational costs and service fees low.
While the Credit Union anticipates no immediate additions to its staff, the new locations offer more space to accommodate growth and new technologies.
School Employees Credit Union of Washington was represented by Ryan Oberg of the commercial real estate company, Goodale & Barbieri.
ABOUT SCHOOL EMPLOYEES CREDIT UNION OF WASHINGTON. The Credit Union has served school employees and their families since 1936 and is the state's largest financial institution devoted exclusively to school employees. It supports area schools with visiting onsite representatives and, among other outreach activities, offers free financial seminars for school employees and high school students. To learn more, visit schoolemployeescu.org.
SOURCE School Employees Credit Union of Washington
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