Two more $2 million credit unions, the Mercy Health ServicesEmployees FCU of Baltimore and Rochester Dairy CooperativeEmployees CU in Minnesota, are moving ahead this month with mergersinto larger brethren.

Management succession at one and a desire to provide higherservice levels were cited as reasons for the consolidation of thetwo healthy credit unions.

Mercy Health is being merged into the $1.2 billion MECU of Baltimore. Mercy Health has one office and 1,000members and is located a block from MECU's main office.

The merger is set to become formally effective Nov. 4. It is thefirst merger for MECU since 2006, said John Godwin, vice presidentof business development/strategic alliances.

“Right now we are working on completing this merger but we arealways open to opportunities,” he said.

The $125 million FirstAlliance Credit Union of Rochester, Minn., said it has longprovided services to Rochester Dairy Cooperative Employees, whose500 members chose to seek a partner following the plannedretirement of its manager, David Campbell.

First Alliance has provided a range of BSA, compliance andregulatory services for more than eight years with Campbelldeciding last year a change was needed, said Mark Hettinger, vicepresident of Alliance, which has 12,000 members in five Minnesotacounties. This is First Alliance's first merger.