BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Kern Schools Federal Credit Union (www.ksfcu.org) in Bakersfield, Calif., has become the first EPL Inc. client to buy the TopNotch Collection System from Guthrie Phillips Group. Birmingham-based EPL and GPG (www.guthriephillipsgroup.com) of Vancouver, B.C., recently signed a strategic partnership to offer the TopNotch software as an integrated part of EPL's i-Power core processing system. The $1.4 billion CU has been an EPL client since 1982. "Kern Schools FCU is already realizing the flexibility EPL's open platform provides by seeking and acquiring best of breed solutions to fit their credit union business," says Phil Clarke, executive vice president of sales and marketing at EPL (www.eplinc.com).