BROOKLYN, N.Y. — If members cannot easily visit Polish and Slavic Federal Credit Union, the CU will go to the members.
The $1.2 billion credit union has launched a mobile branch to reach out to its membership, which is steadily becoming more far flung geographically. The mobile branch is a 40-foot truck which carries an ATM, a member service area and two teller windows. Members banking at the mobile branch will be able to make deposits and withdrawals as well as applying for a wide variety of loans, including credit cards.
"Technology, and information technology in particular, has been our tool of choice to help our credit union grow. Just a few years ago it would have been impossible to process transactions in real time; now, thanks to the wireless connectivity, our mobile branch has full functionality you would expect from a traditional branch," said Bogdan Chmielewski, Polish and Slavic CEO. "This is also a unique and modern way to introduce the credit union difference to potential new members, while at the same time servicing so many of our dispersed membership in those areas."
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Among its many stops throughout the year, the unit will make extended appearances at numerous ethnic Polish parades and events, regional festivals and other high-profile gatherings within the tri-state area. The mobile unit will also be placed outside existing branches that are currently undergoing renovations or expansions in order to alleviate any disruptions to members.
Furthermore, the credit union intends to use the mobile branch to test the waters in markets and neighborhoods far from its Brooklyn roots, according to the credit union.
The mobile unit made its debut this past weekend in Maspeth, Queens, at a Polish heritage festival. It was an immediate hit. "It is quite a feeling…driving a credit union," joked the vehicle's driver, Bogdan Milewski. "The cops and onlookers give us a thumbs up whenever I drive by. If I ever get a traffic ticket, the payment can be processed right on the spot."
Credit union officials also indicated that the mobile branch will be used as a vital command center as part of its disaster recovery plan. The branch features a wireless computer system that helps ensure that the ongoing operations.
The interior of the mobile unit features vibrant colors and designs that bear little resemblance to a traditional bank. A palette of blue, red, white and silver work together to create an exciting look to the walls and layout of the branch on wheels.
The PSFCU mobile branch is expected to be used at a number of locations this summer, including: Maspeth, N.Y.; Trenton, N.J.; and Doylestown, Pa. It will certainly make quite a statement during the hugely popular Pulaski Day Parade that travels up Manhattan's Fifth Avenue in October.
Overall, the vehicle is expected to travel 50,000 miles annually, but CU spokesman Marian Ponanta acknowledged that higher than expected gas prices might mean the branch turns out to be more expensive to operate than the CU had planned.
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