Northside Alder Michael Schumacher. "UW Credit Union saw potential in the vacant building and the opportunity to help further build and grow our community. I am especially pleased to have more affordable loan options available in the neighborhood as an alternative to payday lenders."

In 2007, UW Credit Union welcomed over 5,600 new members and opened two new branches, one in Middleton and one in Madison's Capitol Square. A new full-service

Sun Prairie branch is scheduled to open in August 2008.

HTG Architects Welcomes Melton

MESA, Ariz. — Architectural firm HTG Architects recently welcomed Mike Melton to its staff.

Melton joined as vice president of business development in the Midwest, working from the company's Minneapolis office. He brings knowledge of the construction and development industries and will work with commercial clients, building relationships with developers and entities in the retail industry, while also assisting with the firm's financial institution work.

Melton comes to HTG with more than 10 years of experience.

Golden Mirror: DEI Fairest of All

CINCINNATI — Two projects created by design/build firm DEI Inc. have taken 2008 golden mirror awards.

Dade County Federal Credit Union in Miami, Fla., received an award in the point of sale category for its asset division. The goal for this branch was to attract new members and appeal to existing members. The design of the facility fits the regions' architectural style while also creating a distinct look. The unique "halo" with its bold red columns creates a recognizable icon to be used for a consistent look for future facilities.

The entry also doubles as a retail platform large enough to accommodate multiple cars on display, establishing a retail concept at the door. The interior is open with high-ceilings and bright graphics. Colors were selected to reinforce Dade County FCU's brand colors as well as compliment the South Beach style. The open plan allows members to see all available services upon entering the credit union.

University Credit Union in Miami, Fla., received an award in the point of sale category for its asset division. The credit union prides itself on providing world-class member service and the design focused on reinforcing this mission. The resulting branch is bright and lively, offering many retail amenities as well as an extensive teller line to accommodate heavy volume during peak times. The interior of the branch is open and highlighted by member-relevant lifestyle graphics.

Three kiosks represent the universities in the SEG group and each are highlighted with neon down lighting in the school's colors for easy recognition. The kiosks allow members to surf each University's Web site. Plasma screens are located behind the teller line to minimize perceived wait time while promoting products and services. Additional amenities allow members to look up account information or enjoy refreshments in a waiting area.

USA CU, LEVEL5 Join Forces on Retail

ATLANTA — LEVEL5, a consulting and facilities development firm specializing in financial institutions, has teamed up with Auburn Hills, Mich.-based USA Credit Union to help develop and execute an aggressive growth plan.

The credit union recently worked with LEVEL5 to select the storefront location of its Rochester Hills branch. The credit union will also begin construction on a freestanding hub branch with input from LEVEL5 on a strategic retail delivery plan.

"LEVEL5 truly understood our needs, and we came to rely on them as an integral part of our development team," said Tom Alter, executive vice president at USA CU. "LEVEL5′s on-site manager and team provided professional, strategic assistance from the beginning to the end of our storefront project. They were with us through every step."

USA CU expanded its charter in 2005 to the Detroit community, and its expansion plan will increase its community presence in an accelerated manner without slighting any markets.

The credit union also selected LEVEL5 for its knowledge of dialogue delivery, a method enabling employees to better serve members, improve cross sell opportunities and handle transactions in a more retail-oriented environment. The credit union has deployed a sales culture through its teller line for years and LEVEL5 designed the latest branch with service kiosks to eliminate the physical barrier of a teller line plus other strategic components such as a greeting station.

"It has always been our practice to ensure branch visits are a relationship-based experience, working with the same representative no matter what the task, from opening a checking account to applying for a loan," Alter added. "Now our physical presence supports and enhances those efforts."

OnPoint Makes Splash in Vancouver

PORTLAND, Ore. — OnPoint Community Credit Union is branching out with three new locations in Vancouver.

To mark the new facilities, OnPoint will sponsor a "Supermarket Sweep," with one winner at each branch taking home all of the groceries that can be loaded into a grocery cart in three minutes. OnPoint will then match the cash value for each sweep and present a check to a local food bank.

"We want Vancouver to know that OnPoint will be a good citizen-partner in the community," said OnPoint President/CEO Rob Stuart.

All three branches are located within area Safeway stores where an estimated 10,000 consumers per month will walk by OnPoint's new lobbies. A number of new technology features, including deposit automation ATMs and instant issue debit cards will make banking easier for the credit union's current and future members.

The branches are the first to open since OnPoint announced its charter expansion into Washington State in the fall of 2007. The charter expansion allows anyone who lives or works in Clark and Skamania counties to become a member.

With these additions, OnPoint will have 14 branches in Oregon and southwest Washington.

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