Aberdeen Proving Ground FCU to Move Into Baltimore

The plan for the new branch follows the credit union's expansion into Baltimore County last September through its acquisition Members First of Maryland Federal Credit Union, which had two Baltimore County locations: One in Dundalk, seven miles southeast of Baltimore and another in Perry Hall, 13 miles northeast of Baltimore. APGFCU will open its third Baltimore County branch this spring in Cockeysville, 17 miles north of Baltimore.

APGFCU previously only had branches Maryland's Harford and Cecil counties. Cecil County is in the state's northeast corner bordering Pennsylvania and Delaware. Harford County, where the credit union is based, is one county west and Baltimore County is two counties west of Cecil.

"The move builds on APGFCU's growing Baltimore membership and deep community ties," APGFCU said. "Since beginning service to Baltimore residents in 2022, the city has quickly become one of the credit union's fastest-growing member markets."

Construction on the branch will begin in the third quarter of this year. When complete, the 2,700-square-foot facility will have interactive teller machines (ITMs), which will also function as ATMs. The ITMs will be accessible through a 24/7 vestibule, providing employee-assisted service beyond traditional branch hours.

This branch will serve as a central hub for APGFCU's outreach efforts in Baltimore City. It will employ five full-time employees, with hiring to begin this spring.

"This moment represents a meaningful milestone for our growing credit union," President/CEO Becky Smith said.

NCUA data showed APGFCU had 17 branches and other offices Dec. 31.

In other branch news:

• Virginia Federal Credit Union of Richmond ($7.2 billion in assets, 491,381 members) on Monday opened a branch in Blacksburg, Va., the home of Virginia Tech and about 40 miles west of Roanoke. The credit union announced plans for the branch last July. It is the first new branch Virgina FCU has opend in its expanded service territory following its acquisition of Member One Federal Credit Union in 2024. It had 43 branches Dec. 31, unchanged from a year earlier.
• Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union of Columbia, S.C. ($1.4 billion in assets, 86,171 members) opened a branch Monday in Whitmire, S.C., 55 miles northwest of Columbia, its first new branch since 2018. It had 15 branches Dec. 31.
• One Nevada Credit Union of Las Vegas ($1.5 billion in assets, 74,321 members) will celebrate the re-opening of its remodeled Durango & Russell Branch in southwest Las Vegas Thursday. One Nevada had 16 branches Dec. 31.
• Members First Credit Union of Midland, Mich. ($900.6 million in assets, 67,490 members) announced March 18 that it has begun construction of a branch in Bay City, 25 miles east of Midland on Lake Huron's Saginaw Bay. The Bay City branch is expected to be completed by the end of this year. It had 11 branches Dec. 31, one more than a year earlier.
• SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union of Santa Ana, Calif. ($35.4 billion in assets, 1.5 million members) announced March 26 that it has opened its Mid-City Branch in Los Angeles. It serves 10,000 members who live and work within five miles of the branch.

"When we open a new branch, it's about making it easier for our members to get the support they need right in their own neighborhood," SchoolsFirst President Jose Lara said.

The credit union also opened branches in the fourth quarter in Burbank in Los Angeles County, and Riverside, 40 miles northeast of Santa Ana and 50 miles east of downtown LA.

SchoolsFirst had 78 branches and other offices Dec. 31, all in California.

Contact Jim DuPlessis at Jim.DuPlessis@arc-network.com.