Centra Credit Union shows its commitment to South Central Indiana
COLUMBUS, IN (August 23, 2018) — The value of a credit union is in its ability to give back to its members and the communities it serves. Centra Credit Union’s history of sustained growth and fiscal responsibility has created a strong financial organization that consistently provides its Members with above market deposit rates, below market loan rates, lower than average service charges, and products and services that are better than, or equal to, their bank equivalents. This performance has positioned the Credit Union to give back to its members in major ways, while also laying a strong foundation for future growth in South Central Indiana.
With growth in Membership, also comes the need for growth in Team Members to support Members and the banking services they use. Today, Centra is announcing its plans for a new 55,000 square foot Corporate Headquarters building on Columbus’ west side. The new building will house approximately 150 back office support employees. Centra President and CEO, Rick Silvers, says the building project is an obvious choice for the Credit Union to maintain its presence and growth in the Columbus area.
“We made a commitment in our strategic plan to focus on member service, member growth, technology, facilities, and team member experience. To fulfill our responsibilities to all these areas of focus, we need adequate space to bring together our Team Members. We’re positioning Centra to provide the best experience to our members and help them grow financially.” Silvers said. “We’ve been using every office space we have and then some. In 2016 we had to add additional leased office space to accommodate our Team Members. We’re already over capacity and with our current rate of growth, we needed to look for a more permanent solution.”
The Credit Union spent nearly a year researching the best possible solution before deciding on a new Corporate Headquarters building on land Centra already owns. The new building will be constructed on the same campus as Centra’s existing Headquarters. Centra will be working with the firm Ratio Design to begin plans for the new building. The firm has worked on other projects in Columbus and is familiar with the City’s history of design and Architecture. Columbus-based construction management firm, Force Construction Co Inc. was also selected for the project. Centra expects to begin designing the new building as soon as possible with plans to complete the building by early 2020.
“In the past five years, Centra has grown to serve more than 144,000 members, which resulted in significant growth in Team Members as well. This new building will provide a more productive work environment for our team members and support our future growth so we can continue providing the same high level of service to our members,” said Centra’s Assistant Vice President of Facilities, Sharon Taylor.
Centra currently has 23 different member-facing branch locations across south central Indiana. The Credit Union has opened two new branches in the past three years and has plans to open more. Silvers added, “We’re here to serve you and your family, just as Centra Credit Union has done for generations. We want to be here for generations to come as well. To do that, we have to prepare for the future by positioning Centra for growth. As Centra grows across south central Indiana, our team behind the scenes grows too. To support this growth, Centra is building a new Corporate Headquarters. To support our community, we’re keeping our Headquarters local in Columbus, where we were founded more than 77 years ago. As always, Centra is your Credit Union, and this decision was made to remain ‘Centered Around YOU’ now and into the future.”
About Centra Credit Union
Centered around its Members, Centra Credit Union is a community-based, full-service financial institution with 26 service centers throughout central and southern Indiana, and in Jamestown, New York and Whitakers, North Carolina. Founded in 1940 on the principle of People Helping People, Centra strives to create value for Members, Team Members, and the Communities it serves. With more than $2 billion in assets, Centra is among the six largest credit unions in the state of Indiana.
