Press
State Transportation Employees Credit Union Launches New Strategic Brand, Becomes Bridge Credit Union
COLUMBUS, OH (September 5, 2013) — After an extensive strategic review, State Transportation Employees Credit Union launched a new brand and became Bridge Credit Union on September 3, 2013. Bridge Credit Union (http://www.bridgecu.org), the credit union primarily serving workers and retirees from the Ohio Department of Transportation, announced a complete rebranding that includes the launch of its new website, new logo and new color scheme.
The refreshed brand identity is the first in over 45 years for the credit union. The new Bridge brand is both a nod to its transportation heritage, but also reflects the credit union’s strategic decision to begin offering services in other transportation-related industries within the private sector. Those industries now include employees within logistics, construction, engineering, and warehousing.
Christy Leslie, CEO of Bridge Credit Union, said of the rebranding initiative: “The new brand embodies the essence and values of who we have always been and who we will continue to be. Our name ‘bridges’ the gap between employees within the public and private sectors as well as symbolizes how we help connect members to their financial dreams.”
This rebranding comes at a time when it is important for the credit union to seek opportunities for continued growth and to effectively fulfill its financial cooperative mission. “Credit unions, by their organizational structure, are crucial in the financial services marketplace,” explained Keri Moser, VP of Bridge Credit Union. “By expanding our market opportunities and investing in a technology-driven infrastructure, we can offer our credit union value to more consumers.”
Ahead of the rebranding, the credit union performed extensive market research in order to determine the most suitable avenue for growth while maintaining its transportation heritage. Also included in the market research project was a lengthy analysis to determine the types of services it needed to offer to best serve its new potential members and existing membership.
In response to this analysis, Bridge set about creating not just a new brand, but also structuring itself organizationally to accommodate the change in direction and membership base by upgrading its computer processing systems, streamlining internal operations, and adding new services such as private student loans, a dividend checking account, a new online mortgage resource for members, and a membership rewards program.
“By strategically planning for our growth, we have laid the foundation needed to remain a financially strong and member-focused credit union while at the same time building the platform needed to reach the next level,” Jarod Bach, VP of Bridge Credit Union concluded.
About Bridge Credit Union
Bridge Credit Union is a full-service financial cooperative that currently serves 7,883 members throughout Ohio and has total assets of $43,010,836. Bridge is headquartered at 1980 West Broad Street in Columbus, and is the only credit union in Ohio chartered specifically to serve the transportation industry.