Show and Tell: History Comes to Life at Premier Federal Credit Union
On a recent trip to Premier Federal Credit Union in Greensboro, I had the chance to see the credit union’s newly remodeled headquarters branch. As part of this modern design that positions the credit union for the future, Premier has reached back into the past by creating a history wall.
Visually striking, the wall covers major events of the credit union’s 50-year history, including clips from Premier’s newsletter, pictures and ads through the years, and cost-of-living stats each decade from 1963-2013. Key technology additions such as audio response — complete with a photo of a member accessing the service using a rotary phone – are also displayed.
Strategically placed in a waiting area where members gather to await time with loan officers or the branch manager, the wall tells the Premier story as a single-sponsor local financial institution that has since grown to add SEGs in Greensboro and other parts of NC. Employees of the Cone Mills in Greensboro organized Premier as the Cone Mills Credit Union in 1963.
Like many credit unions originally tied to textile mills, Premier outlived the mill. As such, their history tells a story of a local institution that progressively innovates and responds to market forces, while staying true to its core values. You can read more about Premier’s history wall by clicking here and by watching the picture show above.
A nearby display (shown in the clip above) shares a few member testimonials that members wrote on the wall during the remodeling phase. The testimonials were so powerful, the credit union decided to incorporate a few of them into a permanent display in the new branch design.
(During a remodel, most credit unions merely put out the proverbial “sorry for the dust” sign. Who thinks to let their members write on the wall, let alone make a permanent display out of it? Bonus points to the employee(s) who came up with that one!)
I love these additions and can’t recall seeing a display similar to it at another credit union. If your credit union is sharing its history in a unique and visual way, please share it below by leaving a comment!
