Northwest FCU branch lures members and staff alike

<p>HERNDON, Va. – Serving the employees and family members of the Central Intelligence Agency and other federal government agencies, Northwest Federal Credit Union went looking to attract a few good employees. So a recent remodeling project has transformed the $700 million credit union into a state-of-the-art facility complete with lots of comfort says NFCU Administrative Services Manager George Shoemaker. “We have had a lot of positive reaction from our members,” said Shoemaker. Designed by HBE Financial Facilities, the first floor of the existing building was completely remodeled to expand the number of lobby tellers to eight and increase the number of loan officers and auto processors. The project also included a new member education center, with a stock ticker and kiosks for online banking. The branch reception area was expanded, providing room for additional member service representatives and more privacy for members. “It is high tech while not forgetting the high touch,” said Paul Barrath, executive vice president of HBE Financial Facilities. “It is a very competitive market here and we worked really hard to make this a pleasant environment for employees so we included lots of glass, low cubicle partitions and making sure that the interior light runs through the space.” It is not just more light, employees can enjoy such amenities as a large exercise area with showers, locker rooms, an employee dining room with adjacent kitchen, as well as a new conference room and a new freestanding single-story, 7,800 square foot day care center. “Many of the employees have a long drive to work, so having a day care center on site is a big plus to help attract and retain quality employees,” said Barrath. “I think the look the credit union wanted was again a feeling of a more family-oriented day care center and not a commercial looking facility that would blend with the building. It had to be very kid friendly, have a very large play area and a park.” NFCU is working with a national day care service to run the center and daycare is provided for children up to age five. Although he could not discuss specifics, Barrath says the credit union interior has many different types of security features Given crimes that can occur in the parking lot, HBE installed “code blue” stations approximately every 100 feet and they are for anyone seeking immediate help in any emergency. The stations come equipped with cameras that are activated by pressing a button and continue rolling while a siren goes off. [email protected]</p>