SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Motorola Employees Credit Union-West is now "TruWest Credit Union" having officially changed its name Jan. 1. The Arizona CU said it picked the new name after months of trademark research. The credit union hired Weber Marketing Co., a Seattle firm with experience in CU branding and logo development to come up with a promotion strategy. Motorola Employees announced last August it was ending its 50 year single sponsor tie. It received regulatory approval to change its field of membership to add new members and select employee groups throughout 59 Phoenix area zip codes on the city's east side. The change in structure has long been described by credit union officials as "emotional but necessary" for the Arizona CU which argued FOM expansion was essential for the CU to grow following widespread layoffs at the big semiconductor and high tech producer which has its home office in Schaumburg, Ill. In describing the arduous renaming process which began in June, Lenore Froehlich, vice president of marketing, said the CU started out with 250 possible names and whittled them down to five favorites of which only one-TruWest-cleared the final copyright hurdles following research by Weber lawyers. The CU did have a list of criteria that it wanted to convey in a new name, and trust and geography were two of them, said Froehlich, noting also the new name also needed to demonstrate "pride, innovation in addition to linking our heritage." The "west" and a new tagline, "Going Your Way" underscores the links to Motorola employees in Austin, Texas as well as the Phoenix area. TruWest will continue to serve employees of Motorola and ON Semiconductor, General Dynamics and Compass LLC. Under the new structure, membership will be open to individuals and families living and working in neighborhoods surrounding the CU's existing 20 branches. The Scottsdale CU has more than 56,000 members and $590 million in assets. In announcing the new name, the CU also said its 210 employees "will be separating from Motorola and rehired as TruWest Credit Union employees with its own payroll, benefits and human resources systems." Froehlich said a media campaign announcing the name change gets underway this month with newspaper and billboard ads plus direct mail and "door hangers." A 3-D hologram postcard showing both the old and new names was mailed to members Dec. 17. Daniel Desmond, the president and CEO of TruWest, said in a CU statement that the change in structure follows "recent divestitures and downsizing within Motorola" which have impacted the CU's ability "to compete with other financial institutions. "The new name and expanded field of membership effectively levels the playing field," he concluded. -

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