LAKE MARY, Fla. — CFE Federal Credit Union has officially broken ground on its new Operations Center.

Construction of the three-story, 160,000 square-foot office building is projected to be completed mid-2007 and will house the administration, member call center, information technology, human resources, collections, training, finance, accounting, credit card services and support departments. An additional branch will also be located in the building with drive-up and ATM access.

"This new facility will give CFE the infrastructure necessary to serve our growing membership," said CFE Federal CU President/CEO Joseph Melbourne. "The new building will improve our efficiency in developing innovative financial services and responding to the needs of our members. We'll also have a convenient branch location for our members who live or work in Lake Mary, Heathrow, and surrounding communities." Having experienced considerable growth over the past few years, CFE has planned this facility for continued expansion in the future. With 355 people currently employed, the credit union projects this number may increase up to 450 in the next five years to keep pace with its expanded membership.