Firming up conversion plans, the $4 billion Alaska USA Federal Credit Union said Monday it expects to complete the operational, marketing and tech makeover of the failed California-based High Desert FCU within the next 90 to 120 days.

The NCUA-engineered purchase/assumption transaction for the $110 million High Desert of Apple Valley, which took place last month, fits into Alaska USA's "long-term strategy of geographic diversification," said William Eckhardt, president/CEO of the Anchorage credit union.

The NCUA offer to bid on High Desert, extended to Alaska USA and other unnamed CU bidders, presented Alaska USA "with a very good opportunity to reach beyond Alaska with a limited population," said Eckhardt, who also noted that the state is subject to a boom/bust economy.

The last Alaska USA foray outside of the state was in the early 1980s when a military-based Washington State CU was merged, but there are no plans now to explore other West Coast CUs for possible mergers, said Eckhardt.