Small Credit Unions in Ohio & Maine Get Bigger

Two small credit unions in Ohio and Maine have been granted geographic expansions that significantly increase their fields of membership.

Credit Union of Ohio ($203.4 million in assets, 20,997 members as of March 31) is adding 11 counties to its field of membership. It had previously served state employees across all 88 counties plus people living or working in five counties: Two in the area around the state’s capital in Columbus and three in the state’s northeast.

Around Columbus it has added Delaware, Licking, Madison, Pickaway and Union counties. In the northeast it has added Lorain, Summit, Medina, Portage, Geauga and Lake counties. The expanded field of membership will allow it to serve more than two million potential members in Ohio.

Evergreen Credit Union of Portland, Maine ($474.1 million in assets, 27,471 members as of June 30) is expanding from York and Cumberland counties with 500,594 people at the state’s southern tip to include four more counties to the north that the U.S. Census Bureau estimated had 235,834 people in 2020.

The new area increased the population in its field of membership by 47% to 736,428.

The credit union has added lower-income areas. Per capita income in its prior two counties was $39,841, which was 13% higher than the national average, compared with $30,730 in the new counties, which is 13% lower than the U.S. average.

Evergreen has four branches, all in Cumberland County. Other credit unions have 50 branches in Cumberland County and 21 branches in York County. In the new areas, other credit unions have 29 branches.

“This is a major win for everyone in these four northern counties bordering Cumberland County who have been asking us for years if they could access our services,” President/CEO Jason Lindstrom said. “There are so many that filter between all these counties that now can take advantage of our technology and products.”

Credit Union of Ohio has four branches in Franklin County, where it’s headquartered and Columbus is located, and one in Trumbull County, which includes part of Youngstown in the state’s northeast and one in Cuyahoga County, which includes Cleveland. The other two counties in its previous area were Fairfield County, just southeast of Columbus and Mahoning County, just south of Trumbull County.

Its Trumbull County branch was part of its acquisition of First Choice Community Credit Union in late 2020, when it had 2,503 members and $20 million in assets. Last August Credit Union of Ohio acquired Trumbull County Postal Employees Credit Union ($981,536 in assets, 149 members as of June 2021).

In its previous five-county area, Credit Union of Ohio had six branches, while other credit unions had 169 branches in its previous five-county area, and have 97 in the new 11 counties, according to NCUA data.

Average household income in the 11 new counties was $89,441 in 2020, or 2% less than the U.S. average, while average income in the previous five-county area was $78,628, or 14% less than the U.S. average.

SVP Jill Gerschutz said Credit Union of Ohio is ready for growth and has invested significant efforts in expansion with three mergers in northeast Ohio since 2020.

“We never want to have to say ‘no’ to helping individuals or families that need financial assistance because they live outside of our field of membership,” Gerschutz said. “We’re excited that this expansion of our membership charter will allow us to help so many more Ohioans achieve their financial goals.”