MSUFCU to Open Branch in 2024 to 'Build Relationships' With the Community

Michigan State University Federal Credit Union next year plans to open a branch in Brighton, mid-way along the 85-mile stretch of Interstate 96, separating its headquarters from downtown Detroit.

MSUFCU ($7.7 billion in assets, 353,287 members) is planning a livestream of its Nov. 21 groundbreaking ceremony on its Facebook page.

The Brighton branch will be built at 8510 W. Grand River Ave., right off the I-96 exit, and will be the credit union’s first in Livingston County. It will serve the credit union’s approximately 5,000 existing members who live nearby and the 6,000 MSU alumni and students in the area. Construction is tentatively scheduled to be completed next fall.

“Our goals in opening this new branch are to better serve our existing members living, working and traveling in southeast Michigan, and build relationships with local community partners and organizations,” President/CEO April Clobes said. “These efforts are at the core of our commitment to making financial services more inclusive and creating a positive impact in the communities we serve.”

The new branch’s layout will follow others in an integrated design that offers sit-down desks rather than a traditional teller line. The stations will be staffed by employees who are trained to handle a wide variety of transactions, including opening new accounts and processing loan applications.

MSUFCU has also submitted plans for a new branch in Oakland County at Novi, a block from Twelve Oaks Mall. The credit union had 20 branches and three corporate locations in Michigan as of June.

Other branches were opened earlier this month by Suncoast Credit Union of Tampa, Fla., and Educational Systems Federal Credit Union of Greenbelt, Md.

Educational Systems ($1.3 billion in assets, 88,089 members) opened its branch Nov. 1 in Easton, Md., on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay.

“At Educational Systems Federal Credit Union, our core purpose is serving the education community,” President/CEO Girado Smith said. “The new branch gives us an opportunity to provide unparalleled financial solutions to help school employees, students, parents, companies and organizations who are committed to excellence in education.”

The Easton Branch Manager is Gerald C. Robinson, an Easton native with over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. “My father worked for the Talbot County Board of Education and my mother was an Easton Middle School secretary for 35 years, so I’m excited to lead this branch and make a difference in Easton,” Robinson said.

The new branch at 8448 Ocean Gateway has extended hours, a walk-up ATM and teller pods where members can receive personal assistance. The credit union serves school employees, students, parents and individuals working for education-related organizations.

Suncoast Credit Union ($17.1 billion in assets, 1.2 million members) opened the second of three planned central Florida branches Nov. 7.

Suncoast announced plans in February for three branches in Orange County in central Florida: Two in Orlando and one in Kissimmee. The Kissimmee branch opened in June and the other Orlando branch is expected to open in December.

“This is an incredibly important market for us,” Suncoast President/CEO Kevin Johnson said.

“As Suncoast continues to expand in Central Florida, our goal is to become an integrated part of the community, and to serve the financial needs of those who live and work here,” Johnson said. “We believe that money-saving financial products and services should be accessible to all, and we’re here to provide that.”

The South Semoran Service Center, located at 4530 S. Semoran Blvd, is a full-service location equipped with bilingual team members, an open floor plan in the lobby and a drive-thru Interactive Teller Machine.