Welcome to Clarion Federal Credit Union’s Construction Blog! Since the credit union belongs to you – the members – we want to keep you informed about the status of your new credit union building. Stop back here every week or two to keep track of our building progress; we will be updating the blog with photos and commentary until our planned opening in July 2010.
 
June 9, 2010
The first staff meeting at the new office was held yesterday. For some employees this was the first time they had been inside the new office...and everyone agreed that it looks fantastic! There is so much more that we will be able to offer you in this new location.

As you know we will open in the new location on Monday, June 28th. We will celebrate our opening throughout the week: stop in at the Clarion office to sign up for a chance to win a new flat screen TV, a gift card, or a cooler. On Friday, July 2nd we’ll have coffee, donuts, and cookies in the lobby for our customers…hope to see you there!
 
     
 
     
 
         
 
 
May 23, 2010
Just a little over a month and the credit union will be operating out of the new office. Much of the exterior work is now complete…including the sign. If you haven’t seen it in your travels, it’s worth a drive past – preferably in the evening when it’s lit up!

Take note that on Friday, June 25th the Clarion office will be closing early at 4:30 p.m. to allow staff to prepare for the move. The Clarion office will also be closed on Saturday as the move is completed. We will be ready to serve you on June 28th in our new location! The Marienville office’s hours will not be affected.

Keep checking back for more photos as we begin to put the finishing touches on your new credit union office!
 
     
 
           
 
 
April 27, 2010
More photos! The interior is really beginning to come together – lighting, paint, molding, and doors. Much of the brick work on the exterior has been completed, and crews are putting finishing touches on the roof. Everything looks fantastic!

One improvement at the new location is that it’s visible from so many different areas. We’ve heard many comments from staff and members regarding how nice the new building looks from other area locations. Look for a new sign to be installed in the near future…pictures will be updated as changes occur.
 
     
 
     
 
         
 
 
April 5, 2010
Work on the new building has progressed by leaps and bounds since our last blog entry. What seemed like a huge dusty plywood mess just a few weeks ago is now beginning to look like a credit union office. The oak trim has been installed in many areas of the building which added some much needed warmth to the stark white drywall. There are also several doors now installed which gives the interior space a more professional character. Notice the strange looking metal boxes on the ceiling? Those are the heating and cooling units for each individual office. Very rarely is everyone too hot or too cold at the same time, so modern technology has invented a way to vary the temperature in each office…within reason!

Work on the exterior has continued as well. Most of the roof work has been completed, and brick-work on the walls has begun. If you look closely you will see the almost three-dimensional brick-work near the windows and the burgundy accent line that wraps across the front of the building. It looks more impressive each day…if you happen to be in the area drive past and see for yourself!

Also, congratulations to the winning directors who were re-elected at the 70th Annual Meeting. It was a nice evening filled with credit union discussion and some great giveaways. Visit the Board of Directors page to learn more about your credit union’s directors.

We will be back with building updates soon!
 
     
 
     
 
         
 
 
March 10, 2010
Things are moving along quite nicely down at the construction site! Walls are being insulated and covered in drywall, and almost all of the windows have been installed. Work on the roof has once again started, and as you can see in one of the pictures, crews have begun to attach metal roofing over the drive-thru. Having seen the inside of the building, it’s safe to say members will be pleased with all the space they will have when attending to any of their credit union business – deposit OR loan related!

If you purchased tickets for the Annual Meeting, it will be held Tuesday, March 16th at the Antler Club in Lucinda. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. – hope to see you there! The annual Saver Squirrel coloring contest will be starting very soon…watch the home page for details.

Only three and a half months to go – we will keep you posted on the progress!
 
     
 
     
 
 
February 1, 2010
We are now firmly into 2010, and the construction of your new credit union office is progressing rather quickly. Since our last update, we have added a roof, windows are currently being set, and work continues on the interior offices. As you can see in the pictures work on the drive-thru has continued: not only will there be two teller lanes, but there will also be a separate ATM lane eliminating the need for ATM customers to wait for members completing teller-assisted transactions and vice-versa. We all may have a touch of the ‘winter doldrums’ right now, but nonetheless, the credit union staff is very excited about all of the changes that will improve our ability to serve you better and more efficiently!

Don’t forget – the Annual Meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, March 16th. We will post additional details on the website as they are confirmed.
 
     
 
     
 
         
 
 
December 22, 2009
In three days we will all able to sit back, relax, and enjoy the efforts of our shopping, cooking, and baking with our closest friends and family…and, if the temperature stays this low, we may indeed have a white Christmas.

We are truly beginning to get excited about the new building. Not only will the new location be convenient – it appears that there may be some very nice views as well! As you can see, things are starting to take shape with the framing of the second story. Framing for office walls is being completed which makes the new office’s design a bit more evident. Roof trusses have been ordered, and crews plan to begin the steel framing for the drive thru this week.

Keep following our blog for more pictures and updates. All of us here at the Credit Union wish you and yours a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
 
     
 
     
 
           
 
 
December 2, 2009
There is officially less than one month left before Christmas. While many of you have been busy shopping, decorating, and preparing to celebrate the holiday season, work on the new main office has progressed steadily. As you can see in the pictures, the basement is beginning to take shape, and the first floor walls and offices are being framed. Drive-thru tubes have been buried which means that your transactions will now go underground to reach the building, differing from the current overhead system! Crews will continue their work on the new building in an attempt to get things ‘under-roof’ before the snow flies.

If you haven’t yet used the online banking or e-statement services, take a few minutes to check them out on the website…you will save time, paper, and money! Also, don’t forget to stop in with your children to sign up for a Saver Squirrel account and the chance to win the super-size stocking that’s hanging in the lobby!
 
     
 
           
 
 
November 16, 2009
Our construction crew has poured the basement floor, and now the framing work has begun. Everything is moving so quickly - harsh weather has held off allowing the crew to make a lot of progress!

Congratulations to the winners of our Saver Squirrel Kids' Club coloring contest: Anna, Alissa, and Neel at the Clarion office and Taylor, Zoe, and Olivia at the Marienville office! All of the contest submissions were creative and artistic - thanks to everyone who participated! Saver Squirrel members don't forget... the huge Christmas stocking will soon be appearing at the credit union! All Kid's club members are eligible to enter to win!

Watch for the next update soon!
 
     
 
           
 
 
November 3, 2009
While driving past the construction site lately, you may have been wondering what the tall block structure is that seems to be sticking up from the rest of the foundation. It’s actually an elevator shaft! It might come as a surprise to some that we actually print, fold, and sort all of our 8500 members’ statements here at the office in Clarion…..and, yes, we carry all the mailer trays down the stairs to be taken to the Post Office. An elevator will be a very welcome change, not only for statement processing, but for deliveries and accessibility as well.

Keep checking back – progress is being made daily!
 
     
 
     
 
 
October 26, 2009
Block work has started! Talk about progress…from a field, to a few piles of dirt…and now the beginnings of an actual building. Take a look at the pictures below for the latest update on the credit union’s building project!

Thanks to all who stopped by last Thursday to join in the International Credit Union Day open house. We had a nice turnout of new and old members alike. Congratulations to door prize winners Alisha Heeter, Robin Aaron, Vic Cherico, Dale Matson, Phyllis Agnello, Brittany Stewart, Annetta Radaker, and Vincent Wolbert of the Clarion office; and to John Oliver, John Wantje, Vicki Wojtaszek, and Karen Clow of the Marienville office.
 
     
 
           
 
 
October 20, 2009
We trust everyone enjoyed that brief preview of the looming winter weather last week! While most of us were warm & cozy inside watching the first snow of the year, crews were busy continuing with work on the credit union’s new main office. As our updated pictures show, there is now a basic hole in the ground where the building will sit. Footers for the new building are expected to be poured on Wednesday, and block work will begin shortly thereafter.

Don’t forget to join us on Thursday (the 22nd) for International Credit Union day – we’ll have punch, cookies, and the usual freebies!
 
     
 
         
 
 
October 6, 2009
Your board of directors and management staff have spent many long hours planning for the construction of a new, larger, more convenient, and more efficient credit union office. That planning turned into reality late this summer. After purchasing a parcel of land along Holiday Inn Road (across from Pizza Hut) we have contracted with Struxures in Seneca to build the office. The official ground-breaking ceremony was held Thursday October 1st. While there isn’t much to see, aside from some excavated dirt, we want to you to watch the progress with us from start to finish!
 
     
 
 
August 3, 2009 - Land Purchase & New Building - Moving Forward
On July 31, 2009 we purchased a three acre lot off of Holiday Inn Road and are planning on building a new headquarters / branch there. We have searched for an appropriate site for a long time and found this site to be ideal. The convenience of this new location will allow easy access for our approximately 8,500 members while giving us the needed visibility for additional growth to that number.

We have outgrown our current location’s size, and while it has served its purpose well, we will be moving all services to the new location upon construction. I know that while the news of moving will make a lot of members happy, the move will also make some unhappy. I realize that some entities and those members that are very close to our current location, like Owens-Illinois, have grown comfortable with the close access, but I ask that they understand the need to provide convenient access to the huge number of members that aren’t as close.

The design for the new building will be a two story brick building with an exposed basement on the southern side – making it look to be three stories. There will be drive-through service and an ATM lane. Square footage approximates 8,000 feet and will double what we currently have. The size will allow for more private lending areas and new account openings – fixing an enormous concern we currently have. Parking will be more than adequate as we are planning for 29 spaces in the front lot; that is 21 more than we have now. The drive-in lanes will be able to accommodate many more vehicles without blocking current customers, or potentially causing the backlog of members being forced to stop on the street while waiting for service.

We are now in the process of getting bidding papers ready and will put the project out for bid in approximately mid-August.

I will keep you updated as things progress; so until next time, thanks for being a member.

Mark A. Lauer
Chief Executive Officer