Credit Union 1: this financial institution has served its Alaska membership for 53 years.

• Author: Martin, Gary L.
• Position: Corporate 100 Company - Company Profile

Alaska's Credit Union 1 is on the move-literally and figuratively. New corporate headquarters, located at 1941 Abbott Road, will open next fall. It will have an on-site child learning center available to Credit Union 1 employees and will provide care for children from 3 to 12 years old.

There also are some new services on the horizon. "We are always looking for ways to improve our current services and add new ones for our members," said Leslie Ellis, president and CEO. "We're currently looking at some new services and loan products that I think will be good for our members.

"One new service that I'm very proud of is the 1 For All Rewards Program. We introduced it last February; it's already being very well accepted."

1 For All Awards Program

Just as the airlines offer customers miles that can be applied to free tickets or seat upgrades, Credit Union 1 now has a program in which its members can generate points (through savings and checking accounts, investments, signing up for e-statements and Bill Pay, etc.) that can be applied toward gifts. They range from getting a free video rental for 1,000 points up to earning a $100 Nordstrom Department Store gift certificate for 20,000 points.

Tom Newins, vice president of member relationship management, said it is even possible to get loan discounts. Members who earn 45,000 points can get a full 1 percent discount off the interest rate on either a new or existing loan with Credit Union 1. Loan discounts start at the 5,000-point level for a .25 percent discount.

"We really try to find ways to serve our membership and not just these members with large accounts," Newins said. "There really aren't that many people with $50,000 or $100,000 savings accounts. So we try to find ways to help everyone; they're all our members."

He also said that detailed information is on its Web site (www.cul.org).

One Step Further

According to Ellis, all credit unions do a good job of taking care of their members. They all provide a high level of service at low costs, but Credit Union 1 takes it one step further.

"What separates us is our focus on member relationships," she said. "Our strategy is to treat each member as an individual. We put a lot of time and focus on that.

"While we treat people as individuals, we also take advantage of technology and try to offer our members the latest and greatest in personal technology to make things easier and more convenient.

"As an example, we put our employees through an extensive...