First Service Credit Union has opened its newest branch, its 12th in the Houston area, in Spring.
The full-service branch, with walk-in service and three drive-up lanes, is at 8640 Spring Cypress Road, near the Champions Forest Drive intersection. It is the latest expansion for fast-growing First Service, which is aggressively pursuing an ambitious growth objective.
“Our goal is to become an $800 million credit union by 2018,” said Dave Bleazard, President of First Service Credit Union. “To achieve that growth, we are expanding and putting branches where we already have many existing members and where we know there are consumers interested in the benefits of credit union membership.”
The new facility is managed by Jonathan Ebizie, who has worked in the credit union industry for seven years and in financial services for 14. The branch offers a more convenient location for thousands of First Service members in Spring, whose nearest branches previously were the Northwest Houston Branch, 12 miles south, and the Woodlands Branch, 17 miles north.
As Bleazard explained, “We know that convenient locations are highly important to our members, and the location of a branch remains a key factor among consumers when they consider new banking relationships. With the population growth and business development in Spring, we saw it as an ideal place to expand at this time.”
First Service bought the land and an existing building for the branch earlier this year. It thoroughly renovated the 4,000-square-foot building, previously owned by Trustmark National Bank.
Bleazard emphasized that First Service is well on its way to achieving its $800 million goal. At the end of 2015, a year in which it grew by 12 percent, the credit union had assets of $597 million.
The new branch will host a community-wide grand opening celebration on Saturday, September 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In addition to games, activities, and free food, there will be prizes such as gaming consoles, Beats headphones, and televisions, along with several cash prizes of up to $1,000. There will also be rewards and prizes for new members joining the credit union that day.