Mountain Community Federal Credit Union is holding an open house next Friday, Jan. 18, from 1-4 p.m. at its recently opened office in Fort Oglethorpe.
Formerly known as Hutcheson FCU and located inside Hutcheson hospital’s main campus, the credit union has a new name in addition to its new location.
“We’ve never had an office outside the hospital but the community and our members have been very pleased with the building and its location,” CEO Shannon Walters said.
Located at 5 Forrest Road, the bungalow-style Mountain Community FCU office is located one block east of LaFayette Road, between the Fort Oglethorpe Post Office and Fine’s Hearth & Patio.
The new facility offers easier access and features a drive-thru window, ATM cash machine and plenty of parking for members.
The credit union is open daily from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. while the the drive-thru window operates Monday-Thursday from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.
Mountain Community FCU is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial institution with membership open to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Catoosa County. Like other credit unions, Mountain Community FCU provides many of the same financial services as banks, including checking and savings accounts, loans and ATMs.
But, because it is a not-for-profit cooperative, the local credit union can usually offer lower loan rates, higher savings rates and lower fees than for-profit institutions, according to Mountain Community representatives.
Walters said credit unions also can offer their members/owners special services that for-profit institutions may not always offer.
Examples include small-denomination signature loans under $1,000 to help members through financial difficulties, savings clubs for kids and seniors, financial counseling and one-on-one interaction.
“You will always have a ‘real person’ answer your telephone calls, never a machine,” she said.
In addition to the drive-thru, which was not available at the hospital location and is already proving to be popular with members, Walters said the office’s interior layout is new and oriented toward providing the best customer service possible.
Members are greeted upon entering the office and, rather than approaching the usual teller at a counter, are personally escorted to a free-standing kiosk. There, the teller will transact any banking business using what closely resembles an ATM on steroids.
“It’s called dialogue banking,” Walters said. “Traditional teller cages are no more.”