With pandemic easing, all lobbies open for first time in 14 months.
Starting Tuesday, June 1, every STCU branch location will be fully open for the first time in 14 months.
[may 27, 2021]
“This is yet another sign that the Northwest is emerging from the pandemic and fully open for business,” said Ezra Eckhardt, president and CEO. “We know that many in the community still face challenges, and we’re here to help at each and every one of our locations.”
Following the Memorial Day weekend, STCU will reopen its Downtown Spokane Branch, which has been remodeled, and the STCU branch in Spokane’s historic Hutton Building. In addition, the credit union will reopen the lobbies at two branch locations where drive-through lanes have remained open: Cheney Branch, and the Queensgate Branch in Tri-Cities.
STCU continues to ask members and staff to abide by social distancing guidelines, and to wear masks if they’re not fully vaccinated.
STCU has 28 branch locations in Eastern Washington, North Idaho, Tri-Cities, and the Columbia Basin. While drive-through lanes and ATMs have remained open, the credit union closed some of its lobbies starting in March 2020. That move allowed STCU to allocate more resources to higher-volume branch locations, and provide more flexibility for staff scheduling as schools shifted to remote learning.
During the pandemic, STCU members have used the credit union’s mobile app, online banking, and other digital banking tools in record numbers. Use of those tools continues to climb, despite the easing of some social distancing guidelines.
Despite those trends, the credit union’s commitment to in-person service remains strong. STCU added five branch locations during the pandemic, and is scheduled to open its long-anticipated Argonne Branch this summer. In addition, the proposed merger with Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union, would add another five branch locations.
If all goes as planned, Spokane’s largest credit union will have 35 branch locations by year’s end, up from 22 at the start of the pandemic.
“Visiting a branch remains a foundation to the STCU member experience,” said Chris Severin, STCU vice president of retail. “Our branch staff are ready and excited to open every door for our members “
About STCU
A not-for-profit financial cooperative with more than 227,000 members, and $4.4 billion in total assets, STCU recently was honored by the Credit Union National Association for its pandemic response. That included assisting thousands of members facing economic hardships, and processing more than 2,000 forgivable loans for small businesses through the federal Paycheck Protection Program.