Service Credit Union Green Corporate Offices Building Under Way

PORTSMOUTH, NH. (March 25, 2011) – Gordon Simmons, President/CEO of Service Credit Union, recently announced that construction will begin on the credit union’s LEED certified, new corporate offices building at 2995 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth in the spring of 2011. The 100,000 square foot building is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2012.

Currently, Service Credit Union’s Corporate Offices resides at 2010 Lafayette Road in Portsmouth in a 19,000 square foot building. The new building, designed by the architectural firm of GUND Partnership of Cambridge, Mass., will be constructed with local, New Hampshire labor. Both the new and current Corporate Office buildings will accommodate present and expected future growth over the next ten to fifteen years. Service Credit Union will immediately house over 100 employees, bringing 60 new jobs to the city after completion with plans for expansion of another 40 or more jobs over the next five years.

“Service Credit Union is committed to a clean, friendly environment”, says Gordon Simmons, “thus, we are pleased that we were able to pursue the LEED green initiative (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) directed by the U. S. Green Building Council. Our LEED building addresses the cleanup of a formerly contaminated landsite, water, energy and atmospheric efficiencies, materials and resources as well as indoor environmental quality, innovation and design. We are striving for a LEED Gold certification”. The new corporate offices will be designed and built using strategies intended to improve performance in metrics such as energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction and improved indoor environmental quality. Some of LEED elements of the building include skylights, geothermal heating and natural sunlight.

“Service Credit Union is committed to environmental stewardship and social responsibility by conserving energy and water, providing a healthier, safer workplace and reducing waste,” says Gordon Simmons.

“Because of our members’ loyalty and our consistent steady growth, we have outgrown our present space,” says Gordon Simmons. “This larger facility will allow Service Credit Union and its employees to effectively serve our growing local and worldwide membership.”

“Our members will continue to experience the same exceptional service, low loan rates and high deposit rates with low or no fees as they always have,” according to Gordon Simmons. “And, we thank our members for their support of their credit union.”

The four-story building will feature a full service, 24/7 member service call center, foreign exchange, member check imaging, processing and control, Finance, community rooms, conference rooms, departmental and executive offices. The three community rooms will be offered for use by local city government, not-for-profit organizations and other community based associations to help with the growing need for meeting space in Portsmouth and nearby towns.

This new building expands Service Credit Union’s footprint in the area. More than 50 years ago, the credit union began at Pease Air Force Base as the Portsmouth Air Force Base Federal Credit Union to serve military and civilian employees there. Now the largest credit union in New Hampshire at more than $1.8 billion in assets and serving the citizens in nine of the ten counties in the state, four towns in Massachusetts and with members around the world, Service Credit Union has grown to serve close to 146,000 members with branches in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Germany. Besides the new corporate offices, the credit union’s current properties will be used by the credit union for present requirements and to expand on future needs.

Service Credit Union is a full service financial institution, offering a wide range of financial products to its members. With 35 branch locations including two staffed 24/7 contact centers, and full internet banking services, Service Credit Union serves anyone who lives or works in New Hampshire (excluding Coos County), 4 towns in Cape Cod, MA., and all branches of the U.S. Military and Department of Defense employees and their families. Service Credit Union has 18 branches in New Hampshire, one in Massachusetts, and 16 branches on U.S. military bases in Germany.