On Thursday, Purdue Federal Credit Union (Purdue Federal) hosted a networking open house with drinks and appetizers. Members of the Crown Point business community visited the branch to network with Purdue Federal staff. Some of the credit union staff, including CEO Bob Falk, came from West Lafayette to visit with the local community.
“Our leadership team loves coming up to Northwest Indiana to help area businesses and residents understand what sets Purdue Federal apart from other institutions,” said Falk. “They often don’t realize that our headquarters is in West Lafayette, but have locations in both Crown Point and La Porte. We’re trying to get the word out that we’re here, we’re a great value, and we’re a great place to do business.”
As a credit union, Purdue Federal is owned by its members. Rather than reporting to shareholders, the credit union works instead to meet its members’ needs and exceed their expectations.
“We strive to be really good at taking care of our members and that's something that's driven all of our employees,” said Falk. “We hire people that specifically want to take good care of the people we're working with. We're just a true cooperative in that sense. We're trying to really focus on the person in front of us.”
By hosting the networking event, Purdue Federal was able to introduce itself to the local business community.
“Being able to do an event like this lets us introduce ourselves to maybe some businesses that we haven't had the opportunity to meet,” said Tracey Linder, assistant vice president of retail at Purdue Federal. “It also lets businesses meet each other and mingle, and get to know one another. It's exciting for us to be able to do these things for the community.”
Purdue Federal closely values community, and the credit union always enjoys being an active participant in the areas it serves.
“We are constantly trying to connect with the community up here through businesses and schools," said Carrie North, assistant vice president of marketing at Purdue Federal. “We're really trying to expand our partnership with area schools. We have partnerships right now with Andrean and Hanover Central, and we have debit cards that are branded for those schools. They were designed by the students in the schools, and then the community voted on the design they liked most. It is a fun way for us to connect with our communities and their schools. We're just trying to introduce ourselves more with that.”
Northwest Indiana is a perfect area for Purdue Federal to grow into, especially through relationships with local organizations and schools such as Purdue University Northwest.
“We've obviously dominated the West Lafayette and Lafayette market, but we know there's Purdue locations elsewhere in the state,” said Falk. “We've got to be wherever those locations are, because we know we have a lot of loyal fans in those areas. They are people that understand Purdue Federal and are eligible for membership, as well as other companies that have joined our organization as well.”
For more information about Purdue Federal Credit Union in Northwest Indiana, go to PURDUEFED.COM/CROWNPOINT.
