Business View Magazine | February 2021

213 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2021 ZEAL CREDI T UNION but we certainly want to be a fast follower.” So to us, it could mean more mini locations popping up around Michigan where you can use an interactive teller machine (ITM); or pure technology where the entire interaction is completely digital. Will we look into crypto currency? How will we continue to stay relevant for our members? Those are the questions we ask ourselves during our strategy meetings.” As for how we can continue to meet the needs of local businesses, Wallace notes, “There will be a lot of opportunity for businesses to realign, redesign, or even renew their existing connection to the community to maintain growth and retention. For us, we recognize that we need to be just as accessible to businesses in our local communities as we are to individual members. That’s something we’ll be focusing on this year and in the years to come – how to be an even greater resource to local businesses in our area.” To help small businesses, Zeal has a CUSO (Credit Union Service Organization) that handles commercial lending and they provide PPP loans to those that need it. Given that community events and gatherings didn’t happen in 2020 and might not happen in 2021, the importance of still getting out and being part of the community is stronger than ever. As Kreinbring shares, “We need to be there for our members and their families, so we’re discussing whether we’ll do this through grants or donations or additional means. Throughout the last few months, we asked our staff to visit local businesses and have a ‘meal on Zeal’ (lunch or dinner) on us – as a way of supporting small businesses. And for the hospitals and police and all the frontline workers, we donated lunches and made sure we were giving back to the community to help lessen the burden. We even started offering a special discount on mortgage loans for our first responders to make things easier for them. We are continuously trying to do everything we can to help those who are helping us in our communities.” Harold Holmes Senior Vice President, Brand Ambassador hholmes@pfpservices.com • 313-510-5086 PO Box 1500, Orange, CT 06477-9963 www.FamilySecurityPlan.com Giving credit unions the power to connect, engage and grow.