Business View Magazine | October 2020

91 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2020 SEACOMM FEDERAL CREDI T UNION With lobbies restricted during COVID-19, drive- thru transactional teller lines became the new norm. But SeaComm members could still make an appointment to come in for loans, or mortgages, or if there was an issue they had to deal with. The SeaComm team felt it was critical to remain open for people at a time of such uncertainty. As for meeting the demand for technology from its members, in addition to ATMs and online banking, SeaComm has its own pay app that integrates with Google Pay and Apple Pay, and Smart Line where people can call in and get their balances and do transactions by phone. Wilson reports, “At the height of COVID-19, folks really navigated to online services – mobile deposit capture, transferring money, checking balances – and we have all that available to them. So, when we go into a new market, we ensure we’re going to be competitive against other financial institutions. We do a strategic review of all our technology and products and services to make sure we’ll meet the needs of current members and those who want to do business with us in the future.” Expansion is a key component for the credit union’s success that goes back a decade. In 2008, the original SEG (Select Employee Group), General Motors, went bankrupt and closed the plant in Massena, impacting payroll in the region to the tune of $60 million. So, SeaComm started making strategic plans early on to diversify its markets - first opening in Clinton County on the border of Vermont, and in the last two years, taking on three additional counties there. That expansion will happen through 2024. One new branch opened this year, another one will open next year, and then one the following year. Looking ahead, Wilson says, “The future really