New Facility For Southland Federal Credit Union

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

CROCKETT – Southland Federal Credit Union (SFCU), along with their CEO and board of directors broke ground on their new facility in Crockett Friday, May 24. The new facility will be located directly behind their current location at 1524 East Houston Ave. in Crockett.

The Lufkin-based credit union was founded in the early 1960’s to service paper mill employees and their families, starting out with only $3,000 in assets. With more than $70 million on the books today, Crockett is their only branch and set for a facelift.

The current building will be demolished once the new facility is built, according to SFCU CEO Kathy Harvey. The construction should be done by the end of the year. The Crockett branch dates back to 2004.

“We’ve been needing and wanting a new building for a very long time and it’s finally happening,” Harvey said. “Our whole board is here to let Crockett know we’re here to stay. We’re getting a new building to offer better services, so we’re excited.”

Crockett Branch Supervisor Crystal Griffin was excited about the new branch and the extra services it would allow her to offer people in the area.

“We will be able to have a loan officer on site, where before, customers had to leave and come back. Now we can take care of them right here. And that’s the most exciting part about it for me,” Griffin said.

The friendly faces at the Crockett branch of Southland Federal Credit Union joined company directors to take shovel to dirt to get the new facility underway.

Many people prefer credit unions to traditional banks because of how they work with customers, Harvey said.

“A lot of times, people can’t go to a bank and get financing. We try other options to help them get financing or to establish credit,” Harvey said. “It’s hard to establish credit, especially for the younger generation. We want to help people of all ages to establish credit.”

Harvey was proud SFCU has won The Messenger’s “Readers’ Choice Award” for best banking establishment in Houston County. Seeing how people responded to their way of doing business and the employees, the board decided it was time to upgrade and build the new facility.

For Griffin, the success of the Crockett branch is all about the friendly and neighborly way she and her team treat the people who walk through the door.

“We love them. We treat them like family when they walk in. We know their names and they like that,” Griffin said.

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]