Atomic Credit Union to open Fayette County branch

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Atomic Credit Union will open its Fayette County branch this summer. Atomic Credit Union was established in November of 1955 by the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (The Atomic Plant) to serve the plant workers and immediate family members.

Atomic Credit Union now serves over 63,000 members at 14 branch locations in 19 counties across Ohio, with the Washington Court House branch being number 15. A 16th branch is set to open in Circleville as well.

The location will be 1501 Columbus Ave. in Washington Court House, the former PNC Bank building. President and CEO of Atomic Credit Union, Thomas Griffiths, spoke about this business opportunity.

“In 2021, Atomic Credit Union sought approval with the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions to increase its charter from 14 counties to an additional five counties, of which Fayette County was one of those new counties. We proactively pursued Fayette County and specifically the city of Washington Court House as our next step in growing our footprint. I was amazed there were no other credit unions in Fayette County. Washington Court House has to be the largest populated city in Ohio without a credit union presence.”

Griffiths continued, “I am beyond excited to introduce the credit union difference in this part of the state. I firmly believe that once the residents of Fayette County understand the banking differences and philosophies Atomic Credit Union operates within, banking with us will be the way it used to be, and it should be. We employ local people that have the autonomy to make local lending decisions, and the level of service offered by our front line staff will be the best in town.”

So, what makes a credit union different from a bank?

“Credit unions are very similar to banks in the products and services they offer,” replied Griffiths. “How credit unions differentiate themselves from banks can be found in the manner in which they are run. Atomic Credit Union is led by an all-volunteer unpaid board of directors, while banks are typically run by a group of paid shareholders that have the most stake in the bank, collectively its board of directors.”

Griffiths finished, “The credit union difference is really huge when making decisions about the future of the organization; the board of directors make their decisions on what is best for the membership of the credit union, while it can be argued that bank boards ask themselves what is best for their personal stock value. By making decisions that are best for the entire organization and each individual member, the credit union board inherently seeks to please the entire membership by offering lower loan rates and higher dividend rates, while insisting on providing the absolute best member service experience in the market.”

Griffiths also released a statement to the community.

“We are thrilled to offer the residents of Fayette County membership into Atomic Credit Union. We are one of, if not the fastest, growing credit union in Ohio. We have more than 63,000 members in southern Ohio and are growing by more than an average of 350 net new members each month. That growth rate is a testament to the level of service the residents of Fayette County can expect to receive from Atomic Credit Union. Twice in the last few years we have been listed as one of the Best in State Credit Unions in Ohio by Forbes Magazine.”

Griffiths wrapped up by saying, “One of the most recognizable programs Atomic Credit Union offers the communities it serves is the ability for local schools to partner with us and create a student-run Credit Union Program. Atomic has been awarded numerous times as the best provider of youth financial education in the entire country. It is a real-life, hands-on, learning opportunity for youth in grades K–12. Not only do the students open accounts and learn to start saving but they are the actual workers of the student-run branch, from tellers, to bookkeepers, to branch managers. I encourage any school interested in the program to reach out to our Director of Financial Education, Andy Eisnaugle. We currently have more than 50 partnering schools in the program.”

Atomic Credit Union currently has a total of 205 employees. They have been named a “Best in State Credit Union” for three years, and a “Best Credit Union to work for” for eight years, according to sources. Anyone interested in employment opportunities can apply online by visiting www.atomiccu.com

By Tyler Flora

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