Mil-Way FCU expands office space to better serve members

Mil-Way Federal Credit Union, at 2000 Arkansas Blvd. in Texarkana Ark., is expanding its office space to better accommodate customers and its operations.

Having bought the property formerly occupied by Twin Cities Church of God, Mil-Way managers answered the question they had been asking themselves for a little while: Should they stay, or should they go?

"We like our current location, but we were kind of hemmed in at the time," said Allen Brown, president/CEO of Mil-Way Federal Credit Union. "We were thinking we might have to relocate. But we have had great relations with our neighbors, Twin Cities Church of God. So when the property became available, we decided to buy, and now we are expanding."

Mil-Way takes its name from its early origins in which the credit union first had a member base made up of the local military personnel and Miller County and railway employees. Established in 1956, the credit union is locally focused with offices at 2000 Arkansas Blvd., on West Seventh Street in Texarkana, Texas, and in Ashdown, Ark. As time went on, Mil-Way expanded its member base with Cooper Tire in 1966.

"The original idea of credit unions was to make a type of bank that could serve the underserved sectors of a community," Brown said. "Credit unions are insured by a different entity, and we have an array of financial services designed to serve community segments that may sometimes get overlooked."

From a member base originally made up of several hundred, Mil-Way now has a roster of more than 12,000 members.

The new facilities will permit Mil-Way to expand and rearrange how it serves its members.

"There will be a drive-through, a full-service mortgage department, and we will have more room for additional administration services," said Cari Brown, vice president of administration. "Also, with our drive-through going next door, our main building can be expanded on the property we occupy currently. We anticipate moving into the new facilities in the middle of next year."

Source: Texarkana Gazette
Photo by Junius Stone