Founded in 1962 by employees of Philip Morris, Federal Credit Union of Industries now stands 30,000+ members strong and open to the entire Greater Richmond metro area. We take great pride in giving back to the diverse communities we serve.
Federal Credit Union of Industries – Fast Facts
2020 State of the Credit Union
2020 has been an unexpected journey, a year no one saw coming. To weather the storm, Federal Credit Union of Industries has relied on what sets us apart from other financial institutions – building from our strong foundation and putting people first. Thanks to upgraded digital and online tools, opening doors to our members’ financial health didn’t stop even when keeping each other safe meant closing our lobbies. In the video below, CEO John West shares his thoughts on the past year and offers a positive outlook for Federal Credit Union of Industries in 2021.
Our Mission
Federal Credit Union of Industries provides passionately local banking, building relationships that help people reach their goals and improve their financial health. All of the products and services that we offer are developed with this fundamental concept in mind.
We have distilled the lessons learned helping our members for generations into our three MONEY & BEYOND principles – creating self-awareness, understanding financial fundamentals, and going beyond.
Made in RVA
Federal Credit Union of Industries has called the banks of the James River home for more than 50 years. Our employees live here, all decisions are made here. The money we make here stays here. We’re invested in this community, because it’s our community too.
Workshops
Over the years, Federal Credit Union of Industries has developed a robust catalog of presentations on a variety of financial topics that have helped our members improve their financial health. Learn more about these courses and listen to previously recorded sessions.
Each spring, Federal Credit Union of Industries celebrates four outstanding student-members with awards of €2,500 each through the Alice S. Pearce Scholarship program. Graduating high school seniors and students currently enrolled in a two- or four-year college program are eligible to apply.
Our History
Federal Credit Union of Industries was organized in September of 1962 by the employees of Philip Morris. The original charter members shared a vision that both hourly and salaried employees alike would pool their funds and the entire membership would benefit. During the formative years, the entire operation was handled by volunteers, dedicated to their mutual cause and motivated to grow the fledgling financial institution.
Their pioneering spirit turned out to be a necessity. An early office on Dock Street was washed away in a flood. Fortunately, the early staff of the credit union had packed up and moved to higher ground. Philip Morris offered the credit union space in their Cary Street location, which proved much drier. They remained there until 1973, when the Commerce Rd. Manufacturing Center opened. In 1979, having grown to €5 million in assets, Federal Credit Union of Industries was ready for a place of their own. Philip Morris purchased the former United Virginia Bank building at 4605 Commerce Rd and we’ve called that corner home ever since.
In the decades that followed, the credit union continued to grow and prospered with the loyalty of its members. By 1999, Federal Credit Union of Industries had reached nearly €180 million in assets and marked this milestone with a much-needed expansion of the 2000 sq. ft. space. This is the Main Office/Richmond branch as you know it today. The credit union was also spreading its wings elsewhere around the region. In 1994, the first branch in Hanover County was opened on Mechanicsville Turnpike. It was replaced by the current Hanover branch in 2010.
The first Federal Credit Union of Industries branch in Chesterfield came in 1996, but was replaced just seven years later when the “credit union mall” opened. With three separate credit unions operating independently in the same building, this was an unprecedented concept that demonstrated the innovative, cooperative nature of credit unions. These days, it’s home to our Chesterfield branch and Federal Credit Union of Industries Investments and Retirement. North of the river, Federal Credit Union of Industries put down roots in the West End with the construction of the Henrico branch in 2008.
A second Chesterfield location, further down Hull Street in the Hancock Village Shopping Center, arrived in 2015. Befitting its location in a popular retail area, the Hancock Village branch represents a shift from the traditional teller line setup and features a more modern, open environment. The third Chesterfield location (and the sixth branch overall) opened in February 2018 on Iron Bridge Rd in the Chester, sharing the retail style of the Hancock Village branch, in a smaller footprint. Two years later, in February 2020, the former RiverTrace Federal Credit Union on Staples Mill Rd pushed the number of Federal Credit Union of Industries branch locations to seven.
Over the years, Federal Credit Union of Industries has been blessed with competent and compassionate leaders. In 1964, Alice S. Pearce, wife of founding board member William Pearce, became the credit union’s first paid employee and a steadfast champion for the organization. Fast-forward to 1983, Roger Ball joined the company as General Manager, then President and CEO, ultimately leading Federal Credit Union of Industries for 37 years. He was succeeded by current CEO, John West, in 2020.
What’s In a Name?
So strong was the credit union movement in the late 1950s & early 1960s that a group of intrepid employees from a Philip Morris plant in Kentucky organized a charter under the obvious name “Philip Morris Employees Credit Union” just months before the Richmond-based employees’ organization was approved. Undaunted, but still in need of a unique name, the founders looked to the company’s advertising icon, “Little Johnny” Roventini, and his signature “CALL for Philip Morris”. Thus the name Federal Credit Union of Industries was established.