After more than two years of construction, the new Steinbach Credit Union branch in downtown Steinbach will open to the public this morning.

Crews broke ground June 27, 2013 on the new six storey, 95,000 square foot structure. Chief Executive Officer Glenn Friesen says this building is long overdue. He notes back in 1997 they expanded the existing location from 24,000 square feet to 36,000 square feet. He notes they had thought that building would then be large enough for many years to come.

But Friesen says, just four years later they moved one of their departments out of that building, with the intent of taking it back six months later. Fourteen years later, that department and the seven others that have been dispersed throughout Steinbach are heading "home."

Branch Manager Geoff Dilts says there are about 260 staff employed in Steinbach. But only about 100 of those staff had been working out of the branch office. The remaining 160 were stationed elsewhere. As of Tuesday morning (July 14), all staff will work under one roof.

"It's a beautiful branch, it's very, very nice," says Friesen. "There's lots of glass, lots of space. We have room for our staff, we're not in the basement. It's just a very beautiful place to work."

Yet, for Friesen, leaving the old branch is bittersweet. Having had an office there for seventeen years, he says it's a little bit sad to go, even though they are moving on to something bigger and better.

According to Dilts, a lot has happened over the last few weeks in order to get everything ready for opening day.

"Everybody really pitched in and did a lot of extra stuff," says Dilts. "Over the last three weeks we've moved member files, safety deposit boxes, actual physical move of our staff, this last weekend we had a big move, all of our teller stuff and lenders they all moved all together. It was a busy, busy weekend but we got er done."

Doors open Tuesday morning at 9:25. Dilts says all services will be available to members at that time. However, Friesen reminds members that the project isn't fully complete yet and so crews will likely still be on site wrapping things up over the next three to four weeks.

Friesen says opening day is slightly later than expected, but considering the setbacks of that very cold winter of 2013-14, he says they are doing extremely well to open at this time.

Read More:

SCU Announces Opening Day

SCU Breaks Ground On New Branch

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