History

The continual success of Florida Commerce Credit Union allows today's members to enjoy the benefits of a wide range of services, up-to-date technology and modern facilities. Business was not always like this, however. In the past 65+ years, Florida Commerce has experienced phenomenal growth from the humble beginnings of a desk drawer teller to a credit union with seven branches and over 35,000 members.

In 1940, the credit union established itself as a financial resource for the employees and families of the Florida Industrial Commission, later renamed the Florida Department of Commerce (DOC). Driven by the credit union philosophy of people helping people, the charter's original mission was to provide a place where members could pool their financial resources for the benefit of all members. That place began in the desk drawer of DOC employee Joe Hitt, who served members by cashing checks and submitting loan applications to a credit committee.

After the Department of Labor and Employment Securities was formed out of the Department of Commerce, the credit union continued to grow. New services, such as share drafts (checking accounts) were so popular the credit union had to add more employees to provide faster and better service. To meet the increasing demands for service, the credit union purchased and renovated its first building in the Office Plaza Center.

This move had a great impact on the credit union's membership growth. For the first time, membership expanded beyond the DOC/DLES employees. In the mid 1980s, the credit union built a larger and more accessible branch office on Old St. Augustine Road. Florida Commerce expanded again in late 1992 when it gained the Florida Education Center, Room 148, Turlington Bldg., branch office, an additional 2,300 members and $6.5 million in assets when it merged with First Financial Credit Union. Six months later, another full-service branch was opened in northeast Tallahassee at 3515 Maclay Blvd to accommodate the growing number of members in that area. In early 1996 the Mahan Drive Building was completed and now houses the Florida Commerce administrative offices and another full-service branch at 2330 Mahan Drive. In 2003, Florida Commerce became a neighbor to the Bradfordville Publix. This full-service branch features the latest technology such as cyber-cafes, video drive-thrus, and cinema-style messaging screens. In October of 2005, Florida Commerce opened its seventh location on the southside of town at 5062 Capital Circle SW, located in the Publix Shopping Center on Crawfordville Rd. The end of 2007 saw Florida Commerce relocate its Westside location from the corner of Hartsfield and Capital Circle to 1460 Capital Circle NW (corner of Tharpe St and Capital Circle NW). The brand new, state of the art branch offers a wide range of amenities including, a cyber cafe with televisions and computers, a kid's play center, two ATMs, a four lane drive thru, and plenty of parking.

Proof of Florida Commerce's success is evident by its sustained growth. The credit union now employs nearly 150 people, while assets have increased from $3 million in 1974 to $285+ million at the end of 2007. In addition to these accomplishments, the credit union has expanded its member services. Programs such as the MasterCard debit/ATM card, Free iShop! and iNest! checking accounts, TELiBRANCH, a 24-hour service to access your account and iBranch!, an on-line banking system, are just a few examples of how Florida Commerce is paving the way for even more growth and better member service.

Since 1993, Florida Commerce has been honored by the Credit Union National Association's Bridge Awards program for its award-winning member publications. Every year since 1994, the credit union has received the Five Star Bauer Rating, the highest award given by Bauer Financial Reports, Inc., for outstanding performance and strong capitalization. In 1993, the National Association of Federal Credit Unions named Florida Commerce National Credit Union of the Year. Furthermore, Florida Commerce has been voted "Best of Tallahassee" in the credit union category for the past four years, as well as received the Tally Award for the People's Choice in the financial institution category in 2007.

In June of 1997, Florida Commerce changed from a federal charter to a state chartered credit union. Since all of the credit union's offices are in Florida, a Florida state charter allows Florida Commerce to better serve Floridians who don't have a credit union available to them. Florida Commerce membership is open to anyone living or working in Leon, Gadsden, Jefferson, Madison, Liberty, and Wakulla counties.

Just as Florida Commerce's membership becomes more diversified each year, so do our products and services. From 24-hour account access to mortgage lending to iShop! Checking, the checking account the pays you, we are committed to serving as your financial partner for life. Because at Florida Commerce, we're committed to you!