Committed to serving you with distinction
THE BEGINNING of this calendar year signalled a very exciting period for the county of Cornwall. It heralded a merger of the two indigenous credit union, to St James and Hanover (Montego Co-operative and Hanover Co-operative Credit Unions). The new entity, Gateway Co-operative Credit Union (2017) Limited (GCCUL), was launched on January 3, 2017 with new opportunities for our members.
Gateway Co-operative Credit Union (2017) Limited operates form the townships of Montego Bay and Lucea. Our more than 70,000 members now benefit from the convenience offered by having multiple locations at which to
conduct their business and greater access to a wider range of products and services that have become available through the merger. Additionally, the geographic coverage of the GCCUL has expanded beyond St James and Hanover, allowing persons and co-operatives in the entire county of Cornwall the opportunity to become members.
With the myriad of trends shaping the retail banking landscape, GCCUL has undertaken a big-picture approach with a clear focus on the forces that are driving the industry. We have sharpened our value proposition and our team has sought to plant flags in the market in view of the intense competition and the fierce battle to differentiate ourselves, notwithstanding the homogeneity of some products.
We are confident we will continue to grow and succeed with our amazing team that is committed to working together to provide our member with expert advice and service, while we build on a solid foundation of key strengths, including a strong capital base (over $68 billion in assets and in excess of $5 billion in resources) and excellent risk and expense management policies. We are now well positioned to navigate the road map to success in this new environment through organic initiatives and new member acquisitions.
FOCUS ON LOYALTY
We will continue to focus on building our members’ loyalty to a level where they will consider us for all their financial-services needs, thus making it difficult for another institution to attract them. This will have a positive impact on our bottom line as it will make sales less costly and effectively create a larger band of advocates for GCCUL.
The team at Gateway, which I am honoured to lead, is committed and very excited about the merger. The tagline of Gateway – ‘Opening The Way To Your Financial Success’ – is our guiding principle in serving our members with the distinction and the courtesy they deserve.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank all the past volunteers, employees, and other stakeholders who contributed in the past to the success of the entities that have merged to form GCCUL. Their dynamism and mature work ethic have undoubtedly enhanced the aggressive entrepreneurial orientation of our business that led to our collective success and paved the way for Gateway Co-operative Credit Union (2017) Limited.
Finally, I would like to thank our loyal members, who are always top of mind for us. We remain confident that, together, GCCUL’s strong foundation, clearly defined strategies and priorities, and great team of people will ensure continued growth and success for our stakeholders. The dynamics of the industry are changing rapidly, but our dominant priority remains unchanged, our members are our number one priority.