“Grand opening” and ribbon cutting at American 1 Credit Union

American 1 Credit Union, located at 10903 M52, celebrated its ribbon cutting ceremony with the Manchester Area Chamber of Commerce last Wednesday. Pictured are Ray Berg (left) representing the MACC; Becky Hatto, Manchester branch manager; Linda Schwab, director; Phil Hoffman, Board Chair; Frank Weathers, Board Vice-Chair; Martha Fuerstnau, CEO, and Jerry Tremaine, Board Secretary.

There was a bit of fanfare happening at the new American 1 Credit Union on M-52 just north of the village, last Wednesday. Residents, business owners, Village representatives, and American 1 Board members gathered for an official “ribbon cutting” ceremony for Manchester’s newest business

Outgoing Chamber of Commerce President Ray Berg shared that the ceremonial scissors used for the ribbon cutting had been used approximately 10 times during his term and “to my knowledge, all of those businesses are still operating in Manchester.”

During an informal introduction period, CEO Martha Fuerstnau commented that American 1 is happy to be in Manchester and mentioned what a welcoming community this is. “We are already making great friendships here,” she added.

The consumer-focused credit union opened its doors on November 14 and has been making new friends on a daily basis. “We don’t do mortgages or business banking,” Fuerstnau explained. “We are here for your everyday banking needs.”

American 1 began as the Jackson Co-Op Federal Credit Union, a service provided to members of the Jackson Co-Op, and was founded in 1950. In 1987, Jackson Cooperative Credit Union officially changed its name to American 1 Federal Credit Union. In 2011, in response to continued growth, American 1 became a state chartered credit union and the new name became American 1 Credit Union.

Today, American 1 provides services to over 50,000 members, in Jackson, Calhoun, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne Counties.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.