WESTconsin Credit Union

History

On December 5, 1938, Chris Hovland, William Millar, Jr., J.C. Martinson, Stewart L. Gevne, Edward Torgerson, Harold E. Martinson, and Gene Long signed Articles of Incorporation, applying for a charter for the Menomonie Farmers Credit Union. On January 12, 1939, the Articles of Incorporation of this credit union were approved and filed with the State Banking Department in Madison, Wisconsin. In 1949, the credit union hired Art Gilberts as its first full-time manager. He managed the credit union from his house until 1953. By 1953, the credit union had grown to $365,000 in assets and the Board of Directors decided the credit union should have its own office. Office space was rented one-half block off Main Street in downtown Menomonie.

With Menomonie Farmers Credit Union’s (MFCU) continued growth and success, other credit unions in the area turned to MFCU to merge for greater strength and to save credit union service in their communities. MFCU merged with smaller credit unions in the area over the next few years. River Falls merged in December 1974; Barron and Amery merged in January 1979; Baldwin merged in August 1979; and New Richmond merged in September 1984. Also, a satellite office was opened on the UW-River Falls campus in September 1994.

By December 1980, the credit union had assets of $29.9 million. In January 1981, long-time President Art Gilberts retired. Robert J. Wilson, who began his career with the credit union in 1954, succeeded Gilberts as President.

The 1990s were ushered in with another major change for MFCU when members voted to change the name to WESTconsin Credit Union. This change was made to recognize the diversity of the membership and the various communities served throughout western Wisconsin. Another change in management occurred in 1993 when Robert J. Wilson retired as president. Greg Lentz was appointed by the Board of Directors to succeed Wilson as president, and still serves in this position today.

The new century brought changes and expansion to WESTconsin. In 2001, a new administrative office center was constructed in Menomonie. An office in Hudson was opened in 2004, and offices in Spring Valley and Prescott came in 2007. WESTconsin Realty, a full-service realty company was created in the spring of 2004, and WESTconsin Title Services in the spring of 2012, to service western Wisconsin. WESTconsin opened an office in Eau Claire in 2012, in Ellsworth in 2014 and in Chippewa Falls in 2015 bringing the current office count to 14.

Membership

Membership is open to anyone who lives or works in the Wisconsin counties of Barron, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Rusk, St. Croix, Sawyer, Taylor, Trempealeau or Washburn, or the Minnesota counties of Anoka, Chisago, Dakota, Goodhue, Isanti, Ramsey, Wabasha, and Washington with a $5 deposit in a membership share (savings) account.

High school offices

Presently, WESTconsin Credit Union has five fully operational high school offices that are located in Amery, Hudson, Menomonie, New Richmond and River Falls.