The Dayton area is rapidly growing and MobilOil Credit Union is hoping to expand right along with the community.
Until recently, the nearest branches for the credit union were in Mont Belvieu and Beaumont, but a new branch in Dayton, located at 999 SH 146 South, is now open, so credit union members in Liberty County can do their banking closer to home.
The new branch is a state-of-the-art facility with full-service banking features, such as tellers handling deposits, withdrawals and account management, and technological advancements that allow up to six patrons at a time to interact through video sessions with smart service representatives who can handle loan requests and other banking needs.
The smart service representatives are linked through a screen in six private rooms that line each side of the expansive lobby at the Dayton branch. Inside each room is a wall-mounted screen above a desk that holds a document scanner that is controlled by a smart service representative. The document scanner allows patrons to share documents virtually with the smart service representatives.
“It makes it more efficient and there is less waiting time,” said John Doucet, president of MobilOil Credit Union.
The credit union offers all the standard types of bank accounts – from personal and business checking accounts, loans, savings accounts and certificates of deposit. However, unlike banks, there are no shareholders, so savings can be passed on to members.
“We are completely member-owned. No one benefits from us making money except for the members. That’s a true democracy so it runs a little differently than a bank,” Doucet said.
Loan options are also better than many banks, he said.
“The process of getting approved for a loan can take less than 30 minutes and it’s quicker than that if you are already a member,” Doucet said. “We go all the way from car and home loans to unsecured loans and credit cards. We do construction loans and we also do jumbo loans, which is anything over $425,000.”
Another advantage is payday advances, which allows patrons to access their paychecks two days before the funds actually are wired to the bank.
“We have been doing that for 20 years. Way before it’s credited to the account, we go ahead and give our customers that,” he said.
Accounts can be opened with as little as $25. The credit union has apps that allow patrons to handle most transactions from their mobile device.
While the credit union is limited on ATM sites in Liberty County at the moment, Clint Walters, chief operating officer, said MobilOil CU is looking at going to a non-fee-based ATM system for Liberty County patrons, so they can access their money at no charge from any ATM.
“That is absolutely on our radar,” said Walters.
At a grand opening ceremony on Friday, Sept. 25, at the Dayton branch, Tony Lucenti, a non-paid member of the CU’s board of directors, explained the philosophy of MobilOil Credit Union.
“We are just people helping people That’s exactly what we do. For us, it’s all about the relationships we have with our fellow members,” he said.
The Dayton Branch has four employees – Branch Manager Emily Forster, Sarah Smith, Tori Aikins and Danielle Winkle.
