Seattle-based Watermark Credit Union Announces Grand Opening of New Corporate Headquarters

Jan. 24, 2008 - PRLog -- Seattle, Washington – After 18 months of planning and renovation, Watermark Credit Union announced today that it will unveil its new corporate headquarters at the end of January. Located in the newly renovated Roffe Building at 808 Howell Street in Seattle, the credit union’s new 44,000 square foot headquarters will house all of its internal operations, including accounting, administration, human resources, information technology, lending and marketing, a customer service call center and more. The move to the new location will begin in February and be complete by August.

According to Watermark Credit Union President and CEO Chuck Cockburn, the renovated building will serve several purposes. In addition to meeting the credit union’s space needs for the next 10 years, the new space was planned to match the company’s culture of collaboration and teamwork, critical components to the credit union’s success.

Designed by Interior Architects alongside a team of Watermark employees, the building features more open and common spaces, flexible work stations, meeting rooms, informal team meeting space, fewer walls and only two offices for functions that require more privacy (human resources and auditing). The building’s new features will better facilitate communication among the credit union’s teams, further enhancing their ability to problem-solve, collaborate on projects and provide quality customer service.

“Our new headquarters will improve efficiency and partnerships between departments and functions which will directly benefit our members,” said Sabrina Stabbert, vice president of operations.

To celebrate the facility’s grand opening, Watermark Credit Union has planned two events later this month, one for staff and one for guests by invitation only.

“We’re very excited about the grand opening of our new headquarters,” Cockburn said. “It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to create work space that fits our unique culture.”

For more information about Watermark Credit Union, please contact Sherry Lotze, vice president of marketing, at 206-381-6542 or slotze@watermarkcu.org or visit the company’s Web site at www.watermarkcu.org.

Founded in 1938, Watermark Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial institution based in Seattle, Washington. With $486 million in assets and more than 70,000 members, Watermark Credit Union is ranked in the top 15 credit unions in Washington State in terms of assets. Watermark Credit Union offers a wide range of personal and commercial banking services, with branches in Bellevue, Burien, Lynnwood, Redmond, Seattle, Shoreline and Southcenter. Membership is available to anyone who lives or works in the state of Washington. Watermark Credit Union prides itself on remaining true to the original purpose of credit unions—people helping people—to make certain that all members have access to the best products and services, and receive sound financial advice from professionals they trust.

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About Watermark Credit Union:  Founded in 1938, Watermark Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial institution based in Seattle, Washington. With $486 million in assets and more than 70,000 members, Watermark Credit Union is ranked in the top 15 credit unions in Washington State in terms of assets. Watermark Credit Union offers a wide range of personal and commercial banking services, with branches in Bellevue, Burien, Lynnwood, Redmond, Seattle, Shoreline and Southcenter.

Website: www.watermarkcu.org