Media Releases

December 1, 2009 - For immediate release
SunRise Credit Union to open new branch in Brandon - Grand Opening 1st Quarter of 2010

SunRise Credit Union, created last year with the amalgamation of five Westman credit unions, continues to grow. Today’s announcement that SunRise will open a full-service branch in Brandon early next year will bring the number of branches it operates to 13 — one of the largest credit union branch networks in Manitoba.
“Our mission statement is crystal clear. We’re deeply committed to serving our members and communities,” said SunRise board chair Terry Wakely in an interview, “and with more than a thousand of our members having Brandon addresses, opening an office in the Wheat City just makes sense, both from a business and service perspective.”

As well as serving existing members, CEO Harry Bowler sees the new branch as an opportunity to introduce SunRise Credit Union to a new market. “Brandon isn’t just the geographic centre of the area we serve — it’s also the economic hub for the whole region,” he said.

“Of course we’ll face lots of competition,” he continued, “but we’ve done our homework. We’re confident, as we establish our own special brand of personalized financial services and competitive rates, that SunRise will perform very successfully in the Brandon market.”

The new branch will be located on 18th Street, just south of College Avenue, making it easily accessible to university students as well as Brandon residents and businesses. “That’s no accident,” smiled Bowler.

The announcement caps a strong first year of operations for SunRise, which was formed when Cypress River, Hartney, Tiger Hills, Turtle Mountain and Virden credit unions amalgamated operations in 2008. Since the merger took effect last October, SunRise has seen its assets grow to over $530 million — eighth among Manitoba’s 45 credit unions. At about 17,000 members, SunRise is seventh in terms of membership.

Work will begin on the new branch in December, with a grand opening tentatively planned for the 1st quarter of 2010.

For more information contact: