Xtend

A busy year of data processing conversion support for Xtend, Inc., a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based multi-owned cooperative CUSO, is wrapping up with two final projects.  Teams from the CUSO’s Xtension and SRS business units are currently engaged in support projects for Park City Credit Union (Merrill, WI; $143M; 23,000 members) and Port Conneaut Federal Credit Union (Port Conneaut, OH; $22M; 4,900 members). Xtension Call Center agents are providing overflow member service support, and SRS bookkeeping specialists are handling daily back office functions as an extension of the credit union staff.  Both business units are being provided remotely from Xtend’s Grand Rapids operations center.

“It might be an understatement to say that our conversion support teams have had a busy year,” notes CUSO President Scott Collins.  “Our partners over at CU*Answers and CU*Northwest (the Grand Rapids, MI and Spokane, WA-based data processing CUSOs) both had stellar sales years, which translated into a great pipeline of projects for our implementation teams.  Each partner taps us on the shoulder to provide back office support for every one of their core conversions and our collective teams have developed a very effective process that is embraced by the credit union staff as they learn a new set of tools.  During the past couple years; we have also seen an increased number of credit unions engaging the help of our agents for at least the first week to help assist members.  Both Park City and Port Conneaut directed calls to our center, which was a fitting conclusion to stellar year across the board.”

During the 2011 calendar year, Xtend assisted nineteen (19) credit unions with core migration projects, making it the biggest conversion year ever for their conversion support teams.  All converting credit unions utilized the CUSO’s back office services and eleven (11) opted for call center support as well.

A busy year of data processing conversion support for Xtend, Inc., a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based multi-owned cooperative CUSO, is wrapping up with two final projects.  Teams from the CUSO’s Xtension and SRS business units are currently engaged in support projects for Park City Credit Union (Merrill, WI; $143M; 23,000 members) and Port Conneaut Federal Credit Union (Port Conneaut, OH; $22M; 4,900 members). Xtension Call Center agents are providing overflow member service support, and SRS bookkeeping specialists are handling daily back office functions as an extension of the credit union staff.  Both business units are being provided remotely from Xtend’s Grand Rapids operations center.

“It might be an understatement to say that our conversion support teams have had a busy year,” notes CUSO President Scott Collins.  “Our partners over at CU*Answers and CU*Northwest (the Grand Rapids, MI and Spokane, WA-based data processing CUSOs) both had stellar sales years, which translated into a great pipeline of projects for our implementation teams.  Each partner taps us on the shoulder to provide back office support for every one of their core conversions and our collective teams have developed a very effective process that is embraced by the credit union staff as they learn a new set of tools.  During the past couple years; we have also seen an increased number of credit unions engaging the help of our agents for at least the first week to help assist members.  Both Park City and Port Conneaut directed calls to our center, which was a fitting conclusion to stellar year across the board.”

During the 2011 calendar year, Xtend assisted nineteen (19) credit unions with core migration projects, making it the biggest conversion year ever for their conversion support teams.  All converting credit unions utilized the CUSO’s back office services and eleven (11) opted for call center support as well.

Xtend, Inc., the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based multi-owned cooperative CUSO, celebrates its ninth anniversary today. The CUSO, which officially began operating on December 10, 2002, was formed as a cooperative venture by eleven (11) credit unions and fellow Grand Rapids-based CUSO CU*Answers, Inc. as equal owners.  Today, Xtend’s products and services support nearly one hundred fifty (150) credit unions and CUSOs and boast more than sixty owners.

When asked recently to comment on being in business for nearly a decade, CUSO President Scott Collins commented that “it was a lot like someone asking you about marriage, parenthood or graduation.”  Collins then elaborates further.  “When someone asks me how old the kids are, what year I graduated or how many years I have been married it makes me a little bit melancholy about how fast the time has gone.  The same holds true for Xtend.  When I came on board in March of 2003, we had big dreams but not much of an income statement. One of my partners liked to call it ‘champagne dreams on a beer budget’ and that still resonates in our business plan even after nine years.  It keeps us grounded and makes sure that credit unions of any size and complexity are able to plug us into their business plan.”

When asked if champagne was appropriate for the CUSO’s ninth anniversary Collins followed, “We will celebrate in a typical Xtend fashion – by rolling up our sleeves to help credit unions survive and thrive.  But I think a tenth anniversary will probably warrant some sort of toast.”