How well do you know Suncoast Credit Union? Let’s find out! From our history and philanthropy to a behind-the-scenes look at our employees, here are some things you may not know about Suncoast.

1. Suncoast Was Founded by Local Educators

In 1934, a handful of educators founded Hillsborough County Teachers Credit Union to meet the financial needs of local teachers. In the 1950s, the field of membership was expanded to nine more counties and services were extended to include all school employees.

In 1975, our name was changed to Suncoast Schools Credit Union to better represent our field of membership; then we became Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union in 1978 with conversion to a federal charter. Then in December 2013, members voted to convert to a state charter. That’s when we became Suncoast Credit Union, the financial institution that you know and love today!

Now our membership is open to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends schools in counties we serve, and their immediate family members.

The briefcase of Henry Claywell, the founder of Suncoast, is displayed in our corporate headquarters in Tampa.

---

2. It’s Awesome to Work Here

One of the most special things about our company culture is the family atmosphere. Our team members are very loyal, with many employees staying with Suncoast for decades.

In October 2016, TBO even published a story about our “Sweet 16,” the nickname for the 16 employees with the longest tenure at Suncoast. Retirement has changed the Sweet 16 a bit, and it is a coveted spot among our team members! Suncoast has also regularly been included in the Tampa Bay Times list of Top Places to Work in Tampa. We work together, we volunteer together and we really love each other here!

 

Suncoast’s Sweet 16, as of October 2016.

---

3. We LOVE to Give Back

Suncoast gives back to our local communities in so many ways. Our youth outreach programs help teach students about their finances. We sponsor community events all over the state to actively connect with our local communities. Our scholarship programs help students afford college.

We even have our own non-profit organization, the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation. Whenever our members use their Suncoast Credit and Debit Cards, Suncoast donates two cents to the foundation. Then we use those funds to promote the education, health and emotional well-being of children in our communities!

Suncoast celebrates Pay It Forward Day each year, a company-wide day of volunteering.

---

4. Suncoast Members Get a Bunch of Discounts and Freebies

Aside from our awesome service, Suncoast truly cares about making life easier for our members in any way we can. That’s why we offer many membership perks and discounts to help our members save more for life.

Members who use their Suncoast Rewards credit cards can earn ScoreCard® Rewards Bonus Points that can be redeemed for gifts, merchandise and travel.

Pet insurance discounts are one of the many perks for our members, like Alaina. How cute is her puppy, Benson?

---

5. Suncoast is a Green Organization

Over the past few years, we’ve become active in a number of different environmental efforts. Since Suncoast is the largest credit union in the state of Florida, our daily operations use a lot of energy. To offset that, we’ve created carbon neutral and 100% green energy initiatives.

Suncoast partners with green projects in Florida to purchase carbon offsets and renewable energy credits (RECs). We also operate 13 solar electric systems in seven of the 21 counties we serve.

Not only do our solar-powered buildings help the environment, but they also lead to major savings. We were blown away by the electric bill for our Wauchula Service Center, which is a solar branch. Typically a branch this size would cost us about $2,800 for our monthly electric bill. Their bill? Only $11.89 for a month!

Our solar-powered buildings use half the electricity of the credit union’s other branches of comparable size. Amazing, right?

---

For more fun facts and helpful knowledge about Suncoast, connect with us on social media.

Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn