Mission Statement
Arize is dedicated to providing financial solutions to everyday challenges and improving our member’s and communities’ financial well-being.
Value Proposition: Inspiring people to change the way they think about their finances.
Core Values
- COMMUNITY-FOCUSED We are committed to building positive relationships between our staff, our members, and our local community, providing support where needed to help Clearfield, Centre, Blair, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin, Union, Clinton, and Snyder Counties become thriving communities.
- LEADERSHIP We will act as a leader within our community, a leader of positive culture, and will acknowledge our responsibilities equally during failure as we do success.
- ETHICS We are committed to being honest and always acting with integrity. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards while treating each and every individual with respect.
- ACCOUNTABILITY We take responsibility for our actions and accept responsibility for delivering quality products, a positive service experience and for seeking continuous improvement.
- RELATIONSHIPS We strive to know our members and our community personally and to serve individual needs based not on profit but on people, situations, and financial needs.
What Is A Credit Union?
A Credit Union Is:
- A not-for-profit voluntary “cooperative,” all income is returned to members in the form of better rates, more services, and lower fees
- Owned by its members.
- Governed by the members through an elected, volunteer Board of Directors.
- It exists only to serve members, not to make profits for stockholders.
- Is insured by the National Credit Union Administration up to $250,000 per member.
The History of Arize Federal Credit Union
We began as an HRB Singer (now Raytheon) employee suggestion. In 1978, eight individuals signed the Articles of Incorporation, and each paid $10 to form the credit union. The name SPE was selected for the employer-sponsored credit union and opened for business with a lockbox in a desk drawer. The credit union philosophy of “people helping people” quickly caught on and more space was needed. The first office was a converted closet next to the guard’s desk. SPE converted from a state to a federally chartered credit union. Membership was expanded to other employers throughout Centre County. SPE occupied several different offices until moving to its current location on Science Park Road in 1993.
In 2001, SPE added a branch location on East College Avenue near the Nittany Mall.
In May 2002, SPE received approval from the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) to convert from an employer group to a community chartered credit union. This means anyone who lives, works, worships, attends school, or volunteers in Centre County, PA, is eligible to belong to the credit union.
In February 2011, the NCUA approved our request to expand the community charter to include Huntingdon County, PA.
Fiberglas Huntingdon Federal Credit Union (FHFCU) was chartered in May 1945 by the employees of Owens-Corning Fiberglas, the sponsoring company. It retained the FHFCU name until 2001, when the Standing Stone Federal Credit Union, sponsored by Mead Products, merged with the FHFCU. The new name Huntingdon County Federal Credit Union (HCFCU) was selected at that time to better identify with its growing membership throughout Huntingdon County. HCFCU has continually provided financial services to the community since it was chartered. In 2010, the Credit Union’s membership included 21 select employee groups (SEGs).
On July 1, 2011, HCFCU merged with SPE. Together, we have over 10,000 members that have access to a full range of financial products and services.
In early 2020 SPE opened a new office on Shaner Blvd in Huntingdon to serve our membership and community better. Our new Huntingdon office is powered by solar panels and features a community room that community organizations can use at no cost.
In 2021, SPE officially became Arize Federal Credit Union. As the business has grown and evolved over the years, the name no longer reflected the broader community and membership that we serve. And acronyms can be confusing, so we felt it was time for a change. The new name captures our mission to rise to the challenges our members face, inspire change, and move forward to help our members live financially secure. The name Arize distinguishes us from a crowded financial space and portrays a fresh, modern, and forward-thinking organization.
In 2024, the NCUA approved our request to expand our community charter to include Clearfield, Blair, Juniata, Mifflin, Union, Clinton, and Snyder Counties. Residents of these communities now have the opportunity to experience the benefits of membership with Arize.
This same year, we closed our College Ave office and opened a brand new solar-powered facility just down the road at 1145 Benner Pike. The Benner Pike branch now serves as both a branch and headquarters for our back-office staff, reflecting our continued growth and commitment to sustainability and innovation.