President's Message - July 2022
Expansion in Independence

You never know when or where opportunity knocks. We were approached to merge with a small credit union in Independence KS, Universal Credit Union. Due to its size, they were struggling to keep up with all the regulatory requirements placed on financial institutions today. It was determined that a merger between Skyward and Universal would be beneficial to all our members.    

We saw an opportunity to help a group of people in Independence get access to the better products and services we provide, and at the same time offer our existing Skyward members additional benefits. Our Independence branch, which serves current, former, and retired Textron Aviation employees, started 25 years ago and is still located in the plant several miles out of town. This merger is good not only for the membership of both credit unions but also for the community of Independence.

Both credit union boards approved the merger plan, and state and federal regulators reviewed and approved the application. We now have a branch location in town to better serve our members with extended operational hours.  

On July 1, we started serving Skyward members at this location, operating Monday through Friday from 8:30 am until 5:30 pm. One of Skyward’s goals is to be a benefit to Textron and the communities they operate in. We are excited to expand and continue to serve the Independence and Southeast Kansas communities.    

Kevin Wilmoth
President