Celebrating 90 Years: A Little Bit Older. A Whole Lot Bolder.

For 90 years, our credit union has been more than just a place to bank; it’s been a place where people come together.

As we celebrate this milestone, we’re grateful for the members, employees, and community partners who’ve made the journey possible. What started nine decades ago as a simple idea — neighbors helping neighbors — has grown into something truly special.

Where It All Began 

In 1936, Cloquet Co-Op Credit Union was founded in Cloquet, Minnesota. A group of eight people, seven men and one woman, created a cooperative built around people, not profits. That foundation of “people helping people” still guides us every day. 

Growing With Our Communities 

Our journey has always been shaped by growth and opportunity. Every milestone in our history represents something bigger than expansion; it represents trust. It represents relationships built across teller counters, phone calls, community events, and kitchen tables.

In the Beginning

What began with eight bold visionaries, $40, and a leap of faith became the spark that ignited our cooperative movement. In just our first year of operation, membership rose to 32, with 10 borrowers, $615 in loans, and $1,173 in assets.  

Trust fueled our next chapter, pushing us past our first major milestone. By 1956, we’d broken the million-dollar mark, with 2,386 members.

Aitkin

A new decade brought new horizons, so we continued to expand our reach and impact. In 1970, we had 7,489 members and $4 million in assets. By 1979, Mille Lacs Electric Cooperative and C.A.P. Oil Association joined our field of membership, and we added our Aitkin location, broadening our footprint across the region.

Duluth- Spirit Valley

A new community marked a new chapter. In 1989, we opened our first office in Duluth’s Spirit Valley. We built our current location in 1997. 

McGregor

By 1993, Cromwell Community Credit Union joined us through a merger, adding the McGregor location. By joining forces, we became stronger together.

Miller Hill

We continued to evolve to meet members’ needs. In 1995, our first Miller Hill location opened, originally as a shared service center.  

Name Change, Contact Center

In 2001, Cloquet Co-op Credit Union officially changed its name to Members Cooperative Credit Union. Our new name better reflected our growing, diverse membership base that had expanded beyond the original Cloquet area. In the same year, we also added a Contact Center to better serve members wherever they were. 

Lake State Merger, BlueStone Branch

Growth accelerated in the years that followed. In 2015, Lake State Credit Union merged with us, adding Moose Lake, Sandstone, Isanti, and North Branch to our family. That same year, we built our BlueStone branch to further serve the Duluth community. 

New Miller Hill Branch

Growing demand inspired us to expand our Duluth footprint. In 2015, we celebrated the opening of our new building in Miller Hill near Cub Foods. 

New Aitkin Branch

Our ongoing commitment to our communities led us to reinvest in the places that helped shape us. In 2016, we opened our new Aitkin office, at 108 Minnesota Ave. N.  

Lakes Area Merger, New Sandstone Branch

In 2017, Lakes Area Credit Union merged with us, bringing Grand Rapids into the fold. 

That same year, we built our new facility in Sandstone, eventually donating the land from the previous property to the City of Sandstone for the creation of Panther Park. 

Baxter

2018 brough us into the Brainerd region, where we built our Baxter location, expanding our presence even further. 

New Cloquet Branch

With deep respect for our roots, we created a space for the future.  In 2019, we opened a new Cloquet branch on Highway 33. Located on property formerly occupied by a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home (moved to Polymath Park in Pennsylvania for preservation), the award-winning building was designed to incorporate elements of the historic property’s architectural history.

The $1B Mark

In 2022, thanks to the trust of our members, we surpassed $1 billion in assets: a milestone that reflects not just growth, but generations of loyalty and shared success. 

New North Branch Office

Just last year, in 2025, we celebrated the opening of our beautiful new location in North Branch — a vibrant space designed to better serve our growing community. 

We Keep Growing What Matters

Our story isn’t just about buildings or balance sheets. It’s about members achieving goals, providing community support, and celebrating wins together. 

From first savings accounts to first homes, from small business dreams to retirement plans, we’ve been honored to play a part in so many important life moments. Watching generations of families grow with us has been one of the greatest privileges of these 90 years. 

Reaching 90 is something we’re incredibly proud of. But we know we didn’t do it alone. To our members, volunteers, board members, and team members past and present: thank you. Your loyalty, passion, and belief in the cooperative spirit are what have carried us this far. 

The Best Is Still Ahead 

While we’re taking time to celebrate our history, we’re just as excited about what’s next. We’ll keep working to make our communities stronger, our employees happier, and our world better, just as we have for the last nine decades. 

Here’s to 90 years of our story, and many more ahead — bolder, brighter, and built together.