Vermont-based credit union enhances security with cash automation solution

MEBANE — June 22, 2016 — After two robberies occurred within months of each other, switching to cash recyclers quickly became a priority item for Heritage Family Credit Union. The Vermont-based credit union will be deploying 16 of ARCA’s CM18 cash recyclers at their nine branches throughout 2016 and 2017.

After the robberies, increasing his employees’ safety was a no brainer, said Matt Levandowski, President & CEO of Heritage Family Credit Union (HFCU).

“We had our first robbery ever in December 2015 at our Ludlow branch, and we started talking about how we could make the branches safer and unfortunately, before we purchased anything, we had a second robbery at our Bennington branch,” said Levandowski. “We wanted to make a safer environment for employees and get cash out of the drawers.”

ARCA’s CM18 cash recycler automates cash-in, cash-out transactions that typically occur at the teller line. By eliminating manual tasks, such as counting cash, tellers are free to spend more time focusing on the needs of their members.

“From a security standpoint, the CM18’s closed-loop cash cycle and built-in safe helps reduce exposed cash, which makes handling cash at the teller line much more secure,” said Andrew Rowe, Vice President of Business Development at ARCA. “Heritage Family Credit Union now has an extra layer of protection at all of their branches, and we are pleased we were able to help provide a solution for them.”

Coincidentally, the leadership team at HFCU was in the process of researching teller cash recyclers (TCRs) at the time of the first robbery.

“We were talking with a credit union that loved their ARCA machines and we looked at other competitors but we never got a great feel from the other ones,” said Levandowski. “After going down to look at ARCA machines, we loved the simplicity of them, how they functioned with Symitar [a software application] and it was a good fit for us.”

HFCU currently has 160 employees and more than 42,000 members. The switch from cash dispensers to cash recyclers was always part of the plan. Almost every branch is extremely busy, said Levandowski.

“We [now] have the resources and technology to make branches safer for our employees and members and that’s all that matters.”

For more information about cash automation solutions, visit www.arca.com.