Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce

89 Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce www.greatfallschamber.org 2021 Chamber Awards Since its inception in 1936, Embark Credit Union was the first of its kind in Great Falls. What began as a credit union for teachers known as the Great Falls Teachers FCU and now named Embark Credit Union, they have been serving their members in the Great Falls area for 85 years! They provide exceptional financial products including new and used car loans, and first mortgage loans. Currently led by Debra Evans, Embark Credit Union has grown its membership by continually adding financial services and products and providing exceptional customer service. They are the 15th largest credit union in Montana, serving over 10,000 members with the main office located at 1500 River Drive North, and a branch office located at 1915 10th Avenue South. The name changed to Embark along with a new logo and look, stemmed from wanting to better represent their growing membership while still being reflective of their heritage of serving educators, school staff, and administrators. Being the oldest credit union in Great Falls, they were well-positioned to serve the membership, despite the challenges presented by the COVID pandemic. Even while their doors were closed, Embark continued to be an essential service provider. Since coming to Great Falls, Sam's Club has been a staple to all of us locally as well as bringing in customers from all over Central Montana. Their huge draw throughout the entire central region, including reaching far to the west and east of us, has helped many other businesses economically in the Great Falls area, as customers who shopped with them often combine their trips to shop at other local businesses. In addition to providing many great jobs and keeping employees employed during the pandemic, Sam's Club reached out to many businesses in our community to be a resource to meet their supply needs so they could serve their customers during the pandemic. Their goal and purpose were to keep businesses supplied as their own supply chains were often disrupted and not reliable. Many restaurant owners and others in our community shared Sam's Club was a tremendous help to them through the COVID pandemic. Sam's helps the entire community by donating food and providing fundraising opportunities and grant awards to many local nonprofits. We are grateful and thankful to have Sam's Club in our community and thank them for being such a great resource to so many people and businesses. Small Business of the Year: Large Business of the Year: Medium Business of the Year: KRTV began broadcasting on October 5, 1958. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company and is part of the Montana Television Network, a statewide network of CBS-affiliated stations. Their studios and transmitter are located on Old Havre Highway in Black Eagle, just north of Great Falls. When COVID hit, KRTV came into our homes and living rooms with factual news, data, and stories about the resiliency of our community. Many of these stories highlighted the good things going on in Great Falls, and much of it was showcasing businesses and their efforts to support our community. They also lead in several fund-raising activities, including a wildfire fund to help those areas adversely affected by fires. Sam's Club Embark Credit Union KRTV Photo by Photo Solutions Photo by Photo Solutions Photo by Photo Solutions

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