DONELSON, Tenn.–Six weeks after a tornado destroyed the corporate offices and a branch of Enbright Credit Union, it is sharing its story of how it has been able to recover and return to serving members even as the coronavirus pandemic has complicated the challenge.
The $70-million credit union took a direct hit from the March 3 tornado that also struck Nashville and left a path of destruction 50 miles long.
According to CEO Ron Smith, the tornado caused more than $400,000 in damage to its building and its interior.
“Due to the security of the building being compromised, all computer equipment, funds and documents were removed which took down Enbright’s phone system as the server was relocated to a secondary branch location,” Smith said in an account he shared of the disaster and recovery. “The two unaffected branches were up in running that same morning and the phone system was back up later that day. Donelson credit union members were directed to other branches to complete their transactions.”
Container Office Arrives, But…
According to Smith, the branch was secured a day later and in order to continue to serve the community, Enbright CU had an 8’x40’ shipping container office dropped in the parking lot so that the branch could reopen within days of the tornado.
“Unfortunately, as the temporary branch was being readied to serve the members and community, the coronavirus also began gaining traction and affecting more and more individuals in the U.S.,” Smith related. “A decision was made based on protecting the health and wellbeing of Enbright CU members and team members that the lobbies would be closed to foot traffic.”
Smith said all of that took place just over a week after the tornado’s devastation, when the only “repairs” to the Enbright CU’s building at that point had been to board up all damaged windows and doors. Smith said the credit union immediately began exploring the possibility of moving a limited team into the branch after testing the drive-up equipment to ensure that it was operational.
Smith added the Donelson branch manager and assistant manager volunteered to man the drive-up windows inside the branch, despite the fact there was no heating or air conditioning in the building.
“New processes were developed to assist members with all transactions that normally would have been done face to face, but now was not a possibility in any of the branches,” said Smith. “The Enbright team came up with new processes and continue to develop them as needs arise.”
Working Through Pandemic
Smith said the coronavirus pandemic has not stopped Enbright Credit Union from continuing to move forward in serving its community. Indeed, said Smith, Nashville Electric Service (reached out to request assistance from Enbright CU to ask if it could use one of the drive-up teller lanes at the damaged Donelson branch, which the credit union approved.
The credit union has created a video highlighting its efforts and thanking its staff here.