Construction of a Grimes branch office of Dupaco Community Credit Union is expected to begin this fall. The project is valued at a little over $6 million. 
Architectural rendering special to the Business Record

A Dubuque-based credit union that will open its first Polk County branch in late 2021 plans to provide some services with live video tellers, a spokesman for the financial institution said.

Construction is expected to begin this fall on a two-story branch for Dubuque-based Dupaco Community Credit Union that will be located at 1701 E. First St. in Grimes.

The branch will feature live video tellers, a service delivery technology that allows tellers to conduct real-time, face-to-face transactions from a distance, said David Klavitter, Dupaco’s chief marketing officer. Dupaco employees located in Dubuque will remotely operate the Grimes lobby and drive-thru machines.

Dupaco expects “video tellers to increase future opportunities for member convenience — to serve more members, in more places, with expanded hours of service,” Klavitter said.

The live video tellers at the Grimes retail store will allow on-site branch employees to spend more time talking to members about money and ways to improve their financial position, according to Klavitter. Members are offered the option of using an on-site teller, he said. 

Dupaco first launched live video tellers in early 2015 at its branch in Peosta.

The new Grimes office is described as a “full-service learning lab branch.” 

The learning lab “aligns with our brand because our mission is to improve each other’s financial position,” Klavitter said. “We achieve this mission by providing financial education, personalized financial advice and ongoing coaching.

“It’s continuous learning by our members, which is why we call them ‘learning laboratories.’”
As members learn ways to improve their financial situations, credit union employees learn how to improve services and financial offerings, Klavitter said.

Dupaco’s first learning lab branch opened in 2014. Each branch opened since then has incorporated new designs and technology, he said.  

In addition to video tellers, the Grimes facility will also include: 
•iPad training counters to help members learn how to use the credit union’s mobile services.
•Interactive laboratory tables for small-group discussions and offices.
•Built-in electronic wall displays to aid in consultations about money.
•Signage and lighting that use LED illumination to conserve energy and reduce electricity costs.

The Grimes facility will be Dupaco’s first branch in Polk County. Over the years, many of the financial institution’s members have moved to Central Iowa and have asked the credit union to open a branch in the area, Klavitter said.

“Technology has allowed [members] to stay tethered to us, but there is that occasion when they really need to speak to one of our employees,” he said. “It’s nice to have a physical space to do that in.”

The Grimes office will be Dupaco’s 20th branch and sixth learning lab.

Dupaco paid Hy-Vee Inc. a little over $1 million for 1.7 acres at 1701 E. First St. in Grimes, according to Polk County real estate records. The transaction was recorded on Aug. 3. 

The building, whose entry is to be encased in glass, will be constructed by Cedar-Rapids-based Commercial Edge Construction. The project is valued at slightly over $6 million, Klavitter said.

Dupaco, with more than 131,000 members, serves residents in 112 counties throughout Iowa, northwest Illinois and southwest Wisconsin. The credit union has more than $2.2 billion in assets.