Mobiloil breaks ground on new $2.2 construction

MOBILOIL FEDERAL CREDIT UNION executives and Jasper officials reviewed plans for the new 5,500 square-foot building that will open in October 2007. Top left photo: Ronnie Cessac and Chris McDonald of Mobiloil and Karen Williamson, representing the Jasper/Lake Sam Rayburn Chamber of Commerce.Top right photo: McDonald and Tom McClurg, executive director of JEDCO.

Mobiloil Federal Credit Union broke ground last week for a bigger office in their own building to be constructed at 465 East Gibson.

Chris McDonald, president and CEO, announced Mobiloil will spend $2.2 million, not counting land, for the 5,500 square foot building, equipment and furnishings. It will have a four lane drive through and an exterior ATM.

Brenda Dickerson, Jasper branch manager, said staff will almost double, from seven now to 12 when the new offices open in October 2007.

McDonald described a Biometric security feature, some of the stateof the-art technology that will be installed. To access their safety deposit boxes, customers will enter their four-digit PIN and then scan their palm.

Newsboy photo/ Sharon Kerr

"Customers like it because it's fast, and we like it because it frees our employees to continue serving other customers," McDonald said. The system logs and records every entry automatically.

Mobiloil has operated out of rented office space on South Wheeler since 2002. McDonald said they began looking for land to build their own facility shortly after they opened in Jasper, but Hurricane Rita delayed plans when she took out the south refinery branch in Houston.

Jasper County Judge Mark Allen congratulated McDonald on "planting seeds of future growth" for Jasper County.

Tom McClurg, executive director of the Jasper Economic Development Corporation, said Mobiloil's commitment to Jasper is indicative of the growth in this community.

"This has been a great market for us," McDonald said. "We're here to stay."