A Bold Step Forward in OCCU’s Workforce Transformation Journey

Posted by Alyse Knudsen on August 14, 2026

In a step that advances OCCU’s broader workforce transformation and its ongoing commitment to members, employees, and the communities it serves, Oregon Community Credit Union (OCCU) announced on Aug. 13 that it has signed a letter of intent to sell its Eugene headquarters property to Costco Wholesale.

The non-binding letter of intent is one part of a larger movement underway at OCCU as the credit union rethinks how, when, and where work happens. OCCU is embracing technology and artificial intelligence, strengthening its performance culture, and designing an employee experience that enables team members to deliver an exceptional experience for members.

“At the center of this is our vision to Enrich Lives,” said OCCU President and CEO Greg Schumacher. “That starts with our members, our employees, and the communities we serve. We have an opportunity to build an organization that works differently, serves better and creates a member experience that is hard to find anywhere else.”

That transformation has already changed how OCCU uses its headquarters. After non-branch employees moved to remote work in 2020, OCCU found the model could successfully support employees and members and committed to remaining as flexible as possible. Six years later, still with a largely remote workforce, the credit union currently only uses approximately 40 percent of its 53,000-square-foot building on its roughly 10-acre headquarters property.

OCCU has been evaluating options for a smaller, more intentional workplace designed around collaboration, connection and the needs of its employees. “This building has served OCCU well for 20 years, but it was designed for a different way of working,” Schumacher said. “Today we have the chance to be more intentional. It’s not about walking away from the workplace. It’s about creating the right workplace for our future.”

Those shifts led OCCU to consider whether its current headquarters still fits the organization it is becoming. Costco’s interest in acquiring the property to support its neighboring warehouse created an opportunity to explore a sale that could support OCCU’s future workplace vision.

“As we looked at where OCCU is headed and what Costco was trying to solve next door, it became clear there was a real opportunity here,” Schumacher said. “We can create a workplace that better fits our future while also helping address a challenge our community has been navigating for a long time.”

The agreement with Costco would support a careful transition for OCCU while creating near-term community benefit through additional parking and a path to longer-term traffic and access improvements. Under the letter of intent, OCCU will remain at its current headquarters during a multi-year transition period, giving the credit union time to identify and prepare its next location. If a final, binding sale agreement is reached and a transaction is thereafter completed, Costco would receive early access to designated portions of the property for additional parking in a way that does not disrupt OCCU’s operations.

“One of the things I appreciate about this opportunity is that the community benefit can begin before OCCU moves,” Schumacher said. “We can keep serving our members and supporting our employees from this location while making additional parking available and giving Costco a path to work on longer-term traffic and access improvements once we relocate.”

The sale is not yet final and will move forward only after OCCU and Costco complete a purchase and sale agreement and related steps. Schumacher said the careful, intentional approach reflects how OCCU is managing each part of its workforce transformation.

“All of this is connected,” Schumacher said. “Our workplace strategy, our investment in technology and our performance culture are all about building a stronger OCCU. If we can create a better experience for employees, use our resources wisely, support our community and deliver something truly different for members, that is worth being bold about.” It reflects a leadership philosophy Schumacher introduced when he became CEO earlier this year: Bold, Not Reckless – a commitment to innovation while maintaining sound risk management.

“To me, being bold means being willing to challenge assumptions and try new things,” Schumacher said. “Not being reckless means we do that with discipline. We test, we listen, we learn and then we keep moving forward. That is the approach we are taking here.”

Posted in Oregon, Regional Member News.