Superior Credit Union held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday for its new branch at 241 S. Main St., marking the company's sixth location in Allen County. The opening is a significant addition to the ongoing revitalization of downtown Lima, according to property owner John Heaphy.
The building itself carries a long history, dating back to its construction in 1908 as a Pabst Brewing Company facility. The Pabst emblem remains visible above Superior Credit Union's signage on the building. After its brewery days, the structure transformed into the King of Clubs bar, operating through the 1970s and 1980s, said Heaphy, who is CEO of Good Food Restaurants Inc. Following the bar's closure, the building sat vacant for two decades.
The condition of the property deteriorated to the point where the city of Lima even threatened to demolish it as a “hazard,” Heaphy stated. However, he made a multi-million dollar purchase of the building and others in the Spring and Main corridor in 2022. Heaphy moved his corporate offices to the second floor of the site, but emphasized that Superior Credit Union's presence downtown was equally crucial to his mission of revitalization. He noted that the full occupancy of the building signals that “people want to come back downtown,” and added that “we need shops, we need retail and we need banking” to keep the vibrancy going, Heaphy said.
Superior Credit Union's own trajectory reflects a century of evolution. It was originally chartered in 1954 to serve employees of Superior Coach Corporation, which Heaphy described as “the largest producer of school buses in the country.” The credit union's rapid growth in recent years stems from the closure of Superior Coach in 1981, according to Superior Credit Union CEO Phil Buell. Buell remarked that “out of the ashes of Superior Coach came Superior Credit Union,” explaining that after the factory closed, the credit union began serving the City of Lima and employees at St. Rita’s and Lima Memorial, building its membership from there.
Drew Kantonen, a Superior commercial officer, expressed his surprise at the company's expansion since he started in 2015. Superior has ballooned from serving 10 Ohio counties to 26 counties across Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky. The new South Main Street branch incorporates modern banking technology, including a 24/7 Interactive Teller Machine that allows members to videocall a teller, deposit, withdraw, and transfer money at any time.
Kantonen, who previously worked at Chase Bank, highlighted the credit union's significant focus on community engagement as its most striking growth aspect. He stated, “We’re not just shareholders looking for a profit” and emphasized that the credit union actively seeks to connect with local residents. Kantonen added that the local movement involves bringing things “back local and just to deal with real people,” underscoring the importance of a downtown presence.
