Rock Hill is the fifth-largest city in the state of South Carolina and the fourth-largest city of the Charlotte, NC, metropolitan area. “To some extent” says Lee Gardner, CEO of Family Trust Federal Credit Union ($422.5M, Rock Hill, SC) “this city of 69,000 residents is a bedroom community.”
“We don’t like that” he says.
So, the credit union has joined the effort to turn Rock Hill into a vibrant economic and cultural center.
Past, Present, And Future
At one time, the economics of Rock Hill was dominated by the textile industry. In fact, Family Trust got its start as Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company Federal Credit Union, serving the thousands of employees of its namesake.
In the 1980s and 1990s, textile jobs moved overseas, Rock Hill Printing closed, and the credit union transitioned to serving its community of York County. “Today” Gardner says “Rock Hill’s economy is built around sports tourism: the city claims world-class softball, soccer, and BMX facilities, as well as a 250-meter velodrome endorsed by USA Cycling.”
“People come here from all across the Southeast and East Coast for sports tournaments” Gardner says.
Meanwhile, Rock Hill Economic Development has worked to reposition the city as a center for knowledge-based jobs, including call centers and other entrepreneurial startups. Comporium Communications one of the city’s largest employers has created a Gigabyte District allowing for faster internet speeds, and plans have been laid to redevelop a vacant and obsolete piece of real estate that connects Winthrop University and downtown Rock Hill into a University Center. This University Center will include new knowledge-based businesses, restaurants, meeting places, entertainment centers, and retail shops with the aim of revitalizing the historic former textile plants and mills.
Furnishing A New Headquarters
When Family Trust opened its new headquarters in September 2015, it placed the facility in a location that ensured the cooperative would play an important role in the economic development of Rock Hill.
“The city’s economic leaders told us they would like our downtown area to be a place where companies are headquartered” Gardner says.
So, rather than build a downtown branch, as had been the longtime plan, Family Trust relocated its headquarters near the University Center redevelopment. The location is less than a handful of blocks away from the campus of Winthrop University, which employs nearly 925 people and has enrolled more than 6,100 students. Plus, the university does not have a credit union partner.
To serve the university, the credit union needed to develop a relationship. It started laying that foundation via artwork for its new headquarters.
In late 2013, Gardner and Sula Pettibon, the credit union’s vice president of marketing and community relations, reached out to the university with a proposition.
“We said we’d like to commission students to create art for our new building” Gardner says. “We want them to study the history of Rock Hill, the Textile Corridor, and our credit union and have them write a proposal for the type of art they’d like to do.”
The credit union had chosen six Winthrop students from a pool of 10 candidates and installed their designs in August 2015, weeks before the headquarters was to open.
We said we’d like to commission students to create art for our new building. We want them to study the history of Rock Hill, the Textile Corridor, and our credit union.
The Designs And The Benefits
The artwork encompasses several different mediums, including railroad ties, porcelain, steel, and colored resin, and every piece of artwork has some connection to the credit union or Rock Hill. One even functions as a bike rack.
“We needed 19 bike rack stations to receive our LEED Certification” Pettibon says. “That the artist was able to come up with a piece of art that serves as a bike rack shows the art does not just hang on the wall, it is a part of the facility we can use.”
The Artwork And The Artists
Materialization Of Coinciding
This body of work represents the seven core values of Family Trust and is symbolic of the relationship the cooperative holds with the Rock Hill community. Each sculpture is composed of reclaimed materials found in Rock Hill, and some include tea cups, phone books, and printed fabric reminiscent of the mill where Family Trust was established. The materials note the strong partnership between the credit union and the Rock Hill community through time. Descriptions courtesy of Family Trust Federal Credit Union.
– Artwork by Chelsea Arthur
Shifting Shadows, Constant Care
The piece is made of laser-cut and powered-coated steel with resin. Lines weaving through the piece emulate thread and reference the textile history. The Family Trust logo supports the center in the same way the credit union supports the Rock Hill community. When the sun hits the piece, it creates shadows that shift throughout the day, underscoring how Family Trust adapts to technology and community needs. And although the shadows change, they are cast from the same object much as the credit union’s core values provide timeless care and sensitivity.
– Artwork by Nicole Davenport
Our Fine Community
This piece, made from porcelain and stainless steel, represents Family Trust’s support and partnership with York County. The juxtaposition between the delicate material and the stainless steel river represent the blend of modern technology and values from the past. The placement between the delicate material and the stainless steel river represent the blend of modern technologies while preserving values from the past.
– Artwork by Samantha Oliver
Transitions In Blue
Made of laser-cut steel, this four-layered sculpture depicts the transition of Rock Hill from textiles to a technology town. The base symbolizes the textile industry and was inspired by components of a weaving loom and the eye of a sewing needle. The second layer is similar to a grid-based map with pathways and intersections. The third layer suggests a circuit board pattern and technology. The top fourth layer forms an ornate target unifying the past, present, and future.
– Artwork by Christopher Smalls
Renew And Restore
Made with materials that were used to build the mills and Rock Hill’s early economy, these two pieces reflect Family Trust’s desire to embrace the town’s history and encourage it to grow. That momentum encouraged the artist to take common railroad ties and mill wood and reimagine them as more than just construction items but as pieces that fit together to create something bigger and more beautiful, just as every resident adds to the beauty of the town.
– Artwork by Kaitlyn Walters
All told, Family Trust spent $50,000 to commission the artwork. It asked the artists to prepare their own budgets and work with architects to make sure their artwork wouldn’t be too large or too heavy. It also asked students to sign contracts and gave them a design fee, which the credit union learned is a common practice for commissioned art.
“We tried to keep this close to a real-world, professional experience they would have once they graduated” Pettibon says.
Once the credit union installed the artwork and opened its headquarters, it hosted a reception for the artists to show off their work and allow them to talk to those in attendance including the president of Winthrop and business leaders about their artwork.
“In other words, in studying the history of Rock Hill and textiles, I learned this, came up with this idea, and this is what it represents” Gardner says.
The event was a success for both the artists and the credit union. Having the platform to show off their work, some artists went home that night with additional offers.
For the credit union, this reception was a chance to further work on its relationship with Winthrop. Family Trust is in the beginning stages of setting up a student-run branch in the student center and has since partnered with both a business and graphic design class that have helped the credit union run market and website usability studies.
These partnerships have allowed the credit union to tap into a deep pool of what might otherwise be under-the-radar talent and provide opportunities for real-world experience.
Word of the artwork spread beyond Winthrop as well. In early July, the Arts Council of York County presents its Business and the Arts Award to the credit union for the commissioned artwork, and local high school teachers have taken their own students on tours of the headquarters to show them the artwork and learn a little more about Family Trust.
“It helps us tell our story in a different way” Pettibon says.