On February 6, 1940, nine employees of Owens-Illinois Glass Plant in Clarion, acting as incorporators, signed the organization certificate of Clarion Onized Federal Credit Union. The certificate was duly notarized and sent to The Farm Credit Administration in Washington, D.C.. The approval was granted on February 20, 1940 and charter number 3655 was assigned.
On February 21, 1940, an interested group of members assembled in the Ross Memorial Library to organize the Credit Union. From this small group, a credit union to serve the needs of the Owens-Illinois employees was formed. Since 1972, the Credit Union has continued to add payroll entities, extending membership far beyond Owens-Illinois employees. In 1985, a merger with Gateway Knox FCU in Marienville was approved by the National Credit Union Administration. This merger allowed the Credit Union to continue operations at the Clarion office.
Over the years, the Credit Union has witnessed remarkable growth in terms of asset size, membership eligibility and service offerings. In late Summer 2009, the Board of Directors decided that it was also time to expand the Credit Union’s physical presence. Property was purchased along Holiday Inn Road in Monroe Township and construction began on a new main office almost twice the size of the prior Wood Street location. Construction was completed in June 2010.
Growth and development continued as the Credit Union opened the Brookville Branch in May of 2015 followed by the addition of the Cranberry Branch in October of 2020.
In early 2022, the Credit Union expanded its charter from 4 counties to 13 counties in Northwestern PA and also acquired land for future branch locations in Butler and Hermitage.
On August 1, 2022, Clarion Federal Credit Union officially changed its name to Top Tier Federal Credit Union. The name change reflects the Credit Union’s strategic goal to modernize, expand and offer top tier service to its credit union members.
In November of 2023, the Butler Branch of Top Tier Federal Credit Union officially opened.
From an original nucleus of nine members; from $100 in assets; from part-time help; from the corner of someone’s desk or lathe, over the course of eighty years, what began as an organization for a singular employee group has evolved into a community mainstay, thanks to the dedication of volunteers, the Board of Directors, staff and members.