Our History

Synergent has been serving credit unions for over 50 years.

Our organization has evolved over the decades alongside changes in the core processing, marketing, payments, and technology spaces. We are proud to be part of the vibrant credit union movement and thankful for the partnerships we share.

Key Milestones

1971

August 18, 1971 – MECUL Services Corp. is formed. Ted Desveaux led the organization as Managing Director (a title changed to President/CEO in the mid-1980s). He was instrumental in the introduction of data processing, printing, check processing, card services, and statewide advertising to Maine credit unions through the establishment of MECUL Services Corp.

1971

November 1971 – Member credit unions start accessing initial services, such as supplies, bookkeeping, auditing, printing, and mailing.

1973

MECUL Services Corp. signs agreement to offer data processing services, making it a leader at the dawn of the Information Age. A Burroughs B-500 mainframe computer was purchased and modified to accommodate the specific processing needs of credit unions. By the following year, eight credit unions had converted, and more were soon to follow. This real-time data processing was more sophisticated than the competing “batch” system offered by many banks.

1984

MECUL Services Corporation begins offering ATM services.

1989

League/MECUL Services Corporation moves its office on outer Congress Street in Portland, Maine, to the new Credit Union Service Center in Westbrook.

1990

MECUL Services Corporation begins providing check processing services.

1992-2007

MECUL Services Corporation supports EPL Vision core processing platform.

1996

MECUL Services Corporation begins offering check collection services.

1997

Debit processing platform launched.

2000

MECUL Services Corporation changes its name to Synergent.

2001

Credit processing platform launched.

2004

Synergent contracts with Symitar (Jack Henry) to provide core processing services and begins platform migration transitions to Symitar’s Episys.

Synergent becomes one of the first credit union suppliers to offer hardware and software for Electronic Check Collection (ECC).

2005

Synergent becomes the first in the country to integrate SMA’s OpCon automation solution with Symitar’s Episys core application to drive all operational processing. Today, it is packaged along with Episys and run routinely at hundreds of credit unions.

2010

Print & Creative Services evolves to become Direct Marketing Services. This enabled the organization to offer integrated, data-driven marketing services to credit unions.