Desert Valleys Federal Credit Union received its Charter # 5366 on July 11, 1946. The Credit Union was originally established in the Searles Valley to provide the plant workers of American Potash Chemical Company a place to cash their payroll checks. Jones, had approached the banks in Mojave and Lancaster to see if they would consider opening a branch in the area now known as Trona. They strongly
declined citing that it would not be profitable. Richards who traveled to the Searles Valley to explain what a Credit Union was and assisted our first Board of Directors in forming Desert Valleys Federal Credit Union. In May of 1999 the Desert Valleys Federal Credit Union expanded its’ field of membership to include neighboring communities. In August of 1999 we opened a branch in the community of Ridgecrest allowing us to service many of our current members and open our doors to many new members. After eight years on Balsam street, the credit union moved into its new corporate offices in the Ridgecrest Business Park in 2007. For our collective achievements in 2007, the credit union was named "Business of the Year" by the Ridgecrest Chamber of Commerce. The Credit Union’s focus has always been its members. We strive to keep a home town feel about us and service to our members is our number one objective. It is this one-on-one service that has made us stand apart from other financial service organizations in the area. In keeping with that goal here is a link to our page of local businesses you may want to visit. In 2012, the credit union opened the Community Resource Center to provide meeting and conference opportunities to non-profit groups in an effort to enhance business development in Ridgecrest. Some of our current partners include the China Lake Alliance, Ridgecrest Chamber of Commerce, Ridgecrest Entrepreneurs Club, Rotary Club of China Lake, and Cerro Coso Community College. For more information on the credit union's financial condition, management, and mission can be found through the embedded links.
