Our History

What's in a name?

More than 60 years ago—1958, to be exact—our credit union was chartered under the name of Microwave Employees Federal Credit Union to serve the employees and families of Microwave Associates, Inc. who were located in Lowell. Microwave Associates, Inc. became M/A-COM Technology Solutions in 1978, and in 1990 the credit union followed suit, changing our name to M/A-COM Federal Credit Union.

As the years passed and M/A-COM moved a large part of their business and manufacturing offices to other parts of the country, the credit union saw an opportunity to spread our wings, to better serve others in the community—especially lower income families and people with a less than perfect credit history.

However, our challenge was that we were still doing business as M/A-COM FCU. And because of that name, most people just assumed they had to be a M/A-COM employee or family member to use our services. To remedy this, in 2013 we officially changed our name to Mills42 Federal Credit Union. “Mills” is a nod to the heritage and diversity of our city with a note of intrigue, while “42” is a reference to the line of latitude where Lowell can be found on world maps and navigational charts.

People from all over the world followed the 42nd latitude line at the beginning of the 1900s to make their fortunes here during the Industrial Revolution. Now you can follow Mills42 to 83 Merrimack Street to enjoy a superior credit union experience. We’re ready to help you build from here.

The bottom line is, if other financial institutions have turned you down for a loan, or if you just want to be a part of a smaller organization that will work with you to create a brighter future, come see us. We’ll take the time to get to know you.

Not a member yet? We’ll take care of that for you as you’re opening your account or taking out a loan. If you want to get a jump-start, enroll online or just give us a call at 978.328.5100. We’ll be happy to help you build from here.