Jackson Findlay (left) and John Santaniello

Springfield, Massachusetts-based Freedom Credit Union has opened its first location in Connecticut.

The office at 115 Elm St. in Enfield is only for mortgage and business lending “for the time being,” Freedom Credit Union said in a statement.

“We are excited to expand our footprint over the state line into Connecticut to better meet the needs of our members there,” Freedom Credit Union President Glenn Welch said in the statement. “This new location has both a full-time mortgage loan originator and a business lender on site.”

The mortgage loan originator, Jackson Findlay, will help guide members through mortgage loan options, prepare and submit mortgage loan applications, and work with prospective homebuyers throughout the process of obtaining a mortgage loan, the statement said.

John Santaniello, assistant vice president of member business lending, will work with businesses seeking loans, including term loans, U.S. Small Business Administration loans, and commercial real estate and commercial vehicle loans.

The $683 million-asset Freedom Credit Union has 10 Massachusetts branches throughout the Pioneer Valley. The credit union expanded its charter in 2020 to include people who live, work or attend school in Connecticut’s Hartford and Tolland counties.

“We have a significant number of members who go back and forth across the state line for work and other activities, so this expansion makes sense,” Welch said. “It is our intention to offer additional services to Connecticut in the future.”

Freedom Credit Union is also involved with Connecticut’s marijuana industry in Hartford and Tolland counties, according to the LinkedIn profile for the credit union’s development business officer, Susan Crum. Connecticut is preparing to launch recreational marijuana sales, likely early next year.