BELGIUM CO-OPERATIVES BURSTING AT THE SEAMS
Belgium's two largest co-operative savings bank -- CERA (Centrale des Caisses Rurales) and BACOB, the amalgamation of the acronyms in Flemish and French of "Belgian Workers' Co-operative" -- are literally bursting at the seams. With a rapid build-up of their domestic activities and unprecedented expansion of international operations, both banks have found their old headquarters too small to meet their new ambitions and growing staffs.
BACOB will complete moving this summer to its new ultra-modern office block in central Brussels. CERA, for its part, is working out the details of a plan to shift its headquarters out of the medieval quarters of Louvain by 1990 to a more spacious edifice outside the town.
Both banks are firmly rooted in the history of Belgium's co-operative movement, albeit with some fundamental differences. CERA is particularly close to Belgium's rural sector, while BACOB is an emanation of the Christian Workers' Movement. From their strong domestic customer base, both institutions are embarking on the path of expanding their international activities. Officials from both banks share the view that international operations will enable them to better respond to present and future needs of their customers.