The U.S. Small Business Administration again named Banner Bank the 2017 Regional Lender of the Year for the Seattle/Spokane District and a Star Performer for the Portland District. The awards were presented at separate ceremonies earlier this month as part of National Small Business Week.

The SBA announced Banner Bank originated the most loans last year among all banks serving Washington State, approving 170 loans totaling $23,646,300. The agency named Banner its Regional Lender of the Year at the Washington State Small Business Awards Gala earlier this month in Seattle.

Banner Bank closed 63 loans in Oregon last year totaling $7,999,900 with an average loan size of $126,983, making Banner the SBA’s top-performing regional bank and the fourth most prolific lender in the Portland District. The SBA presented Banner with its Star Performer Award for demonstrating “lending excellence” at the Portland District Small Business Week Award Luncheon earlier this month. To qualify for this award, lenders must close at least 20 loans or $10 million in volume during the fiscal year.

“On behalf of our entire Banner Bank team, we thank the SBA for recognizing our long-standing commitment to helping small businesses access the capital they need—like them, we believe our economy is strengthened when main street businesses thrive,” said Mark Grescovich, Banner Bank President and CEO.

The SBA’s Seattle/Spokane District includes the entire state of Washington except for a small geographic region that includes Vancouver, Wash., which is included in the Portland District, due to proximity. The SBA’s Portland District includes Vancouver and 30 of 36 Oregon counties. Only the six most eastern counties in that state are not included as they are assigned to the Boise, Idaho District.

This is the sixth straight year the SBA has recognized Banner Bank’s commitment in Washington, receiving the same award the last three years and Community Lender of the Year the two previous years. Additionally, this is the third year Banner received the SBA Star Performer Award in Oregon.

About Banner Bank

Banner Bank is a Washington-chartered commercial bank that conducts business from more than 200 locations in Washington, Oregon, California and Idaho. Banner Bank is a community bank offering a wide variety of commercial banking services and financial products to individuals and small- and medium-sized businesses and their employees throughout the Western U.S. Visit Banner Bank at www.bannerbank.com.

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