By Chris Bavender
The Regional Development Company has named Centier Bank as Bank of the Year in 2016 for its efforts in community business lending. Centier is Indiana’s largest, private family-owned bank. It was established in 1895 in Whiting by the Schrage family. Eleven years ago the bank expanded state-wide with branches in central Indiana, including Carmel, Westfield, Zionsville and Whitestown.
Centier offers the 504 Small Business Administration Loan program as a tool to help local communities develop and grow economically. The program provides small companies with long-term fixed-rate financing for expansion and modernization and for land and large equipment purchases.
“Our customers appreciate the ease of working with our bank for our creative, responsive and reputable banking service, and most of all that we are Indiana-owned and have local decision-making,” said Dave Bowers, senior vice president of business banking. “With our expanded offices and retail services serving central Indiana, we have a greater opportunity to ‘wow’ clients and the community.”
In October, Centier was honored by the SBA as the top bank for third-party SBA originations in the state and for being among the top 10 for SBA 7(a) originations. The SBA 7(a) loan provides flexible financing for a variety of business projects, including purchasing a building and financing leasehold improvements for a business.
Centier has received many other honors through the years, including being named as one of the Top 10 Best Places to Work in Indiana nine years in a row by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, and being ranked No. 17 in 2014 by “American Banker” magazine as one of the country’s best banks to work for.
For more, visit centier.com.
