Ridgestone Bank Receives Illinois SBA Lender of the Year Award

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (July 08, 2015) – Ridgestone Bank received the Illinois 2014 SBA 7(a) Lender of the Year award, presented by the Illinois District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration at this year’s Lender Summit and Awards conference in Chicago. Ridgestone received the award for providing the best overall support for the 7(a) loan program based on loan amounts delivered to small businesses throughout the state of Illinois. Ridgestone Bank’s Illinois SBA loans totaled $188.2 million in fiscal 2014.

“At Ridgestone Bank we continually dedicate ourselves to being a leader in small business lending,” said Bruce Lammers, president and CEO of Ridgestone Bank. “As the number one SBA lender in Illinois for six consecutive years, we take pride in our ability to provide opportunities for small business growth throughout Illinois.”

Pictured (left to right):  Ann Marie Mehlum, Associate Administrator of Capital Access, Robert (Bo) Steiner, Illinois District Director, Ninel Struzska, Vice President, Senior Underwriting Manager at Ridgestone Bank, Margaret Griffin, Vice President, Business Development Officer at Ridgestone Bank and Bob Esquivel, SBA Supvy Lender Relations Specialist.

Ridgestone Bank is a privately-held bank with full-service branch locations in Brookfield, Wis. and Schaumburg, Ill., as well as lenders in Indianapolis, Northeast Wisconsin, Northcentral Wisconsin, Tennessee, Southern California, Ohio and Madison, Wis.  Founded in 1995, the bank is a leader in small business and government guaranteed lending nationwide.  Distinguished by the SBA as an “SBA Preferred Lender,” Ridgestone Bank is a top 10 SBA lender in the nation is the number one SBA lender in Illinois and is the number one SBA lender in its asset size in Wisconsin.  Ridgestone Bank is a leader in USDA lending in the United States and has been recognized as a valued partner by the USDA for its commitment to small businesses.  Ridgestone Financial Services trades its common stock on the OTC Market exchange under the ticker symbol “RGST.” For more information on Ridgestone Bank, visit www.ridgestone.com.

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