Fortune Bank President David Staus was quoted in the November 14th issue of American Banker Magazine about efforts to revive the sputtering SBA lending markets. Straus said pegging rates to Libor rather than the prime rate will have a positive impact on loan volume. Fortune Bank is a leading SBA lender in the Pacific Northwest.
Link to the article
“Think Small When it Comes to Banking” was the headline on a November Washington CEO Magazine article (p.12) reporting that Florida based Bauer Financial gave its five star ranking to only two dozen Washington Banks and only one had over $1 billion in assets. Pacific Crest Savings Bank in Lynnwood and Baker Boyer Bank in Walla Wall also posted the information on their websites at while customers are looking for safety and soundness.
The VHPR revolving photo section visually captures our clients stories and the changing. You’ll see G.A Creative’s latest work, Fortune Bank volunteers, and the Jamestown Squallam Tribe as well as cycling photos and signs of the changing seasons. A way to tell the story that people notice.
Megan Clubb, chairman and CEO of Baker Boyer Bank in Walla Walla has been very visible in the community helping people understand the ongoing financial meltdown and what it means. Baker Boyer, the oldest community bank in the state, did not make sub prime loans or invest in mortgage backed securities. They have received a substantial number of new deposits after letting the community know their story. The outreach effort included a video podcast which can be seen on their website www.bakerboyer.com . Customer meetings held in Walla Walla attracted almost 1,000 people.
A bylined article by Scott Harvey, evp of SBA loans at Seattle’s Fortune Bank was featured in the Oct 3 Banking and Finance Section of the Puget Sound Business Journal (page 32.) In the article Harvey talks about the wide variety of businesses that can qualify for the loans. Fortune Bank is a leading SBA lender in the area. For a copy of the article e-mail boyd@vhpr.com
The announcement that Lisa Forrest has joined Fortune Bank as a member of the Small Business
Lisa Forrest has joined Fortune Bank as a member of the Small Business Administration team. She has over 20 years experience in commercial lending.
Forrest most recently was the SBA District Sales Manager for Wells Fargo Bank, Alaska/Washington, where she personally developed more than $100 million in SBA loans over a 7-year period. She also held leadership roles with The Money Store/First Union. During her career at First Union she served as EVP, Lending Operations for what was then the nation's largest SBA lender. In addition, Forrest worked in underwriting and commercial lending for Bank of America.
She earned her MBA in Finance and a bachelor’s degree with a double major in finance and economics from California State University. She serves on the board of Community Capital Development.
“As one of the premiere SBA business development officers in the country, Lisa is an example of the talent Fortune Bank is seeking to best serve the Pacific Northwest”, said Scott Harvey, Fortune Bank’s SBA Manager.
Fortune Bank is a Washington State commercial bank serving the needs of small- to medium-sized businesses in the region. They are dedicated to improving business banking by offering a breadth of innovative banking products; fast, local decision making; convenient access; and above all, personalized client services. Fortune Bank also specializes in providing Small Business Administration (SBA) government guaranteed loans. To learn more visit www.fortunebankwa.com or the pressroom at www.vhpr.com.
The Wall Street Journal launched a new social media site this week. In addition to providing content found in the WSJ, the new site will allow users to email, set up personal profiles, and consult business professionals about topics they are experts on. Subscribers of the Wall Street Journal can use this site free of charge. The article below comments on this new feature and all the networking and business opportunities it provides for users.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/15/new-wsjcom-builds-on-its-community-of-subscribers/
Fortune Bank Uses Social Media to Tell Customers’ StoriesFortune Bank is a Washington State commercial bank serving the needs of small- to medium-sized businesses in the region. Fortune Bank is dedicated to improving business banking by offering a breadth of innovative banking products; fast, local decision making; convenient access; and above all, personalized client services. Fortune Bank also specializes in providing Small Business Administration (SBA) government guaranteed loans. Recently, Fortune updated the Customer Corner page on their website. The re-vamped page utilizes social media to tell the customer’s story. The Customer Corner page is a great example of how social media can facilitate interactivity with the client, be user-friendly and visually engaging. Take a look at the new features by clicking on the link below.
http://www.fortunebankwa.com/custCorner.asp
With many banks in financial turmoil, Walla Walla’s Baker Boyer Bank wanted to emphasize its strong financial position. Chairman and CEO Megan Clubb used a video podcast to announce a 10 cent stock dividend and remind customers that Baker Boyer had not participated in risky real estate loans. Direct access from the front page of the website www.bakerboyerbank.com also increased viewership.
In today’s business world, it’s pretty much assumed that if your company has a website it also has a blog posting feature. Larger companies have found that blogs enable them to connect with their client base on a more personal level. In addition, blogs give employees personal recognition with a company because they are able to voice their opinions and express their individual wants and needs. Ultimately, social media tools benefit the larger corporations by allowing them to reach out to the public in a time efficient and cost effective way. Do the same rules apply for small businesses, whose resources and employee numbers are often stretched thin? You bet! The following link provides a great example of how small businesses can use social media to their advantage. By simply inserting a blog feature or a link to another social media tool onto your company website, you can improve the image of your company, reach a wider client base and gain valuable feedback from the consumer.
http://www.smallcompanybigimage.com/small-business-blog-success-story-power-of-web-cooks-up-sweet-ending/