Huntington again a leader in SBA lending

Staff report

columbus

For the third-consecutive year, Huntington National Bank is the nation’s third-largest U.S. Small Business Administration lender and Ohio’s top SBA lender, according to a press release issued by the bank Wednesday.

Huntington increased its number of government-backed loans for small businesses by 20 percent during fiscal year 2013.

Across its six-state footprint in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, the bank made 3,062 SBA loans that represented $465 million in financing.

In Ohio, the company provided 1,750 loans for $204 million in financing — more than in any other state the bank operates in.

“SBA lending is a core strategy for Huntington,” said Huntington Business Banking Director Deborah Stein in a statement. “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy because they create 66 percent of new jobs. There are an overwhelming number of businesses that can benefit from an SBA loan,” the statement said.