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(Seaboard FCU was named the Top Lending CU for the second straight year. Pictured at an event honoring the 2017 recipients are: (l-r) Amy Bassett District Director Maine District Officer-SBA, Seaboard FCU's Dan Kelley VP Finance, CFO,CCO, Michelle Wingate, Business Loan Officer, and Chad Desjardins, VP Lending, and Diane Sturgeon Deputy District Director Maine District Office –SBA.
If the totals reported by the Small Business Association (SBA) are an indication of how 2017 was for businesses in Maine, business is good. At the 2017 SBA Lender Awards, the SBA reported that a record amount of money was loaned to Maine businesses in 2017 through the U.S. Small Business Administration. In addition, the SBA presented its 2017 Lender Awards. For the second consecutive year, Seaboard FCU took top honors as the Leading Credit Union.
"We are pleased to be named the top performing credit union by the SBA for the second straight year. We are committed to helping small businesses start and grow, and our partnership with the SBA plays a significant role in helping us to serve our small business members," remarked Kyle Casburn, President/CEO of Seaboard FCU.
Overall, in 2017, more than 50 Maine lenders approved more than $165 million worth of business loans through all SBA programs, a 26 percent increase over 2016, according to the SBA.
"The growth that we've seen in SBA lending here in Maine is truly incredible," said Amy Bassett, the agency's district director for Maine. "We certainly wouldn't be able to provide the same kind of assistance to Maine's small businesses if it wasn't for the outstanding efforts of our lenders."
The recipients of SBA's 2017 Lender Awards were honored at a ceremony set at the Governor Hill Mansion in Augusta.