Independent Banker - May 2019 - 42

#4
Stearns Bank: Cutting-edge tech,
small-town feel
Stearns Bank N.A. has sophisticated online platforms for a number of
lending niches and now specialized apps for business customers, but
it's really its people that make it such a high-performing bank, says
president and CEO Kelly Skalicky.
" We're big enough to invest in [giving] people the cutting-edge
technologies they need, but we still have the small-town feel when
people call us and we answer on the first ring, " she says.
One of Stearns Bank's specialties is nationwide equipment financing,
both large- and small-ticket leasing:
medical, optical, laser-cutting and
skid steers for landscapers, for
example. " We're very fast, because
when business people get a new
job, they need equipment and they
need it now, " Skalicky says. " Also, the
dealer doesn't want them to leave
without buying the equipment, so
we've got to fund right away. "
The average equipment loan
ranges from $7,000 to $10,000, and
since many competitors " won't touch " small-ticket loans, the bank is
able to post high volumes: roughly $14,000 to $15,000 a year.
Stearns Bank is also the 15th largest SBA lender in the country. " I'm
a huge advocate of SBA loans, " Skalicky says. " People say there's
typically so much paperwork, but I tell them, 'There's an SBA loan
and then there's the " SBA Stearns " way.' "
For a $350,000 loan or less, the bank has a streamlined process
that enables people to get a decision on a SBA loan within a day.
That's important, Skalicky says, because people need to know they
have the commitment of financing to be able to obtain a lease for
their small store, to open a spa or landscaping business.
" They need to know they can buy equipment or lease space, so we
pair what we learned in the equipment finance division and now we've
brought those eff iciencies and streamlined workflow onto the SBA
loan side, " Skalicky says. " We've done all kinds of government lending
for decades, so we're a preferred lender-not just one loan a year. We
have a dedicated team of 75 people that make it work like clockwork. "
Stearns Bank can also help businesses with tax credit financing.
#5
Stearns Bank N.A.
St. Cloud, Minn.
Assets: $2.2 billion
3-yr average ROA: 2.51%
stearnsbank.com
For example, for equipment financing on renewable energy projects,
it off ers wind tax credit financing to further help fund the project.
For all its innovation, Skalicky says Stearns Bank's success comes
down to its employees. " Here in St. Cloud, we've got a really strong
work ethic, " she says. " We're still privately held, and we like to give
personal service. "
42 Q ICBA Independent Banker Q May 2019
Farid Tan
Illustration: Joel Kimmel
Metro City Bank
Doraville, Ga.
Assets: $1.4 billion
3-yr average ROA: 2.82%
metrocitybank.bank
3 facts about ...
Metro City Bank
1
Metro City Bank's employees,
management and board of
directors refl ect the diversity of
its communities. " We believe that
it is essential for a bank to speak
the language of its customers, " the
bank states on its website's home
page. The bank's president and CEO
Farid Tan emigrated from Malaysia
in 1993.
The community bank off ers
a wide range of international
services for importers and exporters,
including import letters of credit,
standby letters of credit, export
letters of credit, collections and
other essential documents to
conduct foreign trade.
3
Metro City Bank has 17
branches: eight in Georgia, one
in New Jersey and
two each in
New York,
Alabama,
Texas and
Virginia.
2
Over
$1 Billion
By Katie Kuehner-Hebert
http://www.stearnsbank.com
Independent Banker - May 2019

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