Independent Bank : Receives Preferred Lender Status from the U.S. Small Business Administration

Independent Bank has been recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) with their highest designation of Preferred Lender status. SBA Preferred Lender program (PLP) status is awarded to those banks with the greatest level of expertise and experience with SBA lending, and provides unilateral authority to process, approve and service SBA-guaranteed loans in-house. A bank with SBA Preferred Lender status is able to shave up to weeks off the time needed to get to the closing table on an SBA-guaranteed loan.

"We are very pleased that SBA has recognized our commitment to providing small businesses in the communities we serve with the tools that they need to succeed," said Joel Rahn, Executive Vice President, Commercial Banking at Independent Bank. "This prestigious status and our investment in a dedicated team of in-house SBA experts will allow us to significantly streamline the SBA experience for our customers."