BOSTON, June 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- To commemorate
the important role small businesses play in supporting the
communities where they operate, Santander
Bank turned the U.S. Small Business Administration's ("SBA")
annual 'National Small Business Week' — celebrated May 5 through May 11— into a month-long
celebration. The Bank hosted in-branch networking events throughout
the month of May for business customers and prospects, and
presented a $75,000 charitable
contribution check to Dorchester Bay Economic Development
Corporation ("DBEDC"), a Community Development Financial
Institution ("CDFI"), to support small business development and
financial education.
"From the jobs they create to the services they provide, small
businesses are the backbone of our economy," said Amir Madjlessi, Santander's Executive Director
and Head of Business Banking. "For the third consecutive year, we
have dedicated May to our small business customers to recognize the
meaningful contributions they make to their local neighborhoods,
and focus our efforts on helping more customers meet their goals.
May was the perfect month to recognize Dorchester Bay Economic
Development Corporation, an organization that, like Santander, is
committed to supporting small business development and financial
education."
Executives from Santander presented Perry Newman, Chief Executive Director of
Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation, with the
$75,000 donation at a rally where
more than 300 team members from Santander's Business Banking
division gathered to share inspirational stories and best practices
on how to best serve small business customers. The DBEDC will use
the funding to support existing small business customers and
aspiring entrepreneurs. This is the second installment of a
three-year, $225,000 commitment to
DBEDC.
During the month of May, Santander received three awards from
the SBA for its commitment to small businesses lending.
- The New Jersey SBA District Office presented Santander a Silver
Award for closing 55-100 SBA loans during the 2018 fiscal
year.
- The New York SBA District Office presented Santander with the
Bronze Award for originating between $10
million and $15 million in new
SBA loans during the 2018 fiscal year.
- The Connecticut SBA District Office presented Santander with
the Lender of the Quarter Award, recognizing that in the first six
months of the SBA fiscal year, Santander closed more SBA loans than
the entirety of the previous fiscal year.
Added Madjlessi, "To be recognized by the Small Business
Administration with these awards, especially during Santander's
Small Business Month, is a testament to our increased focus in
recent years to help more businesses with their SBA-lending
needs."
More than 160 Santander branches hosted receptions for local
businesses throughout May where customers and prospects had the
opportunity to meet with the Business Banking team and branch staff
to learn about the many ways Santander can serve their financial
needs.
At the end of the month, Santander executives hosted a free
webinar on fraud and the current and emerging threats facing small
business owners. Participants learned about business email
compromise, data protection, and phishing and SMiShing scams in an
effort to protect their businesses and reduce their exposure to
fraud risk.
Santander's Business Banking colleagues support the community by
volunteering more than 1,000 hours annually to teach financial
education programs at non-profit organizations in their
neighborhoods. In the month of May alone, Business Banking
colleagues volunteered nearly 250 hours.
As part of Santander's commitment to its business customers, the
Bank offers Business First, a microsite with practical tips and
stories of innovation and perseverance to help them stay ahead of
the competition. To respect the time and interests of its busy
audience, the substantive content is presented in quick-read,
easy-to watch and interactive formats that appeal to a wide-range
of industries and business sizes at different life
stages.
Santander Bank,
N.A. is one of the country's largest retail and
commercial banks with $74.2 billion
in assets. With its corporate offices in Boston, the Bank's approximately 9,600
employees, over 600 branches, more than 2,000 ATMs and 2.1 million
customers are principally located in Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Connecticut,
Rhode Island, New York, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania and
Delaware. The Bank is a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Madrid-based Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE: SAN)
- one of the most respected banking groups in the world with more
than 125 million customers in the U.S., Europe, and Latin
America. It is overseen by Santander Holdings USA, Inc., Banco Santander's intermediate
holding company in the U.S. For more information on Santander Bank, please visit
www.santanderbank.com.
Media
Contacts:
Laurie Kight
214-801-6455
laurie.kight@santander.us
Nancy Orlando
617-757-5765
nancy.orlando@santander.us
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SOURCE Santander Bank