SEATTLE, April 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Washington Federal
(NASDAQ: WAFD) proudly celebrates its first 100 years in business
today. In its first century, the bank has funded the bold visions
of small businesses, national corporations and individual
homeowners.
Founded in 1917 as a small neighborhood bank in Ballard,
Washington, Washington Federal has grown to be one of the strongest
banks in the U.S. Backed by 100 years of relationship-based
service, the bank now operates 236 offices across eight states and
serves retail, small business and commercial clients. With
$15 billion in assets, Washington
Federal has one of the highest capital ratios among the nation's
100 largest publicly traded banks.
"We are thrilled to celebrate our first 100 years in business
and the partnerships we've established with all of our clients as
we've grown from our humble start as a single branch in
Ballard Washington to become one of
the strongest commercial banks in the nation," said president and
CEO Brent Beardall.
From the beginning, Washington Federal adopted a disciplined,
no-nonsense approach to banking: taking deposits from local
residents and making prudent loans that help people achieve their
goals. That discipline has held for a century, and Washington
Federal continues to evaluate opportunities through a long-term
lens to ensure wise stewardship of its clients' funds and its
shareholders' investments.
Washington Federal is committed to helping its communities grow
and prosper, and that commitment includes seeing all its loans
through from origination to repayment. "We are in the business of
trust," said Beardall. "As a portfolio lender, when we make a loan
our clients trust us to not only fund the loan but manage it for
the life of the loan. To put a more human face on it, owning our
own loans enabled us to keep 3,000 families in their homes during
the Great Recession. We worked with homeowners who had temporarily
fallen on hard times, and today 96 percent of those families are
current on their mortgage payments."
Washington Federal's relationship-based service, culture of
ownership and commitment to integrity have enabled the bank to grow
and prosper through both the best and most economically challenging
of times. "We're confident that the principles and practices that
have made us successful during our first century will enable us to
continue to thrive throughout our next 100 years and beyond," said
Beardall.
Washington Federal will celebrate its centennial throughout its
footprint. Festivities include Beardall ringing the Nasdaq opening
bell in New York on April 24, as well as local events in all the
bank's branches.
About Washington Federal
Washington Federal
specializes in retail, small business and commercial banking.
Founded in 1917, Washington Federal currently has approximately
$15 billion in assets and operates
236 offices in Washington,
Oregon, Idaho, Utah,
Arizona, Texas, Nevada
and New Mexico. For more information, please visit
www.washingtonfederal.com.
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SOURCE Washington Federal