Huntington Bank ends fiscal year as largest small business lender in West Virginia

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Huntington National Bank is the largest SBA 7(a) lender in West Virginia and the seventh largest small business lender in the country, as reported by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). According to the SBA, Huntington has made 992 loans nationwide with a total of $141 million lent for the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30, 2009.

Huntington is the top lender in four of the five states it serves. Specifically, it is the No.1 SBA7(a) lender in number of SBA loans and dollar amount of SBA loans in Ohio and West Virginia. It is the No. 1 lender in terms of number of SBA7(a) loans in Indiana and Michigan.

"The fact that a bank the size of Huntington is the seventh largest SBA lender in the country underscores our commitment to small businesses," said Steve Steinour, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Huntington. "At a time when small businesses are weathering the recession, Huntington has stepped up with an aggressive increase in our SBA lending. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, employing more than half of the U.S. workforce and account for nearly 65 percent of all new jobs created. By focusing on small business, we are making an important investment in all of our communities."

Huntington's performance by state is as follows:

-- West Virginia: 30 loans with a dollar volume of $4 million
-- Ohio: 604 loans with a dollar volume of $67 million.

-- Michigan: 184 loans with a dollar volume of $24.2 million
-- Indiana: 71 loans with a dollar volume of $7.6 million

Huntington's SBA-enhanced loans can be used by small business owners for real estate, business acquisition or expansion, start-up costs, equipment purchases, working capital and more. For more information about Huntington's SBA-guaranteed loan program, visit www.huntington.com.

Huntington Bancshares Incorporated is a $51 billion regional bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Huntington has over 600 banking offices are located in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.