Pub. 8 2020 Issue 4

8 The Community Banker www.mibonline.org UPGRADE IS A NEW ASSOCIATE MEMBER W e'd like to introduce our newest associate member who can offer the Montana banking community a great solution! Upgrade recently joined the Montana Independent Bankers as an associate member. Upgrade partners with community banks to provide access to prime credit quality consumer assets. Upgrade is a marketplace platform, founded in 2016. Upgrade currently employs 357 nationwide and has facilitated origination of ~$3 billion in loans since inception. Upgrade offers affordable and responsible credit products to mainstream consumers through personal loans, auto refi and lines/cards and will be launching a HELOC product next year. Their unsecured assets yield 5-6% NET returns to community banks for prime credit borrowers and allows the bank to customize their credit box in either a national or geo-targeted footprint. They also offer free credit monitoring, credit alerts and credit education to their user base through the Upgrade Credit Health product. Please contact Nik Vukov- ich at nvukovich@upgrade.com or 415-940-7688 for more information! DAKOTA BUSINESS LENDING’S NEWEST CREDIT AND ASSISTANT LOAN OFFICER IN MONTANA Associate Member News D akota Business Lending is pleased to welcome Anjie Martins to the team as a credit and assistant loan officer in Montana, working to develop and foster relationships with lenders, small businesses and economic professionals, promote loan pro- grams, assemble loan information, and assist in the preparation, underwriting, and submission of loan packages. Overall, she will sup- port the lending staff and operations throughout the corporation. A lifelong resident of Montana, Martins has gained over 15 years of experience in the banking, financing, and small business industry. She has worked for several banks throughout her career, assisting themwith credit analysis, underwriting for SBA 504 and 7(a) loans, and helping with SBA PPP loans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Martins’ small business lending background and expertise will be a great asset to the Dakota Business Lending team, which she has joined to work alongside lenders to help small businesses. She was drawn to Dakota Business Lending due to their company culture and passion for small businesses, and looks forward to expanding their loan programs and services intoMontana. In her free time, Martins enjoys traveling and outdoor adventures. Founded in 1982, Dakota Business Lending is the oldest, largest and most experienced 504 CDC in North Dakota. With staff throughout North Dakota and in Lewistown, Montana, Dakota Business Lending serves North Dakota, Montana, and five counties in western Minne- sota. This private, not-for-profit entity’s mission is to provide small business financing solutions through collaborative partnerships in a supportive, creative environment that grows the economy and creates or preserves quality jobs. Since its inception, Dakota Business Lending has provided over $500 million in loans with a total project impact exceeding $1 billion to small businesses and local economies. DAKOTA BUSINESS LENDING WELCOMES ANJIE MARTINS H eadquartered in Fargo, North Dakota, Bell Bank is one of the largest inde- pendently owned banks in the nation, with assets of more than $8 billion. When Bell Bank opened its doors in 1966 with a single location in a north Fargo shopping center, our founders couldn’t have dreamed of the growth the company would have. For decades, having happy employees and happy customers has been at the heart of the organization. Our val- ues—being a family, treating our customers well andmaking our community a better place —are at the core of all we do. Richard Solberg joined Bell Bank as its pres- ident in 1982 and continues as the company’s chairman. In partnership with the Snortland family as a major shareholder with his son, Mi- chael, he has helped guide the bank through tremendous growth while maintaining a people-focused culture among our more than 1,300 employees. Michael Solberg has served as Bell’s president since 2009 and was named CEO in 2015. He was the driving force behind creating the bank’s Pay It Forward program, which has empowered employees and others to give millions to those in need. Our contin- ued growthmeans more opportunities for our employees and our customers and even greater community impact through volun- teering and paying it forward. Bell’s ownership remains solidly committed to growing as an independently owned bank for years to come. As a privately held company, owned by several majority stockholders, about 140 additional stockholders and Bell employees through an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), we don’t have the pressure of next quarter’s earnings. Instead, we focus on a healthy balance of profitability, growth and nurturing relationships. Unlike a typical correspondent bank, Bell’s focus is working as your partner. We have larger hold limits, so we won’t resell your loan participation with us. We also have a teamded- icated to correspondent banking and credit to provide flexible underwriting, competitive lending terms and prices, fast decision-making and consistent communication. Having partneredwithmore than 300 other independent community banks across 16 states, we’ll help you enhance your customer relationships through our experience-based expertise in participation loans, bank stock and ownership loans and equipment financing. In providing these services, we become your behind-the-scenes partner, helping youwork in a larger relationshipwithout threatening your relationshipwith your customer. Call Craig McCandless at 406-850-3790 to learn how. BELL BANK Featured Associate Member