Bank of the West 2009 Annual Report Download - page 15

specialized expertise in livestock feed lots. We also
specialize in supporting nursery businesses throughout
the country, and the agricultural group banks a wide
variety of nut and tree fruit growers and processors.
Our premium wine bankers in California and the
Northwest have grown their business rapidly from a
base in Napa.
As the nation’s leading specialized bank lender to
churches, our thorough understanding of the business
dynamics of religious organizations has produced a
superb record over 20 years of helping congregations
develop facilities that further their ministries. With
more than $1.2 billion in its church portfolio, the bank
has no nonperforming borrowers. Working with us
since 1997, Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Phoenix,
Arizona completed a $21 million project in 2009 that
included a ‘compassion center,’ a 6,000 square foot
building designed to provide a food bank, clothing
center, job counseling service and other community
outreach services in an area hard-hit by recession.
Vineyard also turned to us for cash management and
investment services.
Government banking, another area of specialized
focus, develops public finance, cash management, and
investment relationships in the
public sector. In September 2009,
our Government Banking
group entered into a five-year
relationship with Los Angeles
County’s Deferred
Compensation Division to
manage an employee benefit
“We believe in a customer-centric, full relationship banking model focused
on our customers’ growth goals. The partnership we forge with our middle-
market customers is what enables us to effectively tailor solutions that address
a company’s total spectrum of financial needs. This approach differentiates us,
as does our deep expertise in specialized market segments including agriculture,
real estate, government and church banking. Our customers also seek out our
expertise in equipment finance, investment services, foreign exchange, global
trade, syndication, commercial cards and cash management.”
Gerard Denot, Vice Chairman, Commercial Banking Group
Avid Health, Inc. manufactures vitamins in Vancouver,
Washington, with products in the largest national retailers.
Seeking to refinance part of their debt capital, Avid wanted
a consultative bank partner. Our Seattle-based commercial
team, working with cash management, foreign exchange,
capital markets and syndication experts, offered credit and
ancillary solutions, and Avid established a relationship with
a bank that fully understands its banking needs.
Avid Health, Inc. CEO Martin Rifkin, left, and our Regional VP Bruce Kendrex at the Avid plant in Vancouver, Washington.
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