M&T Bank Ranks 6th Nationally After Increasing Loans to Small Business

Made Most SBA 7(a) Loans in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia Districts

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Oct 25, 2010, 11:37 ET

BUFFALO, N.Y., Oct. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- M&T Bank ranked as the #1 SBA lender in the Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia districts and finished 6th nationally ranked by total loans made through the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) most popular small business lending program during the federal fiscal year ended September 30, 2010.

M&T issued 938 of the SBA's 7(a) loans for $119 million, a 36 percent increase in total loans to small business from the prior federal fiscal year. The 7(a) program is the SBA's largest loan program providing operating capital to small business. M&T moved up three spots after ranking 9th nationally in total loans last year.

"One of our bank's most important roles is to work with small business owners and entrepreneurs to consistently provide them with the capital and sound advice needed to operate their businesses and create jobs," said Janet Coletti, senior vice president for business banking at M&T. "We view the SBA as a key partner in our effort to get more capital in the hands of business owners."

M&T has been the leading SBA lender in several of its core markets for more than a decade. The bank nearly doubled its total SBA loans in the Washington, D.C. SBA District this year, topping all district lenders in total loans for the first time. M&T ranked second in total SBA loans in the New York City District with 92 loans.

Under the Small Business Jobs Act passed this month, the maximum SBA 7(a) loan has been increased from $2 million to $5 million. The application fee has also been waived by the SBA through December 31, 2010.

Additional information about M&T's small business products and services can be found at www.mtb.com/business.

M&T Bank Corporation, founded in 1856, is one of the top 20 commercial bank holding companies in the nation, with more than $68 billion in assets and more than 725 retail and commercial branch offices in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington D.C. and Ontario, Canada. More information is available at www.mtb.com.