Huntington National Bank is by far the busiest SBA lender in the country – originating more small business loans in fiscal 2023 than the next two finishers combined, according to federal data.

The Columbus super-regional bank also is second in total dollar value of loans, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration lender report released Thursday. And while about 250 banks had average SBA loans greater than $1 million, Huntington’s average loan size was $188,000 – smaller than more than 1,100 other banks’ averages.

After the 2008 financial crisis, Huntington made the strategic decision to help small businesses grow even amid economic uncertainty, including the rising interest rates of the past year, CEO Steve Steinour told Columbus Business First.

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