Columbia Bank pushes its business lending unit into Utah

Columbia Banking Technique, which is nearing the completion of a merger with Umpqua Holdings that would generate a $50 billion West Coast franchise, is expanding its business into Utah.

The Tacoma, Washington-dependent parent firm of Columbia Lender reported Tuesday that it has hired two lender sector veterans from the Salt Lake Metropolis space as portion of the hard work.

James Divver began in May possibly as senior vice president and business advancement officer, and Jeffrey Thomas began last thirty day period as senior vice president and industrial banking guide in the bank’s new mortgage manufacturing office environment in Utah. 

“We look to empower individuals in area marketplaces. They are seriously working the bank we are not seeking to operate it from the headquarters,” explained Chris Merrywell, Columbia’s chief working officer and executive vice president. He included that the loan office environment is only their opening play, since they hope to use it to get new shoppers and inevitably change it into a complete-service banking shop.

Thomas was formerly senior vice president and business banking sector leader in the Salt Lake Town space for U.S. Bancorp, and Divver was senior vice president of federal government relations for Zions Bancorp.

The hirings come after Columbia’s acquisition last 12 months of Merchants Financial institution of Commerce pushed the business — which now had a presence in Washington, Oregon and Idaho — into California. Following the Merchants acquisition, the Columbia staff appeared at Utah, exclusively the Salt Lake Town region, as a primary advancement current market, Merrywell explained.

“We have always appeared at how commerce travels. And so if you seem at the interstates and you glance at Boise, [Idaho], you go down by Twin Falls, it truly is a organic extension to get down into Utah,” he mentioned.

Columbia’s merger with Umpqua, which is dependent in Portland, Oregon, is predicted to near in the third quarter, pending approval from regulators, Merrywell reported. He mentioned no abnormal hurdles have arisen, but frequently “items are transferring slower than in the past” with merger approvals. 

The Umpqua merger will enable the bank’s Utah executives play with a greater established of choices — from getting on the significant financial institutions to serving small businesses, Merrywell claimed.

“When we arrive with each other, we’ll healthy into a marketplace placement that’s likely to allow us to just take care of a large amount of wants, acquire treatment of a great deal of unique styles of shoppers,” he reported.