Throughout the month of February, the Tustin Chamber of Commerce would like to recognize Sunwest Bank for the support they have given to our community.
In 1969 Sunwest Bank founder and first CEO James Engbarth, a longtime banking veteran, gathered a small group of trusted partners and opened Santiago Commercial Bank in Tustin, CA. By 1980, after a decade of steady growth, Santiago Bank officially changed its name to Sunwest Bank, a name that emphasized its growing horizons as an institution.
The most pivotal moment in Sunwest’s history came during the financial crisis. Due to their strong balance sheet and history of conservative underwriting, Sunwest Bank was able to purchase five failed banks from the FDIC. Sunwest had officially grown from a small local real estate bank into a regional bank serving the entire West Coast in just five short years.
From their founding all the way up until now, they have always been a bank that focuses on two things: helping entrepreneurs achieve their American dream and giving back to the community. Sunwest specializes in working with small-medium businesses, privately held corporations, family offices, and real estate developers and investors. They are the bank built by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs.
To learn more about Sunwest Bank, visit their website or contact Bridgette Loya, AVP and Treasury Management Sales Officer at Sunwest Bank, at (714) 730-4479.