BB&T sweeps national honors for small business and middle market banking

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., March 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The BB&T Small Business and Middle Market banking groups have won Excellence Awards in 20 of 20 national categories – more than any other financial institution – from Greenwich Associates, a leading global financial services research and consulting firm.

BB&T received honors in categories ranging from overall satisfaction and customer service to financial stability and credit policy after interviews with 17,000 U.S. small businesses and 13,000 middle-market companies. Of more than 750 banks evaluated, only 33 received Excellence Awards.

BB&T's sweep of national categories, plus five regional honors, represented the most excellence citations in the award's five-year history. The awards follow a 2009 Greenwich survey that found BB&T had the best reputation among more than 500 small businesses and middle market companies surveyed.

"Greenwich has long believed that BB&T's client-focused business model, relationship-oriented culture, and drive to consistently execute are hallmarks that differentiate the bank from competitors," said Greenwich Associates consultant Don Raftery. "As you can see from the awards, the bank's clients feel similarly."

BB&T Banking Network Manager Ricky Brown credited the bank's promise of delivering the greatest value to its customers and its community bank structure.

"While we have grown tremendously in recent years, we have retained a hometown banking approach with 37 community banking regions," Brown said. "Each region is headed by a regional president empowered to offer of all the advantages and services of a major financial institution while also providing the specialized attention our clients expect from their hometown bank."

In national categories for both small businesses and middle market companies, BB&T received Excellence Awards in:

• Overall satisfaction (three areas): banking relationship, treasury management and personal banking
• Relationship manager performance
• Financial stability
• Credit policy
• Treasury management (four areas): sales specialist performance, product capabilities, customer service and operations accuracy

Relationship manager performance is based on innovative advice and creative ideas, prompt follow-up and frequent visits, and knowledge of treasury management, among other metrics. Credit policy recognition is based on speed of response, willingness to lend, terms and conditions, and competitive pricing.

Stamford, Conn.-based Greenwich defines small businesses as those with annual sales of $1 million to $10 million, while middle market companies are those with sales of $10 million to $500 million in markets across the U.S. Banks selected had a significantly higher percentage of "excellent" ratings than the mean for all banks at a 95 percent confidence level. Businesses were interviewed from January through September 2009.

"We're particularly gratified to be singled out by our clients during a difficult economy dominated by concerns of limited credit availability," Brown said. "Because of our disciplined lending standards, we avoided many of the problems facing most other banks and have been able to extend more than $75 billion in loans in 2009, many to small businesses and middle market companies. BB&T is committed to make every good loan we can find."

More information about BB&T's Greenwich Excellence Awards is available at www.BBT.com/greenwich.

At Dec. 31, Winston-Salem, N.C.-based BB&T Corporation (NYSE: BBT) had $165.8 billion in assets and operated more than 1,800 financial centers in 12 states and Washington, D.C. More information about the company is available at www.BBT.com.

SOURCE BB&T Corporation