• Jay Diallo’s First Community Capital Empowers Underserved Communities with Affordable Capital

    Jay Diallo’s First Community Capital Empowers Underserved Communities with Affordable Capital

    Ghanaian-born and raised, Jay Diallo, is the founder of First Community Capital (FCC), a financial institution in Riverside with the purpose to expand access to affordable capital and mentorship to economically disadvantaged small businesses and lower income individuals.


  • Empowering Entrepreneurs: Oasis Spa’s Journey with SIU Credit Union

    Empowering Entrepreneurs: Oasis Spa’s Journey with SIU Credit Union

    Murphysboro, Illinois – February 29, 2024 – A beacon of entrepreneurial spirit shines bright in the heart of Murphysboro, Illinois. Here, amidst the tranquil setting, Oasis Skin and Wellness Center stands as a testament to the community’s collaborative efforts. Anchored by a profound partnership with SIU Credit Union, Oasis finds itself propelled forward, reaping the…


  • Panhandle Milling Co

    Panhandle Milling Co

    Financing allowed a grain processing co-op to purchase another operation and expand its services.


  • Rich Products

    Rich Products

    The Rich Products’ new state-of-the-art frozen dessert processing center is located in Missouri City, Texas. This 192,000 sq. ft. facility was designed as a Build-to-Suit, to include the latest in food safety designs for production, storage and packaging.


  • North Texas Food Bank

    North Texas Food Bank

    Financing to help fund the $27.4M construction cost of the new Northern Distribution Center.


  • American SprialWeld Pipe Co.

    American SprialWeld Pipe Co.

    The project involves the new construction and equipping of a $62.8M, 275,000 sq. ft. spiral welded pipe manufacturing plant in rural Paris, Texas. The project will create 150 full-time jobs with average starting wages for production employees of $46,000 in addition to full benefits.


  • Hornell YMCA

    Hornell YMCA

    The new YMCA will replace the facilities of the 100-year-old Hornell Family YMCA, which plays a central role in the life of this city. The project nearly doubles the Y’s current sq. ft. to 31,628 sq. ft. allowing them to serve more local residents through the expansion of their programs, including in the areas of…


  • Boys and Girls Club of Newburgh

    Boys and Girls Club of Newburgh

    Financing supported the renovation of several buildings for the Boys and Girls Club of Newburgh.


  • Yonkers Pier

    Yonkers Pier

    The Yonkers Pier is the only turn-of-the 20th century pier still in use on the Hudson River. The restoration of the Pier is another milestone in the remarkable renewal of the Yonkers waterfront, initiated by the development of nearby Yonkers Public Library and the Board of Education Building. The restored first-floor pavilion of the pier…


  • Greenpoint Ozone Park

    Greenpoint Ozone Park

    Acquistion and construction/rehab of prodcution space for small and mid-size manufactures.


  • Mesquite Library

    Mesquite Library

    The Mesquite Library underwent an extensive facilities expansion and technology revitalization thanks to $10 million from Clearinghouse CDFI.


  • Chatham Habitat for Humanity

    Chatham Habitat for Humanity

    Financing supported a Habitat for Humanity Build for Chatham Habitat for Humanity, adding affordable, for-sale housing to Siler City, NC.


  • Firstfloor Jones LLC

    Firstfloor Jones LLC

    The construction of a new K-12 public school for the public school district of Jones County, North Carolina.


  • Marquette Tech District

    Marquette Tech District

    The Marquette Tech District project involved the adaptive-reuse of two historical buildings that were renovated into a tech-powered business incubation center and a Marriott Courtyard hotel in Cape Girardeau, MO.


  • Delta Peanut Kennett

    Delta Peanut Kennett

    Construction of a 130,000 pound blanching plant, seed sheller and buying point for a peanut processing company that is grower owned.


  • Interpres Building Solutions

    Interpres Building Solutions

    The project involves financing the purchase and rehabilitation of a former firehouse. The building will be used as the office space for the borrower’s engineering firm, Interpres Building Solutions.


  • Jordan Valley Innovation Center

    Jordan Valley Innovation Center

    Construction of a three-story, 30,000 sq. ft. addition which will allow the Senator Roy Blunt Jordan Valley Innovation Center (JVIC) to expand and accommodate more tenants while building upon its reputation as a business accelerator and nucleus for collaborative tech research and R&D.


  • Habitat For Humanity Metro Maryland – Randolph Road Project

    Habitat For Humanity Metro Maryland – Randolph Road Project

    Financing funds 27 for-sale homes that will be sold to homebuyers between 30-80% of the area median income.


  • WSCHC Support Corporation

    WSCHC Support Corporation

    Financing for the Walnut Street Community Health Center, a federally qualified health center.


  • Milller’s Court

    Milller’s Court

    Affordable housing for teachers; nonprofit office space


  • Natural Fiber Welding, Inc.

    Natural Fiber Welding, Inc.

    $15M in new funding, accelerating growth of the company to meet the demand of MIRUM® and CLARUS® product lines.


  • Heartland Alliance Health – Uptown

    Heartland Alliance Health – Uptown

    Every year, Heartland Alliance Health works with partners like WellCare Health Plans to achieve that success for thousands of Chicagoans.


  • Kroger Fullfillment Center

    Kroger Fullfillment Center

    Construction of a 375,000 sq. ft. e-commerce grocery fulfillment center in Forest Park, Georgia.


  • A.G. Rhodes Cobb County

    A.G. Rhodes Cobb County

    The project includes the construction of a new 75,000 sq. ft., 3-story memory care wing designed to be a model for best practices in person-directed memory care. The new wing will have 72 private memory care beds organized into 6 “households” that have 12 resident rooms, a residential-scale kitchen and dining area, a living room…


  • Prince Avenue Market

    Prince Avenue Market

    The 100 Prince project is the redevelopment of the former St. Joseph’s Catholic Church into a mixed‐use site to include: 34 housing units (10 units will be affordable @ 80% AMI); a grocery space; three small shop spaces. The retail portion of the project consists of construction and development of 20,357 sq. ft. of retail…


  • Franklin County Biomass

    Franklin County Biomass

    An Alabama company built two wood biomass plants in Northeast Georgia.


  • Bridging The Digital Divide In East Texas

    Bridging The Digital Divide In East Texas


  • Empanadas One 8: From Family Tradition to Business Triumph

    Empanadas One 8: From Family Tradition to Business Triumph

    Claudia Tomison and her daughter, Aranzazu Tapia, immigrated from Chile to the United States with a dream of building a new life in Lufkin, Texas. While they have embraced their American life, they’ve always held a special…


  • Connected Future

    Connected Future

    Bastrop County, Texas, a vibrant yet largely rural region located in Central Texas just southeast of Austin, has long faced significant challenges with internet access. Known for its pine forests, rolling hills, and the…


  • Securing the Future

    Securing the Future

    In the neighborhood of Conroe Bay, located in Willis, Texas, in Montgomery County just outside of Houston, the hum of daily life depends on something many take for granted: clean, reliable water. The Conroe Water-Sewer…


  • Communities Unlimited Expands Housing Services to East Texas

    Communities Unlimited Expands Housing Services to East Texas

    Through a cooperative agreement with USDA Rural Development and in partnership with the T.L.L. Temple Foundation, the Housing Team at Communities Unlimited (CU) has announced its expansion into East Texas. This initiative will bring housing solutions to 10 rural communities, including Queen City (Cass County), Atlanta (Cass County), Linden (Cass County), Alto (Cherokee County), Crockett…


  • From Homeless to Hopeful

    From Homeless to Hopeful

    Jasmine Boyce couldn’t have imagined where she would be today. For nearly two years, she had no permanent home and lived on the streets of Texarkana, Texas. But life has a way of opening doors when least expected. Jasmine…


  • Mountain City Rises

    Mountain City Rises

    How An Appalachian Town Is Turning Setbacks Into Stepping Stones


  • Loan Grown

    Loan Grown

    CU Supports CPA in Rebuilding and Growing Her Business


  • Passion Project Turned Venture

    Passion Project Turned Venture

    She officially launched Ambivert Books in August 2024, an online bookstore based out of Fayetteville, Arkansas, dedicated to providing Spanish-language literature for a diverse audience, from native speakers to language learners.


  • Yanbin Che

    Yanbin Che

    Yanbin Che grew up in the mountain village of Anxi Fujian, which many refer to as the “tea capital of China,” where for many families in the region, tea farming is a source of sustenance, culture and tradition.


  • George Hahn

    George Hahn

    After years of working with Texas-based water treatment firms, George Hahn decided to follow his passion for clean water and launch his own company — AOS Treatment Solutions — in 1999. George used his existing industry connections and expertise to offer a variety of cost-effective services at AOS, eventually becoming a single-point water treatment source…


  • Lorris Gibson Jr.

    Lorris Gibson Jr.

    Today, Lorris Gibson Jr. is an executive chef and enterprising small businessowner but that was not always the case. Ten years ago, Lorris had completed chef training and was working in the restaurant industry when he struggled with addiction and he and his wife experienced homelessness. After recovering from his addiction with the help of…


  • Sweat Equity, Heather O’Neill

    Sweat Equity, Heather O’Neill

    Founded by fitness and wellness guru, Heather O’Neill, Sweat Equity sets itself apart in a growing industry through its vision of being a “health and wellness amusement park.” The unique sauna studio offers a diverse range of services, including full-spectrum infrared modalities, cryotherapy, contrast therapies, somadome meditation pods, and IV vitamin infusions. The journey of…


  • Dream Big Child Development Center: A Visionary Journey

    Dream Big Child Development Center: A Visionary Journey

    Antaya Hampton, the visionary behind Dream Big Child Development Center in Glenn Heights, Texas, has always had a passion for childcare. Before launching her business, Antaya worked as a director for a before-and-after school childcare center and later as a Head Start teacher. Her experience also includes mentoring and coaching providers to improve quality in…


  • Dr. Andre Xavier Smith

    Dr. Andre Xavier Smith

    Dr. Andre Smith grew up in a low-income neighborhood in Baltimore, Maryland. His mother passed away when he was only 10 years old, leaving behind a family of nine children. Due to hardship in the area, Smith says that crime was one of the most appealing routes in his community; however, he chose a different…


  • Susan Janeth Gomez-Maldonado

    Susan Janeth Gomez-Maldonado

    Growing up in a small Mexican border town, Susan found inspiration in her community’s rich art traditions and beauty. When her father’s business led them to new opportunities and a home in the United States, Susan decided she would run her own business someday.


  • Rahel Abraham

    Rahel Abraham

    When Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017, Rahel Abraham lost her vehicle. Shortly after, she left her job – leaving her “starting from scratch,” with something she calls “a blessing in disguise.” “I was in my home and my vehicle was flooded during Hurricane Harvey. I could not evacuate because the street level was lower than…


  • Raul Villarreal

    Raul Villarreal

    Raul Villarreal is a problem solver. As an electrician, his biggest joy is helping people when they are stressed and offering an immediate fix, literally bringing light into their lives. “I like to be Superman for somebody.”


  • Robert Borrego

    Robert Borrego

    Robert Borrego enjoyed his successful 34-year long career as a certified jeweler and gemologist, but it was always his dream to open his own fine jewelry business.


  • Rooster Crow Baking Co., Jennifer Riesman

    Rooster Crow Baking Co., Jennifer Riesman

    Rooster Crow Baking Co. is an indie bakery based in San Antonio, Texas, that has made its mark in the local culinary landscape with unique and delectable creations. Lead by owner and baker, Jennifer Riesman, the bakery specializes in quirky pies, custom cakes, kolaches and more, offering a delightful array of treats that cater to…


  • The Beignet Stand, Elisa Trevino

    The Beignet Stand, Elisa Trevino

    The Beignet Stand has become a San Antonio favorite, known for its delectable New Orleans-inspired treats. From classic powdered sugar beignets to innovative creations like their beignet fried chicken sandwich, The Beignet Stand offers a range of flavors to satisfy every palate. The business, which operates under the umbrella of Southern Grit Flavor, was started…


  • Sugar Scottie Treats | Sun City Stories

    Sugar Scottie Treats | Sun City Stories

    Six sixth-grade entrepreneurs from Sageland MicroSociety Elementary put El Paso on the map. The students created their own business called Sugar Scottie Treats, a unique model that offers a convenient party-catering service at Sageland Elementary and won the tri-state Biz Kid$ Entrepreneur Competition.


  • XUGUZ, Jessica Gonzalez Zimbron

    XUGUZ, Jessica Gonzalez Zimbron

    At the forefront of the virtual tour industry, XUGUZ uses cutting-edge 3D and 360-degree services, to provide an immersive and interactive experience for clients, enabling them to showcase their spaces in a visually captivating manner. Founded in 2015, XUGUZ started as a service for businesses to create 3D tours of their establishments, mainly for Google…


  • Eva Wyatt, Aisha Taylor, Kendra Murray

    Eva Wyatt, Aisha Taylor, Kendra Murray

    The COVID-19 pandemic brought challenges to many individuals, including jobs losses and businesses coming to a halt. Those affected include a group of long-time friends in Houston by the names of Eva Wyatt, Aisha Taylor, and Kendra Murray. Kendra was forced to quit her job as a schoolteacher to reduce COVID exposure for her daughter,…


  • Unoma Okorafor

    Unoma Okorafor

    Unoma Okorafor is the founder and CEO of Herbal Goodness, a manufacturer of premium quality organic superfood and herb products in the form of dietary supplements, herbal teas, and powders that naturally support healthy living.


  • On The Road To Success – Memphis Tire Recyclers

    On The Road To Success – Memphis Tire Recyclers

    Duo David Burgess and Corteney Mack opened Memphis Tire Recyclers to offer a solution to an environmental concern in Memphis, Tennessee.


  • How The Propel Loan Helped Bring Nash Dogs To The Table

    How The Propel Loan Helped Bring Nash Dogs To The Table

    The right loan at the right time can give a small business a big boost. With the control, flexibility, access and ease of the Propel Loan, Nash Dogs received funding through an expedited decision. From its kiosk in Opry Mills Mall, locals and visitors alike can now find and enjoy Nash Dogs’ 100% angus beef…


  • Pathway Lending | Providing Access To Capital

    Pathway Lending | Providing Access To Capital

    Pathway Lending is dedicated to financing businesses and strengthening communities. With a variety of flexible loan programs, we support small businesses of all stages and industries.


  • Pathway Lending & iDropped

    Pathway Lending & iDropped

    Pathway Lending helped Tiekel Finnikin’s dream become a reality after working together to open iDropped.


  • Susan Lynn Prather

    Susan Lynn Prather

    After struggling with an illness that doctors and specialists couldn’t understand, Susan Lynn Prather decided to take a more holistic approach to her health — changing her diet, lifestyle and adding new wellness treatments — and began to see real, positive results.


  • A Skier’s Game-Changer: The Clutter Basket Story

    A Skier’s Game-Changer: The Clutter Basket Story

    Meet Kenneth Mann, a former Air Force officer turned entrepreneur from Colorado, on a mission to revolutionize the skiing experience in lodges across the US and beyond. As an avid skier, he noticed a common hassle during his visits to ski resorts – tables overflowing with helmets, goggles, and gloves, leaving diners with little space…


  • Cooper Steel gets key financing

    Cooper Steel gets key financing

    Once fully operational in May of 2025, the steel company is projected to create/retain 333 permanent, full-time jobs and induce an estimated $18.5 million of additional earnings throughout the region, catalyzing further growth for Shelbyville, TN.


  • ShotRx

    ShotRx

    Southern Bank Borrower Stories


  • Delta Blues Alley Café

    Delta Blues Alley Café

    Southern Bank Borrower Stories


  • Restaurant franchise owner benefits from Innovation Center experience and gives back

    Restaurant franchise owner benefits from Innovation Center experience and gives back

    It started with a Sonic Drive-In franchise in London in 1996. Since then, Chuck and Mindy Newnham have acquired a total of seven franchises with Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken and Sonic.


  • Innovation Center business takes interactive training to the next level through virtual reality

    Innovation Center business takes interactive training to the next level through virtual reality

    EK Media Group can reverse engineer a product to recreate a prototype for a website and use it for interactive training. It also utilizes gaming technology to create e-learning modules where users can then take a test on what they’ve learned using an app.


  • Longtime employee buys metal fabrication business, saves jobs in Clinton County

    Longtime employee buys metal fabrication business, saves jobs in Clinton County

    When he started at the company 20 years ago, Michael Watkins never dreamed he would one day own LaCrosse Enclosures. He was hired to be a quality control manager after earning an associate’s degree in applied science from Somerset Community College.


  • Vega Concret

    Vega Concret

    Southern Bank Borrower Stories


  • Jose’s Mexican Grill & Cantina

    Jose’s Mexican Grill & Cantina

    Southern Bank Borrower Stories


  • Sweet Mama T’s

    Sweet Mama T’s

    Southern Bank Borrower Stories


  • RP Detail

    RP Detail

    Southern Bank Borrower Stories


  • Print Mania

    Print Mania

    Southern Bank Borrower Stories


  • E&S Pallets

    E&S Pallets

    Southern Bank Borrower Stories


  • Noe’s Lawn Care & Dumpster Rental

    Noe’s Lawn Care & Dumpster Rental

    Southern Bank Borrower Stories


  • Dr. Tonya Lyons

    Dr. Tonya Lyons

    Southern Bank Borrower Stories


  • The Turner Family

    The Turner Family

    Southern Bank Borrower Stories


  • Downtown Clarksdale, Mississippi

    Downtown Clarksdale, Mississippi

    Southern Bank Borrower Stories


  • PACE provides comprehensive care, alternative to nursing home

    PACE provides comprehensive care, alternative to nursing home

    KHIC provided the financing for PACE to start up the centers in Wayne and Madison counties.


  • Home sweet medical home

    Home sweet medical home

    Dayspring Health Medical Clinic expands in Williamsburg


  • Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation provides $450,000 loan for industrial park in Burkesville

    Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation provides $450,000 loan for industrial park in Burkesville

    Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation announced a $450,000 community facilities loan to the Burkesville-Cumberland County Industrial Development Authority for the purchase of 93 acres for a business-industrial park.


  • Superior Bathhouse Brewery

    Superior Bathhouse Brewery

    Southern Bank Borrower Stories


  • Jessica Drye

    Jessica Drye

    Southern Bank Borrower Stories


  • Carmen Morfin Villa

    Carmen Morfin Villa

    Southern Bank Borrower Stories


  • Ouachita Baptist University Department of Nursing

    Ouachita Baptist University Department of Nursing

    Southern Bank Borrower Stories


  • Venue at Westwind

    Venue at Westwind

    Southern Bank Borrower Stories


  • Marianne Dolls

    Marianne Dolls

    Southern Bank Borrower Stories


  • Dawson Employment Agency

    Dawson Employment Agency

    Southern Bank Borrower Stories


  • Mandy Chaney

    Mandy Chaney

    Southern Bank Borrower Stories


  • Church Court Apartments

    Church Court Apartments

    Southern Bank Borrower Stories


  • Investing in alpacas

    Investing in alpacas

    Kentucky is known for horses. The fastest, most powerful, and most beautiful thoroughbreds in the world are bred and race in the state. The horse farms around central Kentucky are stunning and have been the setting for books, movies and documentaries. But alpacas? In Kentucky?


  • Stone Gully Farm

    Stone Gully Farm

    Kate Stone founded Stone Gully Farm in 2013 when she and her husband moved to Kentucky and purchased a 180-acre Owsley County farm. She received one SOAR Farm Loan in 2022 and another this year for $7,500.


  • From Homeless to Thriving – Bobette’s story

    From Homeless to Thriving – Bobette’s story

    Bobette speaks about how she once was homeless and with the help of Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc., she overcame her obstacles and came self-sufficient.


  • Durand Senior Apartments Now Open!

    Durand Senior Apartments Now Open!

    Durand Senior Apartments is a multifamily, mixed income development project located on Culver Road in the Town of Irondequoit. The development involved the demolition of 2 vacant churches and new construction of two buildings as 70 affordable apartments serving seniors age 55 and older with incomes between 50% and 80% AMI. The development includes ground…


  • Mayor Evans joins project partners and opens applications for second round of ‘Buy the Block’ homes

    Mayor Evans joins project partners and opens applications for second round of ‘Buy the Block’ homes

    Mayor Malik D. Evans was joined today by Rochester City Councilmembers and project partners to open the application period for the second round of homes for the City’s “Buy the Block – Greenlining for a Better Rochester” program. The City of Rochester initiative is designed to strengthen city neighborhoods and create generational wealth for residents…


  • Timing Is Everything

    Timing Is Everything

    The Great Barns Company got its start over 6 years ago, when co-owner Christopher McGrath decided to build upon a 30-year reputation of expert craftmanship to realize his own dream of starting a small business. Founded by Christopher and his wife Christine, Great Barns has taken the helm in constructing some of Cape Cod’s most…


  • Pivoting for Success

    Pivoting for Success

    The pandemic forced many small businesses to change and adapt, and Boston-based Q’s Nuts was no exception.


  • Reaping the Rewards of Hard Work

    Reaping the Rewards of Hard Work

    In a year of heavy competition and changing traveler priorities, these two inns exceeded expectations and have been lauded as one of their favorites. Based on a full year of Tripadvisor reviews, the Travelers’ Choice Awards honor the best in travel, recognizing the places that delivered the most exceptional experiences.


  • Opportunity Knocks

    Opportunity Knocks

    Pigmenta Permanent Cosmetics – Cape Cod: When it comes to business, finding the right opportunity at the right time is everything.


  • Ernie’s Harvest Time

    Ernie’s Harvest Time

    Poor access to healthy food is a growing problem in Massachusetts. According to the Massachusetts Food Trust, more than 2.8 million people residing in the state’s low income and rural areas lack access to grocery stores, limiting them from fresh produce, quality meat and nutritious options. This number includes over 700,000 children and 523,000 seniors.


  • CORE Credit Union

    CORE Credit Union

    CORE Credit Union is recognized as a Community Leader through its investment in expanding local news coverage. Thanks to this local businesses participation in the Community Leaders Program we are able to enhance areas of content in Statesboro that were underserved in the past. CORE Credit Union proudly supports Success and stories about successful initiatives,…


  • Small Business Spotlight: Inside and Out Pet Care

    Small Business Spotlight: Inside and Out Pet Care

    “Working with CEF’s Business Navigators gave me the opportunity to talk to about finances, marketing, and other topics that I have not seen offered with any other loan company.”


  • Loveland Microloan Fund

    Loveland Microloan Fund

    The partnership between CEF and Loveland began in 2015 to provide loans to small businesses within the city limits of Loveland. This fund was created to provide an affordable, flexible loan solution for those not able to obtain traditional loan financing to start or grow their business.


  • Floyd: A Story of Revitalization

    Floyd: A Story of Revitalization

    Floyd, Virginia, is home to families across generations as well as newcomers who have embraced the town as their own. Like so many other small towns across America, Floyd suffered from the rise and fall of manufacturing – namely, the textile industry. But they were not deterred.


  • Revitalizing the Historic Masonic Theater

    Revitalizing the Historic Masonic Theater

    The Historic Masonic Theatre has always had a way of capturing one’s imagination. Since opening in 1906, it has been a center for the arts, entertainment, education, and community in Clifton Forge, Virginia. After several changes in ownership, the Theatre eventually fell into disrepair. But in 2009, a group of engaged community members came together…