Sunflower Bank

Sunflower Bank played host in January to an banker from Lithuania – a chance for the regional bank to offer collegial advice and insight to a similar financial institution from around the globe.

Giedrius Sarapinas, chief credit officer at Šiaulių Bankas of Siauliai, Lithuania, spent a week working with officers at Sunflower Bank offices in Kansas as part of a sponsored sabbatical.

Šiaulių Bankas is headquartered in Siauliai, Lithuania, a city of about 100,000 noted for its national monument, the Hill of Crosses. The bank has about $750 million in assets throughout 49 branch locations in Lithuania, and 300 employees. In comparison, Sunflower Bank counts more than $1.3 billion in assets throughout 35 locations in Kansas and Colorado, and about 450 employees.

In addition, with two native banks in LIthuania, the country’s entry into the European Union brought with it an influx of larger European banks. Like Sunflower, Siauliu Bankas has worked to develop its relationships with business and agricultural lending. Siauliu is a relatively new bank, which has some advantages.

“American banks have a huge history, hundreds of years. Of course, there are things we can learn,” said Sarapinas.

Sarapinas’ visit included meetings with Sunflower Bank employees and discussion of Sunflower Bank’s loan review and risk management procedures and philosophies. The bankers discussed methods for sound and successful loan underwriting, marketing, and strategy. The institutions focused on commercial and business loans marketed to small and medium businesses, including family-owned agricultural businesses.

“The parallels were uncanny,” said JimVanEmburgh, Sunflower Bank executive vice president – credit adminstration.“Both our institutions are committed to the health and wealth of our customers, and there’s a lot of common ground. We’re all focused on investing in our communities and creating possibility and opportunities for people, businesses, and our countries.”

Sarapinas’ visit to the U.S. was sponsored by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), an agency founded after the fall of the Soviet Union to provide financing for burgeoning banks, industries and businesses in new European democracies.

The EBRD closely monitors lending practices and business strategies among its fledgling banks, often in fledgling democracies. Because of many eastern European nations’ similarity in market potential and agricultural climate to the U.S. Midwest, the EBRD often relies on advice counsel and input from the Kansas Bankers Association.

The KBA recommended Sunflower Bank as a host for Sarapinas, because of the two institutions’ similarity in size and growth potential, as well as the Kansas bank’s sterling reputation. The KBA has regularly recommended its member banks as hosts for international bankers – offering unique expertise in managing a similar agricultural, customer base.

On the Web: