First Foundation Articles

First Foundation Bank Rises to No. 6 Largest Savings and Loan in Orange County

Scott Kavanaugh

March 15, 2010

We're building on another year of solid growth for First Foundation Bank as we continue to thrive with our base of quality clients.

Last year the bank grew its total assets more than 80% to nearly $240 million, which we see as phenomenal in light of the economic environment.

Our client base of financially strong and healthy business owners and high-net-worth individuals has allowed us to expand where other institutions have been held back. The result has been a separator of the pack type market, with First Foundation proving itself as one of the fastest growing new banks in the country, after starting out with less than $12 million in deposits a little more than two years ago.

Key to our success has been an integration of services First Foundation Inc. offers, including investment management, savings and checking accounts, lending, trust services and insurance to name a few. This full array of services that we continue to expand on makes us competitive with the largest of financial institutions, while offering the unmatched personal services of an independent operator.

The deposit side of First Foundation Bank's business grew more than 100% to $185 million, which was well ahead of our goals. Locally, First Foundation Bank moved up three spots to No. 9 on the Orange County Business Journal's list of savings and loans institutions operating in the county, the biggest move upwards on the list.

As for our lending business, that grew by more than 120% to nearly $200 million, which was also a mark of great success for us. Our lending growth has been particularly encouraging, where despite many other banks struggling here, we've been able to expand with our balance sheet free of bad loans and a client base of quality borrowers.

The bank also boasts a core capital leverage ratio of 11%, well above the 8% regulators like to see as a minimum cushion to protect against bad loans.

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