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PIKEVILLE — Community Trust Bank Inc. was recently honored with the “Gold Lender Award” by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) as Kentucky’s top SBA 7a lender in 2012. This is the fourth consecutive year the bank has received this award from the SBA.

In federal fiscal year 2011- 2012, Community Trust Bank funded 62 SBA loans for more than $11.8 million. Fifty-two of these loans were in Kentucky and 10 were in other states. In the last four fiscal years, Community Trust has funded more than 322 SBA 7a loans, providing in excess of $50 million for small businesses through its partnership with the SBA.

Community Trust Bank Inc. has been originating loans for over 109 years. They have been an active participant in the government’s SBA programs for many years. Three Community Trust Bank loan officers closed SBA loans that totaled more than $1 million:

Steve Belcher had three loans for $1,652,000.

Clovis Lawless had six loans for $1,231,000.

Bob Watson was, for the fourth consecutive year, Community Trust Bank’s top SBA loan producer in total number of loans, with 14 for $1,030,100. Watson received a special Louisville Slugger bat engraved with his name as a four-peat member of SBA’s Kentucky “All-Star” Team.

Other Community Trust Bank loan officers who closed SBA loans during the fiscal year were Chris Castle, Mark White, Larry Forester, Brett Keene, Jody Thompson, Scott Osborn, and Kristy Gross. Allen Burner, Reed Caudill, Will Fugate, Bill Klier, Jody Oney, and Skip Stocker also closed an SBA loan during the fiscal year.

“We are pleased to once again receive this honor from the Small Business Administration,” said Mark Gooch, president and CEO of Community Trust Bank Inc. “Over the years, the relationship with the SBA has been an excellent one for both Community Trust Bank and our customer base, allowing us to offer competitive business loan products across our service area. I’m proud of our employees as we look forward to continued profitable growth in this business in 2013.”

“Community Trust Bank, Inc., with 52 SBA loans valued at over $8 million this past fiscal year, has continued to set the standard for SBA 7(a) loans in Kentucky,” stated Ralph Ross, SBA Kentucky District Director.

“We value their commitment to SBA and to the business community across the Commonwealth and look forward to growing our relationship with Community Trust Bank in the future,” he said.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation.

The SBA recognizes that small business is critical to the United States’ economic recovery and strength, to building America’s future, and to helping the United States compete in today’s global marketplace.

Although the SBA has grown and evolved in the years since it was established in 1953, the bottom line mission remains the same. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses.

Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, the SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U. S. Virgin Islands and Guam.

Community Trust Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Community Trust Bancorp, Inc. Community Trust Bancorp, Inc., with assets of $3.6 billion, is headquartered in Pikeville, Kentucky and has 71 banking locations across eastern, northeastern, central, and south central Kentucky, six banking locations in southern West Virginia, four banking locations in Tennessee, four trust offices across Kentucky, and one trust office in Tennessee.