Lenders › First Western Bank & Trust
7(a) lenderMinot, North DakotaFDIC-insured bank305th of 2,184 by approvals
First Western Bank & Trust
SBA 7(a) loan approvals by fiscal year, where they went, how large they were, and how loans from earlier years turned out.
SBA approvals by fiscal year. The federal fiscal year runs 1 October to 30 September, so FY2025 is 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025. *FY2026 is open: approvals to 30 Jun 2026 only.
First Western Bank & Trust, based in Minot, North Dakota, is an FDIC-insured bank in the SBA 7(a) program. SBA approved 107 of its 7(a) loans worth $30.9M in FY2021 to FY2025, which places it 305th of 2,184 active 7(a) lenders by number of approvals.
In FY2025, the latest complete fiscal year, it had 8 approvals totalling $1.3M, down 53% on FY2024 (17). FY2026 to 30 Jun 2026 adds 3 more.
The median approval was $162K, against $190K for the 7(a) program as a whole; 48.6% of its approvals were for $150,000 or less (program: 47.8%).
Its loans went to businesses in 2 states and territories and 19 counties, led by Minnesota (51.4%) and North Dakota (48.6%). The largest industry group was other services (except public administration) at 16.8% of approvals, and 11.2% of approvals were to franchise businesses.
Of 208 disbursed loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021, SBA records 2 as charged off (1.0%), 181 as paid in full and 25 still outstanding; the 7(a) program figure for the same approval years is 6.6%, so the rate here is below it.
Loan status is as recorded by SBA at the data date; charge-off rates are computed on loans approved at least five fiscal years ago. Jobs supported are self-reported estimates from the SBA loan application, which SBA does not review, audit or validate. Loans appear under the lender they are assigned to today, so a lender's figures include loans it took over. Data through 30 Jun 2026.
Approvals by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Approvals | Dollars approved | Median approval | Average approval | Jobs supported, as reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026* | 3 | $2.4M | $480K | $786K | 101 |
| FY2025 | 8 | $1.3M | $150K | $168K | 103 |
| FY2024 | 17 | $6.0M | $100K | $352K | 227 |
| FY2023 | 25 | $5.7M | $215K | $229K | 327 |
| FY2022 | 15 | $2.7M | $164K | $180K | 117 |
| FY2021 | 42 | $15.2M | $145K | $362K | 515 |
| FY2020 | 30 | $6.9M | $82K | $230K | 363 |
| FY2019 | 6 | $731K | $99K | $122K | 24 |
| FY2018 | 21 | $2.2M | $60K | $106K | 114 |
| FY2017 | 17 | $3.9M | $93K | $230K | 156 |
| FY2016 | 13 | $5.0M | $90K | $383K | 122 |
Approvals are counted in the year SBA approved them and include approvals later cancelled. In the five fiscal years before the current window (FY2016–FY2020) the lender had 87 approvals. First approval on file: FY2010.
How earlier loans turned out
Only loans approved at least five fiscal years ago (FY2010–FY2021) are counted, because newer loans have had little time to be paid in full or charged off. "Charged off" is SBA's status for a loan on which it has written off the remaining balance.
| Loans approved FY2010–FY2021 | This lender | Minnesota | 7(a) program |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals in these years | 231 | 18,934 | 639,905 |
| Cancelled or never disbursed | 23 | 2,040 | 79,313 |
| Disbursed loans | 208 | 16,894 | 560,592 |
| Paid in full | 181 | 13,664 | 435,813 |
| Charged off | 2 | 778 | 36,891 |
| Still outstanding (status exempt from disclosure) | 25 | 2,452 | 87,888 |
| Charged off, share of disbursed loans | 1.0% | 4.6% | 6.6% |
| Dollars charged off, share of disbursed dollars | 0.1% | 2.4% | 2.5% |
| Dollars charged off | $80K | $131M | $5.70bn |
By approval year
| Approved in | Disbursed | Paid in full | Charged off | Charged off, share | 7(a) program, same year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2021 | 38 | 20 | 1 | 2.6% | 2.8% |
| FY2020 | 27 | 22 | 0 | — | 4.0% |
| FY2019 | 5 | 5 | 0 | — | 6.7% |
| FY2018 | 21 | 19 | 0 | — | 7.9% |
| FY2017 | 17 | 16 | 0 | — | 7.7% |
| FY2016 | 13 | 13 | 0 | — | 7.2% |
| FY2015 | 25 | 25 | 0 | — | 6.9% |
| FY2014 | 13 | 12 | 1 | — | 6.4% |
| FY2013 | 11 | 11 | 0 | — | 6.0% |
| FY2012 | 5 | 5 | 0 | — | 6.3% |
| FY2011 | 22 | 22 | 0 | — | 6.9% |
| FY2010 | 11 | 11 | 0 | — | 9.2% |
A share is shown only where at least 30 loans from that year were disbursed.
Against the 7(a) program
| FY2021–FY2025 | This lender | 7(a) program |
|---|---|---|
| Median approval | $162K | $190K |
| Average approval | $289K | $518K |
| Approvals of $150,000 or less | 48.6% | 47.8% |
| Approvals to startups and businesses 2 years old or less | 38.3% | 34.3% |
| Approvals to franchise businesses | 11.2% | 11.5% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 12.0 | 10.5 |
| Charged off, loans approved FY2010–FY2021 | 1.0% | 6.6% |
States served
| # | State of the business (2 in all) | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | 55 | $18.6M | 51.4% | |
| 2 | North Dakota | 52 | $12.3M | 48.6% |
In Minnesota the lender accounts for 0.7% of all 7(a) approvals in FY2021–FY2025.
Counties served
| # | County of the business (19 in all) | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burleigh County, ND | 21 | $4.7M | 19.6% | |
| 2 | Hennepin County, MN | 18 | $2.4M | 16.8% | |
| 3 | Cass County, ND | 17 | $3.8M | 15.9% | |
| 4 | Crow Wing County, MN | 15 | $7.7M | 14.0% | |
| 5 | Morton County, ND | 6 | $1.3M | 5.6% | |
| 6 | Douglas County, MN | 5 | $4.1M | 4.7% | |
| 7 | Dakota County, MN | 5 | $2.0M | 4.7% | |
| 8 | Scott County, MN | 4 | $619K | 3.7% | |
| 9 | Ramsey County, MN | 3 | $800K | 2.8% | |
| 10 | Grand Forks County, ND | 2 | — | 1.9% | |
| 11 | Ward County, ND | 2 | — | 1.9% | |
| 12 | Clay County, MN | 2 | — | 1.9% |
Industry mix
| # | NAICS sector | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 18 | 16.8% | |
| 2 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 16 | 15.0% | |
| 3 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 11 | 10.3% | |
| 4 | Retail Trade | 11 | 10.3% | |
| 5 | Accommodation and Food Services | 11 | 10.3% | |
| 6 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 9 | 8.4% | |
| 7 | Construction | 7 | 6.5% | |
| 8 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 6 | 5.6% |
| # | Industry group | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restaurants and Other Eating PlacesNAICS 7225 | 9 | 8.4% | |
| 2 | Personal Care ServicesNAICS 8121 | 9 | 8.4% | |
| 3 | Offices of Other Health PractitionersNAICS 6213 | 6 | 5.6% | |
| 4 | Services to Buildings and DwellingsNAICS 5617 | 6 | 5.6% | |
| 5 | Activities Related to Real EstateNAICS 5313 | 6 | 5.6% | |
| 6 | Legal ServicesNAICS 5411 | 6 | 5.6% | |
| 7 | Residential Building ConstructionNAICS 2361 | 5 | 4.7% | |
| 8 | Personal and Household Goods Repair and MaintenanceNAICS 8114 | 3 | 2.8% | |
| 9 | Other Amusement and Recreation IndustriesNAICS 7139 | 3 | 2.8% | |
| 10 | Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll ServicesNAICS 5412 | 3 | 2.8% |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less17.8%19
- $50,001 to $150,00030.8%33
- $150,001 to $350,00031.8%34
- $350,001 to $1 million17.8%19
- Over $2 million1.9%2
Loan terms
- 5 years or less36.4%39
- Over 5 to 10 years61.7%66
- Over 10 to 20 years1.9%2
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old57.0%61
- New business, 2 years or less18.7%20
- Startup, loan funds will open the business19.6%21
- Change of ownership3.7%4
- Not answered0.9%1
SBA processing method
| # | Method | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SBA Express Program | 100 | 93.5% | |
| 2 | 7a General | 7 | 6.5% |
Franchise share
12 of 107 approvals in FY2021–FY2025 (11.2%) carried an SBA franchise code; across the 7(a) program the share is 11.5%.
| # | Franchise brand | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Servpro | 4 | 3.7% | |
| 2 | Little Caesars | 1 | 0.9% | |
| 3 | Blaze Pizza | 1 | 0.9% | |
| 4 | Nautical Bowls | 1 | 0.9% | |
| 5 | Ace Hardware | 1 | 0.9% | |
| 6 | CycleBar | 1 | 0.9% | |
| 7 | A&w | 1 | 0.9% | |
| 8 | 101 Mobility | 1 | 0.9% |
Questions and answers
How many SBA loans does First Western Bank & Trust make?
SBA approved 8 7(a) loans through First Western Bank & Trust in FY2025, worth $1.3M, and 107 over FY2021 to FY2025. That ranks 305th of 2,184 active 7(a) lenders by number of approvals.
How large are First Western Bank & Trust's typical SBA loans?
The median 7(a) approval in FY2021 to FY2025 was $162K and the average $289K. The program-wide median was $190K.
What is First Western Bank & Trust's charge-off rate?
Of 208 disbursed loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021, SBA records 2 as charged off (1.0%), 181 as paid in full and 25 still outstanding; the 7(a) program figure for the same approval years is 6.6%, so the rate here is below it. Loans are listed under the lender that holds them today, so the figure includes loans taken over from other lenders. Status is as recorded by SBA on 30 Jun 2026.
Which industries does First Western Bank & Trust lend to most?
By number of approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: restaurants and other eating places (9); personal care services (9); offices of other health practitioners (6); services to buildings and dwellings (6).
Where does First Western Bank & Trust make SBA loans?
In 2 states and territories. Minnesota 55, North Dakota 52. In Minnesota it accounts for 0.7% of all 7(a) approvals.
Is First Western Bank & Trust's SBA lending rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 50, against 87 in the three before: falling (-43%).
Where does this data come from?
From the Small Business Administration's 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan files, as of 30 Jun 2026. Borrower names and addresses in those files are discarded when the files are read and appear nowhere on this site.
About these figures
Figures are totals of the Small Business Administration's 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan files, data through 30 Jun 2026. SBA updates the files quarterly. Counts are loan approvals, including approvals later cancelled; the five-year window is FY2021–FY2025, the five latest complete fiscal years. Charge-off rates use only loans approved in FY2010–FY2021, at least five fiscal years ago, and count disbursed loans SBA records as charged off. Loans are listed under the lender they are assigned to today. Dollar figures behind fewer than three approvals are not shown, and no borrower is named anywhere on this site.Methodology · Report an error