Quick Stats

Type – Subsidiary
Founded – 1874
Headquarters – San Francisco (with major support centers in Omaha and Fargo)
Key people – Michael Shepherd, President & CEO
Industry – Banking
Revenue – $2.62 billion USD (2008)
Net income – $92 million USD (2008)
Employees – 10,700 (2008)
Parent – BNP Paribas
Website – www.bankofthewest.com

Brief History

The Bank of the West began as Farmers National Gold Bank of San Jose, California, in 1874. When all bank notes became convertible to gold or silver in 1880, the bank converted from a gold national bank and changed its name to the First National Bank of San Jose, California.

In 1970, Banque Nationale de Paris (BNP) established the French Bank of California. Later that decade, First National Bank of San Jose changed its name to Bank of the West. In 1979, BNP bought Bank of the West and merged in the French Bank of California.

Divisions, Products And Sevices

Bank Of West has 2 MAIN divisions:

#1.Commercial Banking Group

This division apart from the services provided below, also provides expertise and specialized services in equipment financing through the bank’s branches and brokers across the U.S., including vendor finance programs; religious institution credit (being the largest church lender in the U.S.); cash management; loan syndication; trade finance; correspondent banking services for financial institutions and municipalities; health care institutions and government agencies; and capital markets.

Has the following Subdivisions:

This division serves larger corporate customers with annual revenues greater than $50 million requiring specialized expertise and customized product solutions through several primary business lines with companies

#1. AgriBusiness
Bank of the West is the number-three lender to production agriculture in the United States. Agribusiness serves agricultural customers whose credit needs exceed $500,000

#2. Real Estate Industries Division
This division serves commercial real estate and construction clients with credit needs of more than $5 million.

#2. Regional Banking Group

This division provides consumer and commercial banking services and products: deposit accounts, credit cards, insurance, investments and wealth management services, private banking, mortgage and home equity credit, and construction lending.

It also provides private banking offices, for high net-worth individuals served with a specialized product set through a single point of contact; and 762 ATMs, along with Internet and telephone banking channels.