First Financial Holding Co., Ltd is the holding company for First Commercial Bank, which provides retail and commercial banking to some five million customers in Taiwan and Asia-Pacific region. Originally founded in 1899, the bank has nearly 200 domestic offices and more than 20 international offices, including one in the US. Taiwanese business loans account for about 70% of its loan portfolio; consumer loans make up the remainder. In 2007 the bank joined with European insurer Aviva to create savings and pension products provider First-Aviva. In addition to First Commercial Bank, the holding company owns First Securities, First Venture Capital, and other financial companies.

Northern Star Financial is the holding company for Northern Star Bank, which has two offices in Mankato and St. Cloud, Minnesota. Serving local consumers and small and midsized businesses, the bank offers standard deposit services, including checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, CDs, and IRAs. Real estate loans, including single-family residential, multifamily residential, commercial mortgage, construction, and land development loans, account for most of the company's portfolio. To a lesser extent, the bank makes business, consumer, municipal, and farm loans.

International Bancshares is leading post-NAFTA banking in South Texas. The institution's International Bank of Commerce (IBC) and Commerce Bank serve residents and businesses of Texas, Oklahoma, and northern Mexico through more than 250 offices. International Bancshares Corporation facilitates trade between the US and Mexico and serves Texas' growing Hispanic population; about 30% of its deposits come from south of the border. In addition to commercial and international banking services, International Bancshares provides retail deposit services, insurance and investment products, and mortgages and consumer loans. The bulk of International Bancshares Corporation company's portfolio is made up of business and construction loans.

IKB Deutsche Industriebank supplies long-term financing and consulting services to established small and middle-market businesses. IKB's products and services include funding for infrastructure investment projects, restructuring consultancy, derivatives, capital markets services, and mergers and acquisitions. The company also furnishes lease financing toward machinery, vehicles, and other assets. It operates primarily in Germany, but also has a presence in France, England, and Spain. In 2008 the global economic crisis took a toll on IKB Deutsche Industriebank and the bank was bailed out by Germany's financial sector. US-based private equity firm Lone Star Funds subsequently acquired the bank.

NBT Bank and its Pennstar Bank division, which together operate about 120 branches in central and upstate New York, northeastern Pennsylvania, and Burlington, Vermont. The community banks offer such standard products and services as checking, savings, and money market accounts; CDs; and trust services. The company's lending activities are dominated by business and commercial real estate loans. Other subsidiaries offer insurance, financial and retirement planning, and investment products. Its NBT Capital subsidiary provides venture funding to area businesses.

Banco Espanol de Credito (Banesto) operates more than 1,900 branches across Spain. The country's fourth-largest bank, Banesto offers a wide variety of products and services to corporate and individual customers, including deposits and savings, investment banking, private banking, credit and loans, portfolio management, and financing for real estate and small businesses. The company also provides international wholesale banking services. Spanish bank Grupo Santander owns a controlling stake of about 89% in Banesto, which was founded in 1902.

Valley National is high on its New Jersey and New York business banking customers. The holding company owns Valley National Bank, which provides commercial and retail banking services through more than 205 branch offices in northern and central New Jersey and in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. The bank offers checking and savings accounts, CDs, and trust services. About 60% of the bank's loan portfolio is dedicated to mortgages, split about evenly between residential and commercial property; consumer loans add another 20%. Subsidiaries offer such services as asset-based lending, asset management, mortgage services, title insurance, auto lending, aircraft financing, equipment leasing, insurance products, and title services.

Central 1 Credit Union (Central 1) is the central banker for nearly 200 independent credit unions in British Columbia and Ontario. With nearly $10 billion in assets under management, Central 1 offers conventional banking products, liquidity services, and payment processing products, as well as business consulting assistance and online banking services (via MemberDirect). Central 1's member unions, which act as company shareholders, serve some 3 million clients through 835 branches. Credit Union Central of British Columbia merged with Credit Union Central of Ontario in 2008 to create Central 1 Credit Union. The merger set the stage for further consolidation in Canada's credit union system.

CBRE | Melody helps commercial real estate owners sing a sweeter tune. A unit of real estate powerhouse CB Richard Ellis, the real estate investment banking and commercial mortgage lending firm offers a variety of debt and equity financing products and related services through more than 35 offices in major cities throughout North America. Loan servicing is provided through GEMSA Loan Services, its joint venture with GE Real Estate. CBRE | Melody offers construction, permanent, mezzanine, and other types of financing for apartment complexes, office buildings, hotels, and industrial and retail properties.

Bar Harbor Bankshares is a Maine-stay for communities in the Pine Tree State's Hancock, Knox, and Washington counties. Through about a dozen branches, subsidiary Bar Harbor Bank & Trust offers such deposit products as checking, savings, and money market accounts; NOW accounts; IRAs; and CDs. Real estate mortgages make up some 80% of the bank's loan portfolio, which also includes consumer, commercial, and agricultural loans. About 10% of the bank's lending is focused on the tourist industry associated with nearby Acadia National Park. Bar Harbor Trust Services, a subsidiary of the bank, offers trust and estate planning services.

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