Community Bank Saves 30,000 Small Business Jobs in New Jersey

BEDMINSTER, NJ, April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via NEWMEDIAWIRE – Peapack-Gladstone Bank, the wholly owned subsidiary of Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select Market: PGC), is beginning to see its efforts to help clients come to fruition. Small businesses that applied for the Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans through the Bank, are starting to receive their money.“We’ve had employees working around the clock to process the thousands of PPP loan applications through the SBA that have come to us,” stated Doug Kennedy, President and CEO. “It’s truly been a herculean effort to tackle the process, but we wanted to be sure we were able to help as many businesses as we could before the funds ran out.”
Several local parishes, a school for performing arts, law firms, a family care facility, a pre-school and a high school, a community center and many others, all received loan approvals to support the retention of employees through this health crisis.  The Bank was able to secure approvals for nearly 900 organizations overall, which has saved approximately 30,000 jobs, before the SBA funding was depleted.
As of Friday morning, the Bank has secured loan approvals in the amount of nearly $350 million for the small businesses in its communities, according to Kennedy.  Unfortunately, hundreds of businesses are still in the Bank’s pipeline that did not make it through the process before funding ran out. The Bank is not losing any momentum however; and is continuing to prepare these applications for final processing and will be ready to submit to the SBA, when and if, more funds are added to the program.
Peapack-Gladstone Bank received thousands of inquiries when the SBA PPP loan program was launched at the end of March.  This volume was unprecedented and represented several years of new loan volume that needed to be processed in a matter of weeks. Within days, the Bank was managing through the process and assisting clients with applications. 
“We are focused on supporting our communities – we always have been – but this is an especially challenging time for everyone involved.  The PPP process is not easy for the Banks or the businesses, but we feel it is our mission to do our part and make sure we help everyone we can,” Kennedy said.Hundreds of Bank employees are involved in the process – most working remotely − and many of which who have been repurposed from their normal positions, placed into client service or processing roles, to support the cause. Bank employees are energized and understand the importance and depth of what they are doing – supporting the economy and saving jobs. There are no longer separate “lines of business,” there is “one team,” focused on a single goal.ABOUT PEAPACK-GLADSTONE BANK
Founded in 1921, Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation is a New Jersey bank holding company with total assets of $5.2 billion, and wealth management assets under management and/or administration of $7.5 billion as of December 31, 2019. Peapack-Gladstone Bank is a commercial bank that provides innovative wealth management, commercial and retail solutions, including residential lending and online platforms, to businesses and consumers.  For over four generations, Peapack Private, the Bank’s wealth management division, has offered comprehensive financial, tax, fiduciary and investment advice and solutions, to individuals, families, privately-held businesses, family offices, and not-for-profit organizations, which help them establish, maintain and expand their legacy. Together, Peapack-Gladstone Bank and Peapack Private offer an unparalleled commitment to client service. Visit www.pgbank.com and www.peapackprivate.com for more information.

Denise M. Pace-Sanders, Senior Vice President Brand and Marketing Director
dpace@pgbank.com, 908.470.3322 
Peapack-Gladstone Bank 
500 Hills Drive, Suite 300 
Bedminster, NJ 07921 
AttachmentPeapack-Gladstone