(STURGIS) – Sturgis Bank is helping small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The staff at Sturgis Bank has secured Paycheck Protection Program loans through the Small Business Administration for 458 businesses throughout the communities they serve. This amounts to just over $33 million in loans and over 4500 jobs protected for local residents.

Sturgis Bank President and CEO Eric Eishen says he is proud of his staff and the way they proactively worked to ensure our local businesses got the relief needed through the CARES Act. Their efforts have been appreciated and gratitude expressed by the many business owners that have secured loans.

Eishen says he would also like to express his gratitude for the other financial institutions that stepped up and helped businesses secure loans. Banks were not mandated to participate, but Eishen says as a community bank, he knew this was the right thing to do.

Sturgis Bank Senior Vice President Matt Scheske says they opened the door to both existing customers and non-customers in the region, with 100 percent of qualifying applicants receiving approval. This success rate is a testament to the energetic staff who worked countless hours, nights and weekends pouring over PPP applications, and to the existing customers who completed applications so that together they could do their part for the entire community.