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30 WINES&VINES September 2016 sponsored content I n the first eight months after joining the U.s. wine industry in 2015, Live oak Bank shot to the top, becoming the no. 1 small Business Administra- tion (sBA) lender to wineries and vineyards in the country. * "It's because we knew small wineries were underserved," says domain expert Jeff clark. "the lending institutions have gravitated towards larger wineries over the years, as we all know, the vast majority of wineries and vineyards are smaller, family-owned businesses." In the fields characterizing itself as "not your ordinary bank," Live oak is branchless. employees work in the field and in the industries they each serve. In the wine industry, this can mean that Live oak loan officers are literally walking vine- yards, tank rooms and crush pads with their clients. they match what they learn about each winery's operations with their vast knowledge of how a bank can serve customers' individual needs. senior Loan officers tracy sheppard and randall Behrens, along with clark, are living and working in the heart of the industry in california; however, they travel all over the country visiting winemakers and craft beverage produc- ers to understand their unique viticul- ture and financing needs. "I went to the texas Hill country wineries recently, and they seemed astounded that I'd be there to see them," clark reports. "I said 'Why wouldn't I be here? You stand between Austin and san Antonio, two of the biggest most thriving cities in the country, and you make great wines and need to grow. of course I'm here.'" Another area that the Live oak team was delighted to visit was beautiful southern oregon. "sure, the Willamette Valley is courted and well-served by larger, more traditional banks, but who is looking to help the rogue region and the rest of oregon, which are also producing incredible wines?" asks clark. sheppard mentions that Live oak was recently named the number one bank to work for in America. And that's because we work in the industries we are passion- ate about. I get to travel and meet every client, and really get to see the passion of each winemaker or craft brewer I meet. Understanding a customer's needs and their passion, and matching it with the non-traditional ways we can build financ- ing for them, means we all get to grow." Construction, expansion and equipment financing Behrens most frequently works with wineries and craft breweries facing the challenges of expansion, which is usually a result of their own success. He explains that winery clients often need longer term credit to build or expand, and construction and expan- sion financing is a specialty for Live oak. the bank can offer flexible equity requirements and longer terms to customers whose building or market-expansion needs they truly understand. some of the equipment financing options that Live oak Bank has devel- Live Oak Bank 1741 Tiburon Drive | Wilmington, N.C. | 28403 100 B Street, Ste. 100 | Santa Rosa, Calif. | 95401 Phone: (707) 921-1102 liveoakbank.com/wcb Banking from the Field clark on a recent visit with Howell Mountain winemaker and customer Bill Ballentine of William cole Vineyards in napa Valley, cA.