Bank First, N.A.: SBA Lending Profile
Bank First, N.A. is an FDIC-insured bank, headquartered in Manitowoc, WI. It is active in 2 states, concentrated around WI, IL. Everything below comes from federal SBA loan records, not from the lender's marketing. This is what it has actually funded.
Loan sizes Bank First, N.A. actually approves
The median SBA approval at Bank First, N.A. is $291,500. The middle 80% of its loans fall between $50,000 and $1,205,020. The smallest approval on record since 2020 is $10,000 and the largest is $5,000,000. If the amount you need sits far outside that range, this is probably not the right first call, no matter what the website says.
Programs
| Program | Loans FY25-26 | Median size | Median rate | Median term |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBA 7(a) | 57 | $292K | 5.75% | 10 years |
| 504 first mortgage (third party) | 12 | $755K | n/a | 20 years |
Industries it funds most
| Industry | Loans since 2020 | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Limited-Service Restaurants | 15 | 5.2% |
| Full-Service Restaurants | 12 | 4.2% |
| Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 10 | 3.5% |
| Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | 10 | 3.5% |
| General Automotive Repair | 9 | 3.1% |
| Funeral Homes and Funeral Services | 8 | 2.8% |
| General Freight Trucking, Local | 6 | 2.1% |
| All Other Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 6 | 2.1% |
| Residential Remodelers | 6 | 2.1% |
| Landscaping Services | 6 | 2.1% |
| Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners | 5 | 1.7% |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) | 5 | 1.7% |
Conventional small business lending, beyond SBA
SBA loans are a fraction of most banks' small business lending. Under the Community Reinvestment Act, Bank First, N.A. reported 882 small business loan originations in 2024, totaling $217M, at an average of about $246K per loan across 5 states. 29.3% of those loans went to businesses with under $1M in annual revenue.
Borrower profile
- 34.6% of its recent SBA loans went to startups or businesses under two years old.
- Collateral was taken on 100% of its recent SBA loans.
- 27.7% of its SBA lending is revolving lines of credit rather than term loans.
- 34.3% of its loans carry fixed rates; the rest are variable.
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Sources and limits. Figures are derived from U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan-level records (data as of 2026-06-30, retrieved 2026-08-08) and FDIC public institution data. Conventional small business lending figures from FFIEC CRA disclosure data (2024 activity year); CRA loan counts include business credit card originations at some institutions. They describe past lending activity only. They are not rate quotes, not current offers, and not an indication that any business will qualify. Lender programs and criteria change. Big Brain Funding is not affiliated with or endorsed by Bank First, N.A..