COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Huntington National Bank announced it is the No. 1 Small Business Administration (SBA) 7(a) lender for 2008 (Oct. 1, 2007 – Sept. 30, 2008) in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia. The bank also improved its national standing as an SBA small business lender, moving up in rank for both total loan amounts and number of loans provided to businesses with annual revenues under $10 million.

“Small businesses play a key role in the success of our communities and our overall economy. Huntington’s SBA lending record further demonstrates that we are committed to helping business owners identify solutions so they can achieve their goals,” said Craig Street, national director of SBA Lending for Huntington.

Huntington ranked first in both loan dollar volume and number of loans among all SBA lenders in Ohio with 791 loans for a total of $73.7 million. In Indiana and Kentucky, Huntington ranked first in loan dollar volume with a total of $23.6 and $6.6 million, respectively. Huntington also ranked No. 1 for the number of SBA loans in the state of West Virginia with a total of 44 loans.

Huntington moved up from its 2007 ranking to now become 11th in the nation for number of SBA loans and 15th in the nation for total 7(a) loans, the most common type of loan used by small businesses.

Huntington’s SBA enhanced loans can be used by small business owners for real estate, business acquisition or expansion, start-up costs, equipment purchases, working capital and more. The Huntington National Bank is an SBA preferred lender. For more information about Huntington’s SBA-guaranteed loan program, visit www.huntington.com.