Small Business Administration lending in Orange County jumped almost 13% last year, a sign that new businesses are getting off the ground.
The company with the fastest growth on this year’s Business Journal list is the nonprofit Southland Economic Development Corp., where small business loans in 2025 nearly tripled in value to $27 million.
“Many things contributed to the increase in loan volume. Perhaps most important is constant process improvements,” Southland EDC President Matt Davis told the Business Journal.
Davis said President Donald Trump’s decision to bar legal permanent residents (LPRs)—including green card holders—from participating in the government’s primary loan program “will have an impact.” About 6% of the deals Southland EDC has done historically are to non-citizen LPRs, according to the president of the Santa Ana-based company.
$300M in Loan Value
SBA lending is supported by the federal government, allowing financial institutions to provide business loans with more favorable terms or more flexible underwriting criteria than conventional loans.
The 16 companies surveyed by the Business Journal increased local lending from $266.2 million in 2024 to $300.6 million last year. The number of loans dipped slightly to 408 last year from 417 in 2024.
Lenders ranged from locally based institutions to SBA branches of giant banks such as Wells Fargo.
California Statewide Certified Development Corp. moved up to the No. 1 spot on the Business Journal’s list of biggest lenders, rising 31% to $47.6 million last year.
That pushed Business Finance Capital, based in Los Angeles, to the second slot, while Live Oak Bank of Wilmington, North Carolina, was third.
TMC Financing in Newport Beach slipped one slot to No. 4 as its SBA lending last year dipped almost 7% in value to $33 million.
“One of the biggest challenges today is ongoing market uncertainty,” TMC Senior Vice President for Business Development Jennifer Davis told the Business Journal.
“Even borrowers who are well-positioned are taking a more cautious approach, with some choosing to delay expansion plans until they feel more confident in the economic outlook.”
Commercial Bank of California
Commercial Bank of California in Irvine slipped one slot to No. 14 as its SBA lending dipped almost 14% to $4.1 million. Future growth is planned.
“At Commercial Bank of California, we’ve continued to invest in our SBA lending program by expanding our team and geographic reach,” Ash Patel, the bank’s CEO, president and chairman, told the Business Journal. “Most recently, we welcomed a new SBA business development officer based in New Jersey who will oversee our East Coast and Midwest territories.”
