Northwest Savings Bank enjoyed a banner year in 2010. Among its accomplishments was being ranked highest in customer satisfaction in the Mid-Atlantic Region according to the JD Power & Associates 2010 Retail Banking Customer Satisfaction Study.

“This national award demonstrates our employees’ dedication to our customers,” said Ben Jamieson, who manages the bank’s offices in and near Butler County.

“We all are still deeply honored and thrilled to receive it. I think that it has served to remind us all how fortunate we are to serve the customers we have in this community. It reminds us that it is our customers as well as our staff members who make Northwest the place where people make the difference.”

Bank growth for the year bears that out, according to Chris Martin, president of the Southwest Region of Northwest Savings Bank, which includes Butler, Allegheny, Armstrong, and Washington Counties.

Northwest saw tremendous loan growth — mortgage, consumer and business loans — during 2010, a time when many banks saw little lending activity at all. Of special note is the fact that, despite the economic environment, Northwest Savings Bank’s loan delinquency and loan losses are far below industry averages.

Led by its banner Switch Checking Accounts, the bank also saw deposit levels leap upward. Northwest’s Trust and Investment Management Division experienced notable success last year, with assets under management increasing by over 10 percent.

Profitability continued as well, and the bank remains well capitalized thanks to its second-step stock sale, which brought in over $688 million in cash.

One of the corporate values that Northwest espouses is continuous improvement.

During the past year, Northwest added Veracity Benefit Services to its group of financial services companies, upgraded its core processing system, expanded its consumer finance company, implemented new credit software for analyzing and quantifying credit risk, expanded staff education and training and sales initiatives and proficiency, initiated a system to upgrade its accounting system and to enhance its budgeting capabilities, and began the development of a special unit to serve the fast-growing needs of those working with the Marcellus Shale industries.

“To sum up,” Martin concluded, “thanks to the continued support of our customers, 2010 was a great year for Northwest Savings Bank. All of us at Northwest join to thank them, and we ask them to continue to support us in 2011.”

This article was submitted by Northwest Savings Bank.