NIB and Säästöpankki Optia open loan facility for Finnish SMEs

NIB and the Finnish savings bank Säästöpankki Optia have signed an agreement on opening a EUR 15 million loan programme for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in eastern, northern and central Finland.

Financing SME investments is essential in Säästöpankki Optia’s operations, since a majority of its 4,600 corporate customers are SMEs based in the eastern, northern and central regions of Finland. The new facility is particularly targeted at SME investments increasing production capacity as well as environmental projects.

“Since the growth of productivity largely depends on the availability of financing for investments, we hope that the new loan programme will boost the productivity of SMEs and increase competition in the local economy,” says Henrik Normann, NIB President & CEO.

“Savings bank Optia has been steadily increasing the share of corporate financing in its operations. The loan facility now launched by NIB and Optia is a significant contribution to the re-financing of corporate loans, which makes it possible for our bank’s operations to develop further,” says Risto Sundqvist, CEO of Säästöpankki Optia.

Säästöpankki Optia ranks as the largest (by total assets) of the 31 savings banks in the Finnish Savings Banks Group. Today, Optia operates from headquarters in the town of Iisalmi in the eastern part of the country, where it was established in 1883, and has 17 offices located in eastern, northern and central Finland.

NIB is an international financial institution owned by eight member countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden. The Bank finances private and public projects in and outside the member countries. NIB has the highest possible credit rating, AAA/Aaa, with the leading rating agencies Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s.

For further information, please contact

NIB

Ms Taina Ulkoniemi, Senior Manager Origination, at +358 10 618 0231,

Mr Dimitrijs Alehins, Senior Communications Specialist, at +358 10 618 0296,

Säästöpankki Optia

Risto Sundqvist, CEO, at +358 500 350493