AZ Business magazine and BestCompaniesAZ present the Most Admired Companies program each year with the goal of recognizing organizations that excel in these six key areas: Customer opinion; diversity, equity, and inclusion; innovation; leadership excellence; social responsibility; and workplace culture. One of Arizona’s Most Admired Companies for 2021 is FirstBank.
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With hundreds of nominations representing the most innovative, impactful and successful companies in Arizona, being one of Most Admired Companies of 2021 shows that these companies truly represent the best in Arizona business. The Most Admired Companies for 2021 will be honored at an awards dinner Oct. 7, 2021, at Pointe Hilton Resort Tapatio Cliffs in Phoenix. Title sponsors for the Most Admired Companies awards are WaFd Bank and Taylor Morrison. For sponsorship information, email Amy.Lindsey@azbigmedia.com. For information about the event honoring the Most Admired Companies, email Lynette.Carrington@azbigmedia.com or click here.
Azbigmedia.com will be spotlighting one of Arizona’s Most Admired Companies each day leading up to the awards dinner.
FirstBank
Most Admired Company: 2011, 2018-2021
Top Arizona executive: Humphrey Shin, market president
What it does: One of the nation’s largest privately-held banks.
Company profile: FirstBank, one of the nation’s largest privately held banks with a focus on “banking for good,” began providing banking services in 1963. They started from humble beginnings: in a 50 ft. trailer coined the “check wagon” and have grown to more than $25 billion in assets and 110 branch locations across Arizona, Colorado, and California.Since 2000, FirstBank has been recognized as a leader in corporate philanthropy, contributing nearly $75 million and thousands of volunteer hours. Additionally, a large portion of its stock is owned by management and employees, giving all employees a financial stake in the bank’s success.
Admirable trait: FirstBank is responsible for financing well over $1 billion in consumer and commercial loans. These loans have made a significant impact on the local community by creating jobs, educational facilities, housing and transforming once rundown areas into desirable locations to live and work. They even helped expand Gilbert Christian Schools’ footprint with a new 56,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art campus, and built some of Arizona’s marquee developments, including Portland on the Park, a 149-unit condo in downtown Phoenix.
