Umpqua Bank Named Most Admired Financial Services Company in Oregon for Eighth Consecutive Year

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Umpqua Bank, a subsidiary of Umpqua Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:UMPQ), was named the Most Admired Financial Services Company in Oregon and the fifth Most Admired Company across all industries at The Portland Business Journal’s eighth annual “Most Admired Companies” event. Umpqua Bank has received this recognition from Oregon executives every year since the award was founded in 2005.

“It is an honor to be recognized by our peers as one of the region’s strongest and most respected companies”

“It is an honor to be recognized by our peers as one of the region’s strongest and most respected companies,” said Ray Davis, president and CEO of Umpqua Bank. “This award is a testament to Umpqua’s 2400 associates, whose commitment to serving our customers, employees and communities at the highest possible level is an inspiration.”

More than 1,800 CEOs and top executives across the state chose this year’s winners based on criteria that included innovation, quality of management, community involvement, quality of products and services, and branding and marketing. The Portland Business Journal awards were distributed to companies in eight industry categories: agriculture and forest products, commercial real estate, financial services, health care, nonprofits, professional services, technology and traditional manufacturing, in addition to the most admired company across all industries.

2012 Umpqua Bank Highlights:

Strategic Expansion:

• Continued Bay Area expansion with:
  • Acquisition of California-based Circle Bank, which added six new locations in the Bay Area;
  • Announcement of new flagship stores in San Jose and San Francisco in the first half of 2013.
• Added and expanded key divisions, including:
  • New Agriculture and Commercial Banking Center in California’s Central Coast;
  • New Homebuilder Finance Division;
  • Expanded Commercial Real Estate Division.
• Expanded Home Lending division with four new Home Lending centers in Ore., Wash., and Calif.

Community Involvement:

• On track to volunteer more than 45,000 hours to more than 1,200 nonprofit organizations through Umpqua’s Connect Volunteer Network.
• Expanded financial literacy program, “Learn to Earn,” to include state approved financial literacy curriculum and enhanced online resources and tools for families in four states.

Oregon’s Most Admired Companies is an annual Portland Business Journal event. Hosted by publisher Craig Wessel, the event is one of the publication’s business programs created to recognize the state’s leading organizations.

About Umpqua Bank

Umpqua Bank, headquartered in Roseburg, Ore., is a subsidiary of Umpqua Holdings Corporation with locations between San Francisco and Seattle, along the Oregon and Northern California Coast, and in Central Oregon and Northern Nevada. Umpqua Bank has been recognized for its innovative customer experience and banking strategy by national publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, BusinessWeek, Fast Company and CNBC. The company has been recognized for the past six years in a row on FORTUNE magazine’s list of the country’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.” Umpqua Holdings also owns a retail brokerage subsidiary, Umpqua Investments, Inc., which offers services through Umpqua Bank stores and in dedicated offices throughout Oregon. Umpqua’s Wealth Management Division serves high net worth individuals and nonprofits by providing customized financial solutions and offerings. Umpqua Holdings Corporation is headquartered in Portland, Ore. For more information, visit http://www.umpquabank.com.