GBC International Bank

What GBC International Bank does

GBC International Bank is a privately held, FDIC-insured community bank headquartered in Los Angeles, California, operating seven branches across Southern and Northern California and Washington State. Founded in 1976 as First Women's Bank of California and rebranded to GBC International Bank in 2007, the bank is led by Chairman, President and CEO Dennis Lam and serves primarily small-to-medium businesses, import/export companies, commercial real estate investors, and individual consumers. Its franchise is anchored in international trade finance, SBA lending, and commercial real estate, supported by long-standing EXIM Delegated Authority Lender status (since 1999) and SBA Preferred Lender status.

The bank's product platform spans consumer and business deposit accounts (checking, savings, money market, CDs), SBA loan programs (7(a), 504, CAPLines, Export Express), EXIM Bank Working Capital and Medium/Long Term guarantees, letters of credit, international wires, foreign exchange, and commercial real estate financing. Treasury and cash management services include Business Online Banking with mobile deposit, FIS-powered Remote Deposit Capture, Positive Pay fraud detection, and merchant services, plus a specialized Money Service Business (MSB) banking team. Technology is delivered through third-party hosted iBanking/eBanking platforms, a Zelle-integrated mobile app, and integrations with ClickSWITCH, MyCardstatement, and Scorecard Rewards.

GBC generates revenue primarily from net interest income on its lending book (commercial real estate, SBA, EXIM, lines of credit, letters of credit), supplemented by transaction-based fees from deposit accounts, wire transfers, trade finance services, and merchant services. The go-to-market model is relationship-led, with dedicated small business lending specialists, branch-based deposit gathering, and direct sales to MSBs. The bank has grown through serial M&A — Dennis Lam has acquired and merged three other banks into GBC — and has been repeatedly recognized as a Top 5 national EXIM lender, most recently winning the 2022 SBA Export Lender of the Year.

Name

GBC International Bank

Legal name

GBC International Bank

Website

https://gbcib.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

GBC International Bank is a Los Angeles-based, privately held community bank operating seven branches in California and Washington State. It serves small-to-medium businesses and import/export clients with SBA loans, EXIM trade finance, commercial real estate financing, letters of credit, and deposit products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (52211), Depository Credit Intermediation (5221), Commercial Banking (522110)

SIC

State Commercial Banks (6022), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)

akta.pro primary industry

SME Deposits & Business Accounts (Operating, Savings, CDs) (FSABABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mass-Market Consumer Deposit Banking (Checking/Savings) (FSABAAAA)

Keywords

• International trade finance
• Small business lending
• Commercial banking services
• SBA loan programs
• Letters of credit

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Net Interest Income: Interest income generated from lending activities including commercial real estate loans, SBA loans, EXIM loans, letters of credit, and business/personal credit facilities
2. Deposit Account Fees: Monthly maintenance fees, minimum balance fees, and service charges on checking, savings, and money market accounts for both personal and business customers
3. Wire Transfer Fees: Fees charged for international wire transfers and domestic wire transfers
4. Trade Finance Services: Fees from letters of credit, documentary credits, foreign collections, and trade finance services including export-import bank loan facilitation
5. Merchant Services: Payment processing services for business merchants including card processing and point-of-sale solutions

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GBC International Bank is a community-focused commercial bank providing deposit accounts, SBA and EXIM export financing, letters of credit, commercial real estate loans, and treasury management to small-to-medium businesses engaged in international trade. It also offers personal banking products including checking, savings, CDs, and digital banking services to individual consumers through 7 branches in California and Washington State.

Product overview

GBC International Bank is a community-focused business bank offering a comprehensive suite of banking products and services through a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering consists of personal and business deposit accounts (checking, savings, money market, CDs) combined with digital banking channels. Trade finance capabilities include Export-Import Bank (EXIM) loans, SBA loan programs (7(a), 504, CAPLines, Export Express), Letters of Credit (import/export/standby/transferable), international wires, and foreign exchange services. Treasury management includes Business Online Banking, Remote Deposit Capture, Positive Pay fraud detection, and Merchant Services. The bank operates 7 branches in California and Washington State, maintaining Preferred Lender status with SBA and Delegated Authority Lender status with EXIM since 1999.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Checking Accounts Tiered personal demand deposit accounts including Personal Checking, Personal NOW Account, and GBC Gold Account, offering free debit cards, unlimited check writing, and interest-bearing options for individual consumers.
• Personal Savings & Money Market Accounts Personal Savings and Money Market accounts with tiered interest rates, ATM access, and FDIC insurance coverage for individual consumers seeking to grow savings.
• Certificates of Deposit Time deposits including Standard CDs, SMART CDs with monthly contribution features, and Platinum CDs with one-time rate bumps, offered in terms from 1 month to 36 months to individual consumers.
• Business Checking Accounts Simple Business Checking, Analyzed Business Checking, and Business Interest Checking accounts for businesses, featuring unlimited check writing and night depository services.
• Business Savings & Money Market Accounts Business Savings Account and Business Gold Money Market Account with variable interest and overdraft protection linking to business checking accounts.
• Business Certificates of Deposit Business SMART CD and Platinum CD products with minimum balances from $1,000 to $10,000 and terms of 12, 24, or 36 months for businesses.
• SBA Loans Small Business Administration loan programs including SBA 7(a) up to $5 million, SBA 504 up to $12.375 million, SBA Small Loan up to $350,000, SBA CAPLines, and SBA Export Express up to $500,000 for working capital, real estate, and business acquisition.
• Export-Import Bank (EXIM) Loans EXIM Bank financing programs including the Working Capital Guarantee Program (up to $7.5 million) and Medium/Long Term Guarantee Program (up to $20 million), with up to 90% advance rate for eligible export receivables.
• SBA Export Loans SBA export financing including Export Working Capital Program (EWCP) up to $5 million, International Trade Loans, and Export Express Loans for businesses expanding internationally.
• Commercial Real Estate Loans Financing for multi-family apartments (5+ units), retail strip centers, office buildings, warehouses, and mixed-use properties, with SBA program options available for real estate investors and businesses.
• Business Equity Lines of Credit Revolving credit lines secured by commercial or residential real estate equity, with interest-only payments for short-term cash flow, working capital, or other business purposes.
• Letters of Credit Import Letters of Credit, Export Letters of Credit, Standby Letters of Credit, and Transferable Letters of Credit providing payment security for international trade transactions.
• International Wires Bank-to-bank wire transfer service for secure, efficient fund transfers to beneficiaries inside or outside the U.S., with same-day processing available.
• Foreign Exchange Currency conversion services enabling customers to send and receive international payments in various currencies worldwide with competitive rates.
• Foreign Collections Consultative service for tracking and expediting collection of incoming international payments to minimize risk and improve cash flow.
• Business Online Banking with Mobile Deposit Digital banking platform for business customers enabling account management, payments, balance viewing, and mobile check deposits.
• Merchant Services Payment processing solutions for businesses including on-site, online, and mobile payment options with next-business-day funding and dedicated support.
• MSB Services (Money Service Business Banking) Specialized banking services for Money Service Businesses including check cashing, wire transfers, and currency exchange, supported by a dedicated MSB services team.
• GBC Online Banking / Digital Banking Comprehensive online and mobile banking platform enabling customers to manage accounts, make payments, view balances, pay bills, set alerts, and access up to 90 days of transaction history.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 5 EXIM lender nationally
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Asian Pacific Community FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the GBC International Bank Scholarship program supporting Asian Pacific community students with educational scholarships.
• Western University College of Dental MedicineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGBC International Bank Foundation scholarship support recognized by Western University's College of Dental Medicine for contributions to student scholarships.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GBC International Bank