Frontier Financial Partners

What Frontier Financial Partners does

Frontier Financial Partners is a Kansas-based non-profit Certified Development Company (CDC) founded in 1985 that originates and services SBA 504 loans for small businesses across Kansas and Western Missouri. The firm operates as a second-mortgage holder, structuring deals where a partner bank provides 50% of project financing in a first-lien position, FFP contributes 30-40% in a second-lien position, and the borrower injects a 10% down payment. Loan proceeds support commercial real estate purchase, construction, renovation, equipment acquisition, business expansion, and eligible debt refinancing — including, more recently, a dedicated 504 Refinancing product with up to 90% LTV.

The company's product set is narrow by design: SBA 504 Loans (10-year at 5.32%, 20-year at 5.78%, 25-year at 5.487%, all fixed rate) and 504 Refinancing, supported by downloadable borrower and lender form resources. There is no proprietary technology platform; operations rely on website content, phone-based pre-qualification (under 10 minutes), document checklists, and two physical offices (Emporia HQ at 1512 W 6th Avenue and a regional office in Overland Park). The underlying technical asset is the SBA Certified Development Company designation awarded in 1986, which confers specialized access to the SBA 504 program — a federal lending channel limited to certified intermediaries.

Frontier generates revenue through net interest spread on its 30-40% second-mortgage participation and ongoing loan servicing fees, distributed across a long-tail book of 845 assisted companies and cumulative $721M of projects financed, 6,363 jobs created, and 1,619 jobs retained. Distribution is sales-led and direct: phone outreach, the company website, banker referrals, and partnerships with first-mortgage lenders. The team is small (1-10 employees) and long-tenured, with President/CEO Wayne Symmonds (since 1989), Loan Closing Officer Kelley Fowler (since 1998), Controller Jamin Will (since 1999), and Accounting Assistant Elizabeth Engelken (since 2013). No external funding, M&A activity, or institutional investment is disclosed; the firm operates as an independent non-profit under traditional SBA program economics.

Name

Frontier Financial Partners

Legal name

Frontier Financial Partners

Website

https://frontierfinancialpartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Frontier Financial Partners is a Kansas-based, SBA-certified non-profit development company founded in 1985 that originates and services SBA 504 loans for small businesses across Kansas and Western Missouri. It acts as a second-mortgage holder alongside partner banks, generating revenue on interest and servicing fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Lending (SBA 504)

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231)

SIC

Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162), Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Construction & Development (C&D) Lending — Commercial/Multifamily (FSALADAH), SBA/USDA Government-Backed Loan Intermediation (FSAEAEAI)

Keywords

• SBA 504 loans
• Commercial real estate financing
• Small business lending
• Business refinancing
• Certified Development Company

Headquarters

HQ city

Emporia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. SBA 504 Loan Origination and Servicing: Frontier Financial Partners operates as an SBA Certified Development Company providing SBA 504 loans. Revenue is generated through interest on their portion of loans (30-40% of project financing) and loan servicing fees. The company structures loans where the bank provides 50%, FFP provides 30-40%, and the borrower provides 10% down payment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Frontier Financial Partners is an SBA Certified Development Company that provides SBA 504 loans and 504 refinancing to small businesses in Kansas and Western Missouri. The firm originates long-term, fixed-rate financing for commercial real estate purchase, construction, renovation, equipment acquisition, and eligible business expenses, structuring deals where a partner bank provides 50%, FFP provides 30-40%, and the borrower injects 10% down. The company manages the loan lifecycle from pre-qualification through closing and ongoing servicing.

Product overview

Frontier Financial Partners is a Certified Development Company offering SBA 504 Loans and 504 Refinancing as its core products, serving small businesses across Kansas and Western Missouri since 1985. The company provides two primary financial products: SBA 504 Loans for businesses seeking to build, buy, renovate commercial space, or acquire equipment; and 504 Refinancing for existing commercial debt. Supporting these core products, the company offers Forms for Borrowers (documentation services including checklists, financial statements, and legal forms) and Forms for Lenders (resources for financial partners including appraisal standards and environmental guidelines). The firm acts as the second mortgage holder while lenders maintain the first mortgage, and operates offices in Emporia and Overland Park, Kansas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SBA 504 Loans Small Business Administration 504 loans providing hassle-free financing for small businesses to build, buy, and renovate commercial space, purchase equipment, and cover eligible business expenses including rent, wages, utilities, and inventory. Loans are available in 10-year (5.32%), 20-year (5.78%), and 25-year (5.487%) fixed-rate terms.
• 504 Refinancing SBA 504 refinance program offering permanent long-term financing on occupied commercial buildings, with options for single-purpose properties, up to 90% LTV, and potential cash-out for eligible operating expenses. Helps businesses cover existing debt with lower down payments than typical financing options.
• Forms for Borrowers Downloadable borrower forms including affiliate debt, borrower checklist, environmental letter, borrower information sheet, personal financial statement, and other documentation required for SBA 504 loan applications. Enables borrowers to save time and effort during the loan application process.
• Forms for Lenders Documentation resources for financial partners including reliance letter, lender checklist, appraisal standards, and environmental guidelines required for participating in SBA 504 loan programs. Available to banks and lenders who want to become financial partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• $721 million in projects financed across 845 companies, creating 6,363 jobs and retaining 1,619 jobs

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Sunflower Bank: Kansas-based commercial bank that originates SBA loans including 504 products across the same geographic footprint as FFP. Larger, full-service institution but directly competes for the same SBA 504 borrower pool in Kansas.
• Intrust Bank: Wichita-based Kansas bank offering SBA lending programs across the state, including 504-eligible commercial real estate financing. Overlaps with FFP's borrower base in central and western Kansas.
• UMB Financial Corporation: Kansas City-headquartered bank with substantial SBA lending capabilities and national SBA Preferred Lender status. Competes with FFP for mid-market 504 deals across Western Missouri and the KC metro.
• Live Oak Bancshares: Wilmington, NC-based bank that is the largest SBA 7(a) and 504 lender in the United States by dollar volume. Represents the scaled, technology-enabled end of the SBA lending market that FFP competes within for larger deals.
• Capitol Federal Savings Bank: Topeka-headquartered federally chartered savings institution offering commercial and SBA lending throughout Kansas. Competes for the same small-business 504 borrowers in FFP's core territory.
• Enterprise Bank & Trust: St. Louis-based bank with SBA Preferred Lender status providing SBA 504 and 7(a) loans to small businesses across the Midwest, including markets adjacent to FFP's territory.

Regional players

• CrossFirst Bankshares: Leawood, Kansas-based regional bank serving the Kansas City metro with SBA and commercial real estate lending products that overlap with FFP's Kansas City-area origination footprint.
• Country Club Bank: Kansas City-based community bank with SBA lending programs targeting small and mid-sized businesses in the same Western Missouri geography that FFP serves.

Direct peers

• Stearns Bank: Minnesota-based bank that is one of the most active SBA 504 lenders in the country and participates as both a first-mortgage bank and a CDC participant. Closest scaled analog to FFP's 504-specialist model.
• Newtek Business Services: National SBA 504 and 7(a) lender providing government-backed small business financing across multiple states. Competes with FFP on standardized SBA loan products, though at greater scale and broader geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/frontier-financial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Frontier Financial Partners