The Palmetto Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Palmetto Bancshares Inc., announced Tuesday that Paul Pickhardt has joined the bank to lead its Small Business Administration (SBA) line of business.
Previously, Pickhardt was vice president and senior SBA business development officer of TD Bank. He was the state’s top producer of SBA 7(a) loans for four years in a row, according to a statement from Palmetto Bank. Prior to entering SBA marketing, selling and originating, he held several management positions in the manufacturing industry, including senior vice president positions at Kent Inc. and Ithaca Industries, and vice president of manufacturing for Angelica Uniform Company, Gerber Childrenswear and Health-Tex Inc.
In addition to previous involvement with the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce, he was an advisor for Upstate SCORE and was on the advisory board for the Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
A Vietnam veteran, Pickhardt served as a captain in the U.S. Army.
“The addition of Paul to our diversified Commercial Bank line of business positions us to expand our SBA platform that we began in early 2012,” said Coleman Kirven, commercial banking executive at The Palmetto Bank. “Paul brings a unique blend of SBA-specific expertise for our clients along with the real-world experience of working in several private companies during his career.”
“This is a special opportunity to work with a team that is focused on clients and the communities in the Upstate of South Carolina,” said Pickhardt. “I am a dedicated and active advocate for small businesses given their substantial impact to our economy, and I look forward to helping clients of The Palmetto Bank achieve their goals.”
