Top Company 2021: Financial Services

In its 34th year, ColoradoBiz‘s Top Company honors the Colorado companies that have drive, determination, a vision and a plan and are ultimately making the state a better place to live and work. These three companies – one winner and two finalists – represent the 2021 Top Companies in Financial Services.

WINNER

FirstBank

Lakewood

FirstBank is recognized as Colorado’s largest locally owned company, one of the largest privately held banks in the U.S., and rated by American Banker and Bank Director magazines as one of the best performing banks in the country, with more than $25 billion in assets. The bank started in 1963 from humble beginnings in a 50-foot trailer and has slowly grown to more than 110 locations in Colorado, Arizona and California with more than 800,000 customers. FirstBank’s commitment to doing what’s right for customers, employees and communities is the inspiration behind its mantra, “banking for good.”

Believing diversity creates stronger organizations, FirstBank has strived for a more inclusive workforce. The company continues to appoint and promote more women and people of color into leadership roles as well as the company’s board, enabling FirstBank to exceed the Colorado Census Bureau on every measure of diversity.

FirstBank also launched Colorado’s first Multicultural Banking Center in 2020, which joined the organization’s Spanish and Asian Banking Centers, where customers can receive banking services, financial literacy classes/homeownership tools in their native language, ranging from Cantonese to Vietnamese to Ethiopian dialects and more. What’s more, it announced an $85 million investment to increase affordable housing options in Colorado, and launched a grant program, where first-time homebuyers who identify as Black/African can receive up to $20,000 toward the purchase of a house.

FirstBank aims to make a positive impact on the communities it serves in a number of ways. It helped launch and continues to be the main partner of Colorado Gives Day and Arizona Gives Day, helping raise over $337 million for local nonprofits since inception, including $50.1 million for Colorado Gives Day last year alone. Almost every FirstBank officer serves on nonprofit boards/committees, and the company provides all of its employees with two paid days off to support organizations they’re passionate about (that translates to over 45,000 volunteer hours offered annually).

FINALISTS

CBIZ

Denver

With more than 100 offices and nearly 5,000 associates in major metro areas and suburban cities throughout the U.S., CBIZ delivers financial, benefits and insurance services to organizations of all sizes, as well as individual clients.

When the pandemic hit, CBIZ Colorado’s primary focus was taking care of its people and their wellbeing. CBIZ swiftly and successfully transitioned more than 95% of its Colorado team members to remote work and launched a comprehensive communication strategy for its local employees. As a result, despite the pandemic, CBIZ continues in a positive direction of growth, as indicated by its 30.5% increase in revenue since 2012.

A hallmark of CBIZ Cares is its annual National Food Drive, established in 2009. During this two-week event each fall, team members make monetary or non-perishable food donations to provide to local food banks. CBIZ’s 2020 virtual drive in Colorado raised more than $15,000 for Food Bank of the Rockies. Nationally, CBIZ collected over 1 million pounds for food banks across the country.

InBank

Greenwood Village

InBank, the Top Company winner in the Startup category, has more than doubled in size in less than three years, with the goal of growing to $1 billion in assets while continuing to provide personalized service to customers through direct banker relationships.