David Harlow on PPP program
From BancFirst executive looks forward, talks move · · The Oklahoman
“Trying to stand up a 700 billion dollar loan program in about ten days was a challenge, but all things considered, it's been a great success. It has not been without its stops and fits and starts and issues, but as the largest SBA lender in the state for the past 27 years, we know the processes and pulled many people from across the company to work on this program, many days working 24 by 7 shifts to get as much of this stimulus money into our state as we can.”
On , David Harlow, President, Chief Executive Officer & Director at BANCFIRST CORP/OK, spoke about PPP program during BancFirst executive looks forward, talks move on The Oklahoman.
About David Harlow
In a September 2020 interview, David Harlow discussed BancFirst's role in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) during the COVID-19 pandemic. He stated that BancFirst had processed nearly a billion dollars of the approximately five billion dollars in PPP funds that had been pumped into Oklahoma's economy, representing about 20% of the total. Harlow noted that the bank, as the largest SBA lender in the state for 27 years, had pulled 25-30 employees from across the company to work on the program, often in 24/7 shifts. He described the effort to stand up the $700 billion loan program in about ten days as a challenge but said it had been a "great success" despite some issues. Harlow also commented that unemployment would reach "unprecedented highs" and the economy would be injured, while expressing optimism about the resiliency of Oklahomans. Harlow also addressed BancFirst's operations and a building renovation during the pandemic. He said the bank had kept its lobbies open, practiced social distancing, and followed CDC guidelines, and that as of the interview, none of its 2,000-plus employees had tested positive for COVID-19. Regarding the renovation, Harlow noted that an hourglass feature for the first and second floors was being sourced from China, causing a 45-60 day delay, while glass for the tower was domestically sourced and work was beginning that week. He anticipated that people could start moving into the building in January 2021.