Executives at Spokane-based Sterling Savings Bank aim to grow the bank's presence in the Boise area.

"Boise is a big opportunity market for us in the future," President Greg Seibly said, citing the metro area's size and growth.

"We view this as one of our top locations to grow. We are very confident in our people here," Chief Operating Officer Ezra Eckhardt said.

Sterling replaced its Boise-area leadership team just over a year ago. Gary Gribben oversees commercial banking and Susan Raymond oversees retail banking.

Both units are performing well, Seibly said.

Sterling likely will grow what is now a small market share in the Boise area, and capitalize on opportunities for banks like Sterling to pick up customers, Eckhardt said. The bank operates a branch and Real Estate Group office in Meridian, and a downtown Boise office that is a branch, commercial banking center and private banking center.

The Meridian office is at 1595 S. Eagle Road, in the Grandview Station development. The Boise office is in the Veltex Building, 420 W. Main.

Competition is strong in a tough economic environment, but the bank and its employees remain confident in the business model, Eckhardt said.

Sterling also will benefit from an eventual improvement in the economy, Seibly said. Sterling entered commercial lending about nine years ago and expanded commercial banking operations substantially in 2005, along the way benefiting from Washington Mutual shutting down its business banking operation, he said.

About 47 percent of Sterling's branch offices are in towns that have fewer than three banks combined, he said.

"Our role is a stewardship role in those communities," Seibly said. Staffs in the rural branch offices tend to emphasize core deposit, consumer lending and business lending activity.

In Idaho, the bank fields offices in Boise, Cascade, Coeur d'Alene, Grangeville, Hayden, Kooskia, Lewiston, McCall, Meridian, Moscow, New Meadows, Plummer and Riggins.

Spokane-based parent Sterling Financial Corp.'s loan portfolio consists of about 40 percent construction loans and 30 percent mortgages, according to Hoovers.com. Subsidiaries Action Mortgage and Golf Savings Bank originate residential mortgages, and Intervest originates commercial mortgages in the West.

Sterling did not offer sub-prime mortgages, but Sterling and its homebuilder clients were affected by the sub-prime downturn because that segment fueled much homebuilding activity in the West, Seibly said. The bank about 18 months ago began making changes to its Real Estate Group that serves homebuilders.