Northern Great Lakes Initiatives: SBA Lending Activity & Industry Focus

Top lender in MichiganFull-Service Restaurants specialistSmall loan specialistActive lender

Based on historical SBA 7(a) lending data.

Total Approvals

6

by Northern Great Lakes Initiatives

Total Volume

$900,000

approved amount

Median Loan Size

$160,000

per approval

Recent Activity

1

last 90 days through Feb 2025

Northern Great Lakes Initiatives is a lender based in Michigan with a strong focus on Full-Service Restaurants and Breweries. With 6 SBA 7(a) approvals and a typical loan size of $160,000, their lending data provides a detailed picture of where and how they deploy SBA capital.

What you should know

Key insights derived from Northern Great Lakes Initiatives's SBA 7(a) lending history

Industry specialist: Full-Service Restaurants

83% of Northern Great Lakes Initiatives's SBA loans go to just 3 industries: Full-Service Restaurants (50%), Breweries (17%), Industrial Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (17%). If your business is in one of these sectors, Northern Great Lakes Initiatives likely understands your industry's economics well — a major advantage during underwriting.

Sweet spot: $50K–$150K loans

50% of Northern Great Lakes Initiatives's SBA loans fall in the $50K–$150K range. Their typical loan (median) is $175,000, with the middle 50% of loans between $100,000 and $180,000. If your loan request is in this range, you may see a faster, smoother process.

Local lender: primarily Michigan

Northern Great Lakes Initiatives focuses their SBA lending in 1 state, with 100% in Michigan. Local lenders often prioritize community relationships and may be easier to work with if you're in their market.

Smaller loan specialist

Northern Great Lakes Initiatives's median loan of $160,000 is well below the SBA 7(a) average. They appear to specialize in smaller loans — making them a strong option if you need under $300,000 and may face minimum-amount barriers elsewhere.

Smaller SBA program

Northern Great Lakes Initiatives has 6 SBA 7(a) approvals. Their smaller volume may mean longer processing times, but could also mean more personalized attention for borrowers.

Lending trends for Northern Great Lakes Initiatives

Total loaned ($)
Median loan size
Jul '20Feb '21May '21Aug '21Feb '22Feb '25

Loan size distribution

Based on 6 SBA 7(a) approvals

Under $50K0 (0%)
$50K–$150K3 (50%)
$150K–$350K3 (50%)
$350K–$1M0 (0%)
$1M–$5M0 (0%)
Over $5M0 (0%)

Summary

Median (50th percentile)

$175,000

25th percentile

$100,000

75th percentile

$180,000

Average

$150,000

Typical range

$100,000
$180,000

States served

Less active
More active

State-by-state lending activity

#StateApprovals
1Michigan6

Northern Great Lakes Initiatives by industry

Industry focus

Recent SBA 7(a) approvals by Northern Great Lakes Initiatives

MonthBorrowerAmount
2025-02Alv*****LLC$100,000
2022-02Nak*****LLC$175,000
2021-08Roc*****LLC$250,000
2021-05Bee*****LLC$145,000
2021-02Bre*****LLC$180,000
2020-07My *****LLC$50,000

Source: Historical SBA 7(a) lending records. Borrower names partially masked for privacy.

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