Michael Perdue

For Pacific Western Bank, staying true to its simple roots is key -- and Mike Perdue, president, believes that for his bank, slow and steady wins the race.

"We are a full-service bank providing financing for building, for your equipment, for your growth -- and we take care of principals and their families too," Perdue said. "We are a simple, vanilla, one-customer-at-a-time bank. Put simply: We collect and make loans that pay back. It sounds boring, but that's why we've remained so strong."