About Northrim

Get To Know Northrim

What began as a small group with a big idea turned into a start-up bank operating from a trailer in a parking lot, then grew into a trusted, statewide financial institution.

From a Trailer to Statewide Service and More

How Northrim grew out of the ashes of an Alaska recession.

It was the early 1980s, and Alaska was thriving. Oil flowed freely through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Businesses were booming. Houses were popping up everywhere. Then, in 1987, the stock market crashed and oil prices plummeted to single digits per barrel – devastating the Alaska economy. During this time, 13 financial institutions failed across Alaska, displacing many customers – and opening the door for Northrim.

Northrim’s founders knew that Alaska needed a different type of bank – a strong, independent, local bank with community and customer service at its heart. Through pure dedication to purpose they worked to raise the $8 million in capital needed for the start-up, and Northrim Bank opened on December 4, 1990 – born out of the ashes of recession.

Today, Northrim has matured from a small community bank with 21 employees, one branch, and $8 million in assets, to an active, engaged community leader with well over 400 employees, branches from Anchorage to Fairbanks to Southeast Alaska, Residential Mortgage origination offices across Alaska and in the Lower 48 states and more than $2 billion in assets.

We Are:

Engaged We achieve more because we are dynamic, proactive, and innovative.
Accountable We take personal responsibility. We do what we say we will do.
Aligned We value alignment within teams and across departments. Together we are stronger.

Mission, Vision and Values

Our Mission, Vision and Values guide everything we do – from customer service to new products to investment decisions.

Mission

To be Alaska’s most trusted financial institution
We are committed to adding value for our customers, communities, and shareholders.

Vision

To be Alaska’s premier bank and employer of choice
We will be a leader in financial expertise, products and services, focused on continuous improvement and market growth.

Values

Proud to be Alaskan

We are Alaskan managed. We embody Alaska's frontier spirit and values, and strongly support our communities.

Superior Customer First Service

We have a sincere appreciation for our customers. We want to build lasting customer relationships through professional, prompt and caring service.

Growth

We look for growth opportunities for our customers, our institution and our employees. We strive to be better, personally and professionally.

Integrity

We are trustworthy, reliable, ethical and provide our customers with secure, confidential services. We do what is right.

Superior Customer First Service

Superior Customer First Service – it’s why we started and how we’ve grown. We believe it’s so important, we even offer a guarantee.

We are dedicated to giving you caring, personal attention each time you call or visit us. Today, we have an organization full of people who truly care about our customers, and who provide friendly, creative, flexible service to meet your needs – we call it “Superior Customer First Service.”

We believe in it so much that we even offer the Northrim Superior Customer First Service Guarantee:

We will always greet you warmly and make you feel welcome at our bank.
We will make sure that you never have to wait longer than five minutes in our teller line.
We will always get your statement to you quickly and without errors.
We will always show our appreciation for your business with a sincere thank you.
We stand behind our commitment 100%, and if you're ever dissatisfied with our performance on any of these guarantees, just let us know, and we'll pay you $5 in cash.

Alaska Focus

One thing we never lose focus on is serving the needs of Alaska and the people who live and work here.

As Alaska’s community bank, we understand the unique opportunities and challenges of living and working in Alaska, and we’re prepared to help you achieve more. We aren’t so big that you’re identified by your account number instead of your name. And we’re not so small that we can’t offer dynamic services like a mobile app with mobile deposit.

For more than 30 years, we’ve embraced the community above all else, making strategic investments and meaningful contributions to the local economy. From school programs to community development and local nonprofit organizations, we dedicate our time, talent and dollars to improving economic vitality and quality of life in Alaska.

As a community bank, Northrim is also a reflection of Alaska’s economy. The resources we dedicate to understanding the economy, and the commitment we have to sharing that knowledge, is another aspect that sets us apart. You’ll find us speaking regularly at events, including our own economic luncheons in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau. We sponsor economic research and forecast reports. We employ an in-house economist, and we publish a blog, Alaskanomics.com, to provide news, analysis and commentary on Alaska’s economy. As leaders and advocates, we are always looking for new ways to engage and educate.