Will Rivera spent 25 years in the military, retiring as a first sergeant in the U.S. Army.

Upon leaving the service, he decided to open a small business, a shoe store named Running Soles.

His financing partner: Abound Credit Union in Radcliff, Ky.

This is a common scenario for Abound, which provides a financial lifeline for many small businesses. Business lending is the fastest-growing segment of Abound’s loan portfolio, says Ray Springsteen, CEO at the $2.3 billion asset credit union. 

“That’s not because we’re doing $50 million loans,” he says. “It’s because we’re doing lots of $100,000 commercial loans to help people like Will revitalize communities.”

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