Our History

Since 1988, The Commerce Bank of Washington has enriched local businesses with highly personalized banking from local, experienced bankers dedicated to long-term relationships.

Founders James Hawkanson and Robert Richards joined forces to create a local bank to serve businesses in the Greater Seattle area. They were joined shortly afterwards by Dave Friedenberg who worked to help extend our vision of a bank with strong community ties.

Ten years after we opened, we joined Zions’ “Collection of Great Banks” and became one of eight distinct banks which share the philosophy that banking is a “local” business. We believe our success requires strong ties to the communities we serve and strong relationships with our customers.

Meet Our Leadership Team
Community Service