Union Bank & Trust, based in Minneapolis, was named the nation's top community bank with assets under $100 million in a performance review conducted by the American Bankers' Association.

The ABA reviewed the performance of 2,957 community banks nationwide in arriving at the rankings, which were published in the July 2001 issue of the ABA Banking Journal.

'This rating is very gratifying to us - but more importantly it tells union members who rely on our bank, that they are getting the very best service the country has to offer,' said Greig Payne, Union Bank & Trust President.

Reviewers looked at the banks' five-year return on equity in determining the rankings, the ABA said. They also looked at loan-to-deposit ratios, the ratio of non-interest income to total income, operating efficiency and ratio of credit card loans to total loans.

Union Bank is the only bank with unionized employees in Minnesota and serves many unions and union members. It is also a sponsor of Workday Minnesota.