# Buying a Business in Tennessee: SBA Lending

Change-of-ownership SBA 7(a) approvals in Tennessee, FY2020 through FY2025. Every figure is read from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan-level dataset (as of June 30, 2026).

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Also on this site: https://searchspheresource.com/data/acquisition-lending
Source: https://searchspheresource.com/data/acquisition-lending/tennessee
Last checked: 2026-10-02

## The Numbers

- Loans since FY2020: 430, $538,882,300 approved in total
- FY2025 loans: 106, $138,327,600 approved
- Median loan: $797,800
- Share of national acquisition lending: 1.2%

## The Most Active Lenders in Tennessee

Ranked by change-of-ownership loans written in the covered years. A bank high here is a bank that has already said yes to this kind of deal in this state.

1. The Huntington National Bank: 42 loans
2. Live Oak Banking Company: 40 loans
3. Pinnacle Bank (TN): 29 loans
4. First Horizon Bank: 18 loans
5. Old National Bank: 15 loans

## What Gets Financed in Tennessee

- Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels: 32 loans
- Limited-Service Restaurants: 19 loans
- Full-Service Restaurants: 15 loans
- Broilers and Other Meat Type Chicken Production: 11 loans
- Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors: 11 loans

## Method and Source

- SBA 7(a) FOIA loan-level dataset (as of June 30, 2026): https://data.sba.gov/dataset/7a-504-foia
- Coverage: FY2020 through FY2025
- Segment: SBA 7(a) approvals with BusinessAge "Change of Ownership"

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