Kelly Skalicky grew up with Stearns Bank. Now she is the president of the company. With a varied background as her foundation, she is uniquely qualified to continue the success her parents built at Stearns and position it for the future, all while maintaining a focus on small business customers.... read more

Monitor 100 2018

Although it does not have a long history in the C&I space, Investors Bank is betting big on equipment finance, adding industry veteran Ken Walters to lead a new group. Walters and his team are focused on building a national leader and providing solutions.... read more

May/June 2018

Bill Verhelle is back in the game with the launch of Innovation Finance, which will focus on delivering a dramatically improved customer experience to sophisticated corporate and non-profit borrowers. In an interview with Monitor, he discusses the five traits of excellent employers and the guiding principles of his business philosophy: trust, purpose and humility.... read more

May/June 2018

In an exclusive Monitor roundtable, the leaders of the top five private independent equipment finance companies discuss how their teams rose to face the challenges of 2017. They discuss the increasing importance of technology in their businesses and share their views on the stock market correction, tax reform and how to attract top talent.... read more

March/April 2018

Daniel Dyer and George Pelose worked for years at Marlin Business Services in the company’s startup stage. Although both retired from Marlin, they are back in the game, building out Beneficial Bank’s new equipment finance company.... read more

January/February 2018

Entrepreneur Terri McNally shares the insight she gained from launching and successfully running an independent equipment finance company. She offers six vital lessons for those in the industry who are hoping to create a successful business.... read more

September/October 2017

Whitney Equipment Finance, the newly-formed equipment finance business of Gulf Coast stalwart Hancock Whitney Bank, debuted in the Monitor 100 this year at No. 70. Managing Director Chris Bucher explains how the newcomer leveraged its parent bank’s resources and legacy of serving regional businesses into a spot in the rankings after just a year and a half of operations.... read more

Monitor 100 2017

In his first year as president and CEO, Jeffrey Hilzinger has been at the helm of a rejuvenated Marlin Business Services, which has its sights set on being more than just a small-ticket equipment financing company.... read more

Monitor 100 2017

One of Regions Equipment Finance’s core values is supporting economic development and growth in the communities it serves. As president, William Perry plans to take the company to the next level by instituting a policy of transparency, thoroughly evaluating processes and transforming sales reps into valuable consultants through education.... read more

Monitor 100 2017

MB Equipment Finance was one of the winners of the GE Capital divestiture sweepstakes, as it added eight team members from the former financial service giant last spring. President Dave Drury details the recruitment process, how the new additions have helped lift MB to new heights and the exciting prospects 2017 has to offer.... read more

May/June 2017

With its focus now squarely on international vendor finance, DLL appointed three new members to its executive board. Marc Dierckx, Ab Gillhaus and Tom Meredith detail their new roles while providing insight into the direction of the company.... read more

May/June 2017

Kyle Gilliam joined BancorpSouth as president of Equipment Finance and Leasing in the fall of 2016. Gilliam discusses with Monitor his transition to the Tupelo, MS-based bank, his views on teambuilding and expanding to include a vendor/dealer program.... read more

March 2017

With 35 years of experience behind him, Tim Evans was brought in to lead the expansion of First National Bank’s leasing arm into the commercial equipment finance sector. With a strong vendor business already in place, F.N.B. Equipment Finance got off to a running start under Evans in late 2016 and is poised to keep moving up in 2017.... read more

January/February 2017

As it celebrates five successful years in business, Ascentium Capital now has additional growth capital available thanks to a recent announcement that private equity firm Warburg Pincus will acquire the company. The investment will allow Ascentium to continue to focus on what it does best: making the financing process easy for small businesses.... read more

November/December 2016

Before joining Key Equipment Finance as senior vice president of Commercial Manufacturer and Vendor Sales in July, Loren Hill accumulated 30 years of industry experience spanning different players in different cities, including 15 years at IBM Global Financing. His experience with a client-focused approach and ability to provide highly customized solutions has enabled him to make a smooth transition into his new role.... read more

September/October 2016