Taylor Capital Group announced that Cole Taylor Bank has launched a new equipment finance division led by Edward A. Dahlka, Jr., a nationally recognized industry leader and former President of LaSalle National Leasing with more than 40 years of leasing and equipment finance experience.

Initially joining Dahlka at Cole Taylor Equipment Finance are industry veterans Steven Williams, Peter J. Steger, Joseph A. Maddox and John A. Hurt, who worked with Dahlka at LaSalle National Leasing.

The business offers a full range of equipment finance options and specializes in originating and syndicating commercial equipment leases for U.S. companies. The syndication function offers both buy and sell opportunities to the investor community.

“I am very pleased to welcome Ed and his team to Cole Taylor,” said Mark A. Hoppe, president and chief executive officer of the bank. “I’ve known Ed for many years, and the highly-experienced team has an established network in the marketplace. I’m confident they will build a successful and sustainable line of business for the bank. We expect that Cole Taylor Equipment Finance will become a strong source of balance sheet growth and fee revenue for the bank and further contribute to the diversification of our earnings.”

Dahlka, president of Cole Taylor Equipment Finance, added, “I’m delighted to have joined Cole Taylor Bank. My team shares with Cole Taylor a dedication to customer service and a commitment to trust and transparency. Our team averages more than 25 years in the leasing business, and we’re looking forward to bringing our experience and expertise to this outstanding organization. Our customers and market participants will see that the deals we structure will be exactly what we deliver.”

Dahlka reports to Hoppe and the business is based near Baltimore in Towson, MD. Cole Taylor Equipment Finance is now the bank’s third national line of business, along with Cole Taylor Mortgage and Cole Taylor Business Capital. Taylor Capital is the $4.7 billion bank holding company of Cole Taylor Bank, a commercial bank headquartered in Chicago.