Ridgestone Bank Enters Ohio Market with SBA Lending

BROOKFIELD, Wis. (June 10, 2015) – Ridgestone Bank is pleased to announce the addition of Romona Davis and Mitch Kendall to its SBA and USDA Commercial Lending Team as Vice-Presidents of Commercial Lending. At Ridgestone Bank, Davis and Kendall will utilize their breadth of experience to provide SBA and USDA lending options to small and mid-sized businesses throughout Ohio.

“We are excited to be working with Romona and Mitch to bring our SBA expertise to communities in the Ohio area,” said Bruce Lammers, president and CEO of Ridgestone Bank. “Ridgestone’s expansion into Ohio will allow us to offer financing opportunities to small businesses that would benefit from SBA loan programs.”

Davis has more than 20 years of combined experience in commercial banking, SBA lending, underwriting and financial management. At Ridgestone Bank, her thorough understanding of SBA and USDA programs will help her strategically structure loans for businesses to support future growth. Davis received a Women of Professional Excellence Award in 2013 and was named the SBA Advocate of the Year by the Cleveland District SBA Office in 2004. She has served on numerous SBA panels and has been featured in several magazine articles related to her SBA expertise.

Kendall has more than 10 years of experience in commercial banking as a relationship manager and specialty finance officer, including seven years of SBA experience. At Ridgestone Bank, Kendall will utilize his SBA experience to help companies take advantage of the unique lending opportunities available through SDA and USDA programs. In addition to his experience in banking, Kendall’s experience includes working for major equipment leasing institutions in Ohio and Kentucky as an equipment finance specialist.

Ridgestone Bank is a privately-held bank with full-service branch locations in Brookfield, Wis. and Schaumburg, Ill., as well as loan production offices in Indianapolis, Northeast Wisconsin, Northcentral Wisconsin, Tennessee, Ohio and Southern California.  Founded in 1995, the bank is a leader in small business and government guaranteed lending nationwide.  Distinguished by the SBA as an “SBA Preferred Lender,” Ridgestone Bank is a top 10 SBA lender in the nation is the number one SBA lender in Illinois and is the number one SBA lender in its asset size in Wisconsin.  Ridgestone Bank is a leader in USDA lending in the United States and has been recognized as a valued partner by the USDA for its commitment to small businesses.  For more information, visit www.ridgestone.com.

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