Devils Lake, N.D. – Sal Cifala, Howard Eisner, Carol Francis, Eddie Sullivan and Cathy Taskaya have joined Western Equipment Finance, a bank-owned equipment finance company that offers full-service commercial financing and leasing options throughout the United States. The five experienced industry professionals recently departed Firestone Financial, LLC, after the company announced it will no longer originate new loans.
Cifala joins Western as a Vice President – Business Development Manager. He served Firestone Financial for nearly 25 years, most recently as Assistant Vice President of Sales. Cifala attended Bentley University and lives in North Dighton, Mass.
Eisner joins Western as a Program Manager. He served as a Loan Closer at Firestone Financial and has extensive financial services experience. Eisner attended SUNY Brockport (N.Y.) and lives in West Warwick, R.I.
Francis joins Western as a Vice President – Business Development Manager. She joined Firestone Financial in 2010 and has more than 25 years of sales and marketing experience. Francis earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts – Lowell and a master’s degree from Babson College and lives in Arlington, Mass.
Sullivan joins Western as a Senior Credit Analyst. He joined Firestone Financial in 2019 and most recently servied as a Commercial Credit Associate. A graduate of the University of Delaware, Sullivan lives in Franklin, Mass.
Taskaya joins Western as Vice President – Senior Credit Officer. She joined Firestone Financial in 2013 and most recently served as Senior Vice President – Credit and Operations Officer. She has more than 25 years of financial services experience and graduated from the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. Taskaya lives in Randolph, Mass.
“Western Equipment Finance is thrilled to welcome Sal, Howard, Carol, Eddie and Cathy to our team,” said Laurie Bakke, President of Western Equipment Finance. “They will grow our presence in several segments including gaming, amusement, family entertainment, carnival and fitness. More importantly, they have a shared commitment to our industry, our customers, and our core values.”
ABOUT WESTERN EQUIPMENT FINANCE
Western Equipment Finance is a bank-owned equipment finance company. The company offers full-service commercial financing and leasing options throughout the United States. It serves several primary industry segments including agriculture, audio/visual, construction, franchise, funeral, laundry, lawn and tree care, rental and waste management.
Western Equipment Finance consistently ranks among the top 100 equipment finance companies in the nation. According to the Monitor industry publication, Western Equipment Finance is the 71st largest equipment finance company in the country. In the same Monitor rankings, the company is the 62nd top equipment finance company by new business volume.
To learn more about the company, visit http://www.westernequipmentfinance.com.
Western Equipment Finance is based in Devils Lake, ND, with additional team members working from locations across the country. It is a division of Western State Bank, a full-service community bank with ten locations in North Dakota and Arizona. Western State Bank is employee-owned with nearly $1.7 billion in assets and approximately 275 team members. It has a five-star superior rating by Bauer Financial, a trusted and independent research firm. The five-star rating is their highest rating for financial stability and strength.