The Greater Omaha Chamber on April 5 recognized LeaseTeam, Inc., (LTi) as a recipient of the 2018 Business Excellence Award in Innovation at its private VIP Reception. Award nominees were evaluated on company history and milestones in growth, as well as leadership philosophy and philanthropic involvement.

Founded in 1989 by Russ Hallberg and Randy Haug, LTi is headquartered in Omaha, Neb., with an additional office in Kansas City, remote employees nationwide and an emerging presence in the UK. Having launched the first Windows-based application in the equipment finance industry in 1992, LTi later merged the best of both functionalities from its legacy front-end and back-end solutions into a single, highly configurable lease and loan management platform known as ASPIRE.

President Jeff Van Slyke credits the company’s success to its service-oriented approach to innovation.

“At LTi, we’re deeply invested in our employees and customers to ensure their voices are heard as we drive our business into the future,” he said. “Our products and services are complex, which is why we never stop searching for innovative solutions in the equipment finance industry and beyond.”

The partially employee-owned Microsoft Gold Certified Partner recorded a three-year sales growth of 65 percent in 2017, earning a spot on the Inc. 5000 List as one of America’s fastest-growing companies for the third year in a row. In doing so, LTi has carved out a significant share of the equipment finance market, currently serving 36 percent of the Monitor 100, 34 percent of the Monitor Bank 50 and 64 percent of the Monitor Top 25 Private Independents.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by the Greater Omaha Chamber for our achievements,” said Haug, co-founder and executive vice president. “We’re growing now more than ever before, and it’s all taken place under the same executive management group that built the company from the ground up. Our people-first culture will continue to fuel innovation and growth for years to come.”

LTi also will attend the Greater Omaha Chamber’s Business Excellence Awards Community Celebration on May 17 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Omaha – La Vista.