Cole Taylor Equipment Finance announced the opening of a new office in St. Louis, Missouri, and the appointment of Chris Byrnes as direct sales manager for the St. Louis region. Byrnes will be responsible for building client relationships and developing new lease and loan originations in Missouri, Kansas, western Kentucky, and western Tennessee.

Mr. Byrnes brings more than 15 years of financial industry and equipment leasing experience to Cole Taylor Equipment Finance. His areas of expertise include transportation, construction, mining and manufacturing. Byrnes joins Cole Taylor from BancorpSouth Equipment Finance, where he was a vice president and regional account executive.

“I’m very happy to have Chris on board,” said Edward A. Dahlka, Jr., president of Cole Taylor Equipment Finance. “He is a customer-focused professional who brings a wealth of experience to us. He will strengthen our already outstanding equipment financing team and provide us with substantial new growth opportunities. I look forward to working with him.”

Cole Taylor Equipment Finance is a subsidiary of MB Financial Bank, N.A. Cole Taylor Equipment Finance seeks direct equipment lending opportunities and syndicated deals from $2 million to $20 million. The company can also provide access to the full range of commercial banking products and services offered by MB Financial Bank.